COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — The Library Alliance of North Idaho is challenging a bill preventing minors from accessing books with adult content.
Trustee Plass created a draft that would relocate books containing content deemed harmful to minors.
Plass listed qualities of a book that would make it adult content according to Idaho Statute 18-1514, including nudity of a man or woman, sexual conduct or arousal, or any act that is considered to promote sexual pleasure. This law would not discriminate against different sexualities, and people under the age of 18 would not be allowed to check out books containing sexual content with descriptions of masturbation or intercourse between two people.
The Library Alliance of North Idaho said the suggestion to relocate adult books and install video surveillance infringes on privacy rights outlined by the Community Library Network’s Member Confidentiality Policy, where library users have a right to privacy and confidentiality on what they borrow.
Plass’s proposal would move adult content books to a lockable room, closet or cabinet that would be away from the public view. People 18 years or older would be given an Adult Access library card. In order to check out books in the Adult Access Only areas, patrons would request and check out a key at the front desk. A key log would be recorded to see when the key was checked out and returned.
This proposal was created on August 8, 2024, and is now being challenged. The Library Alliance of North Idaho plans to meet to discuss this proposed law. The meeting will be held on September 19 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Post Falls Library. The first ten people to sign up for public comment can give their opinion. You can view the agenda for the meeting here.
