Submitted by King-of-New-York t3_ypii02 in nyc
Comments
k1lk1 t1_ivja8m3 wrote
I remember when libraries served their patrons and didn't try to make political statements halfway across the country.
Just more people who make everything about politics, capturing our institutions to use them to fight their political battles. Many NGOs and charities are captured in this way (e.g. wikimedia foundation).
Brooklyn library should be making headlines for its great service for Brooklynites.
King-of-New-York OP t1_ivjcqnv wrote
In an ideal world, yes. But it’s hard for a public institution like a library to stay neutral in today’s political climate.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/11/ron-desantis-moms-for-liberty-florida-book-bans.html
k1lk1 t1_ivjecs2 wrote
Is it though? Shouldn't local institutions serve local people? Have all of the access and equity issues in Brooklyn really been solved already? Florida and Oklahoma have nothing to do with Brooklynites access to information.
Again, this is just political warriors capturing every entity they can and using it to pursue ideological ends.
paradox_djell t1_ivjes2d wrote
It’s sad that you think this is a zero sum game where if they help someone else, it means they’re not helping us locals.
k1lk1 t1_ivjf0np wrote
That's how spending money works. If you buy one thing, you are by definition not buying something else.
Call me crazy but I'd rather see the money go to assisting, oh, the hundreds of thousands of descendants of slaves, who live in Brooklyn.
King-of-New-York OP t1_ivjfegm wrote
As an outsider looking in I believe that the BPL sees the actions across the country as an attack on its own autonomy, not as an attack on a completely separate entity.
[deleted] t1_ivjkcry wrote
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parkslopeymcamanager t1_ivjl49o wrote
Next time BPL is asking for more public funds, keep in mind they're spending money on things that have zero relevancy to Brooklynites.
parkslopeymcamanager t1_ivjld8u wrote
I don't know who the nutjob in this article is, however as a parent I don't have a problem with certain clearly inappropriate books not being in school libraries.
hellywthegoldz t1_ivjtjpo wrote
I agree with you.
marketingguy420 t1_ivjv8xh wrote
American libraries are accessible to all Americans, and non-Americans. They're one of the few functional public institutions we have left. Seems like a good mission of any decent library and librarian would be helping others access reading material being banned for overt political reasons, especially in our own country.
k1lk1 t1_ivjvy93 wrote
> American libraries are accessible to all Americans, and non-Americans.
Inaccurate
marketingguy420 t1_ivjwemb wrote
Do you think libraries have imperial guards checking passports at the door lmao. Anyone can walk in and read a book in New York.
eekamuse t1_ivjy4ih wrote
So you support banning books.
This is not a question.
eekamuse t1_ivjy6s5 wrote
eekamuse t1_ivjyggy wrote
Clueless.
Probably needs to use the library sometime.
k1lk1 t1_ivjygrn wrote
Don't be an idiot. Seriously.
elizabeth-cooper t1_ivkdhlb wrote
Do you think libraries own a copy of every single book that exists on the entire planet or do they curate their collection?
filthysize t1_ivkk9iz wrote
Damn, if only they save the money they spend on... *checks notes* opening up online access to an already existing e-book collection that is also used by Brooklynites. They could probably bejewel every library shelf with diamonds. So much public money wasted here.
Pennwisedom t1_ivkpbsj wrote
>Brooklyn library should be making headlines for its great service for Brooklynites.
Somehow I get the feeling you probably have no idea what the BPL does or doesn't do. Though I'm sure you can Google it and pretend like you do.
LivefromPhoenix t1_ivl2q2y wrote
>The Brooklyn Public Library’s “Books Unbanned” program provides access to its eBook collection and learning databases for people between the ages of 13 and 21.
Do conservative culture warriors even bother reading the posts before freaking out over this stuff? The cost of providing e-books and other online material for free to young people is negligible, especially considering its already set up for residents.
--edit-- Poor guy got embarrassed for not reading the article before complaining and blocked me.
LivefromPhoenix t1_ivl2v22 wrote
Oh boy, wait until you hear about this cool new thing called the internet.
co_matic t1_ivl4d9n wrote
>political warriors capturing every entity they can and using it to pursue ideological ends
You mean like the activist social media accounts giving parents lists of scary books to take to their school boards and try to have removed from libraries?
fleetwoodmacbookair t1_ivlapq0 wrote
To everyone who has their panties in a twist about the BPL being politically motivated/wasting resources on other places - try reading the article.
The BPL is simply opening up access to their ebook library to students aged 13-21 nationwide. In some schools where books have been banned, people have started distributing the QR code for this program and it’s been organically adopted as something of a resistance symbol.
We live in the age of the internet. The BPL is providing access to these materials in general. To be clear - these banned books will never be completely inaccessible. They’re available for purchase. This program simply allows students to check them out for free from a library, which they had been able to do in their schools until recent laws were passed.
princessnegrita t1_ivlckwj wrote
So many of my greatest childhood memories were in or around the three nearest local BPL branches.
I got tutoring, activities, computer access (when home internet access was still newish for poor people), free books every week of the summer and free tickets for other nyc institutions.
All of that in addition to a magical amount of books from all over the world. Like my first encounter with the fact that colorism exists everywhere was when I was like 12 years old and picked up a Peach Girl manga randomly from the shelves. That’s wild!
Even more recently while doing childcare, the BPL was a destination. They have a massive amount of resources available to local residents and many local residents utilize them. They still give out free books and tbh their events have only gotten better.
People complaining about them expanding their services to others and implying it’s at some great detriment to local residents, are very unfamiliar with just how much the Brooklyn public library does. (And probably how interlibrary loans work)
Darrackodrama t1_ivlhtee wrote
ROFL This take makes sense coming from park slope.
This is what makes us the intellectual and cultural capital of this shit ass country. We don’t lock knowledge away; we don’t ban books, we challenge kids on assumptions of Gender and racial equity and history.
This is exactly What we should pay taxes for and good for them for creating open source access to those other kids who can’t walk to a world class beautiful library in 10 minutes like I can.
This is such a nuclear nimby take my mind can’t even rationalize it
MICKEY-MOUSES-DICK t1_ivli0a1 wrote
The Right wing cucks constantly talks about 'mUh FreeDumB of SpeECH' they sure get all pansy and snowflakes when it comes to books. Fucking Republicans. Idiots. All of them.
Darrackodrama t1_ivljhbt wrote
Staying neutral is making everything open source and letting the reader decide.
elizabeth-cooper t1_ivlmohn wrote
What does that have to do with libraries?
parkslopeymcamanager t1_ivloit2 wrote
> we challenge kids on assumptions of Gender and racial equity and history.
Are you elite Park Slope pearl-clutchers showing all sides of this argument, or just shoving the latest transfad books down kids throats?
Alternative-Lion-427 t1_ivltlng wrote
Oh yeah. I read this book where these girls watch their mom die, then they decided they had to get their dad drunk and have sex with him to ensure he has sons to carry on the family name. Books like that have no place in the hands of kids. It's teaching sexual immorality, promoting drunkenness, and of course incest. Man. What was that book called.....
Oh yeah. The bible.
princessnegrita t1_ivlv1xp wrote
I’ve worked with a ton of kids with varying backgrounds and let me tell ya, they don’t want to read books encouraging people to dislike or disrespect others because of their traits.
That would be purely for the adults.
Kids ask too many questions to just accept the idea that it’s okay to call someone something they specified they don’t want to be called.
LivefromPhoenix t1_ivm6bet wrote
So you opened the post and started arguing with people without actually reading the article?
[deleted] t1_ivmasn5 wrote
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Popdmb t1_ivnct2j wrote
I don't know if you meant to do this, but you typed and then published that "Wikimedia" was captured by something. They are Switzerland.
k1lk1 t1_ivo4yf2 wrote
Darrackodrama t1_ivpkdn7 wrote
“Latest transfad” this is the funny thing about you types.
You lack such historical context that you think trans people are a new creation. They are not, they existed as two spirit in native America, as Hijra in India, in Turkish courts, in Greek society. There were black trans people in the 19th century.
WE are reaching RESPECT and acknowledgement of this history of a group of people who have been spit on and hated at every turn.
Maybe open a book before you assume this is a fad. Gender dysphoria and trans folk aren’t a fad for us:
They are a fad for you right wing culture warriors, obsessed with erasing their existence.
It’s also funny because you type are the same ones who are furiously looking at trans porn, and getting on Grindr to meet up with trans women and hiding.
Like if you want to date trans women it’s not gay, I have dated a few and it’s a lovely experience, just be real with yourself and don’t hide behind this bullshit obsession/hate of them.
Also kids don’t give a fuck, you tell them, some people are born male and they present as female gender wise because their brains are wired that way. It’s totally natural and kids just say oh that’s so cool! You all are the ones making this a big deal because of your self loathing.
Darrackodrama t1_ivpkvjg wrote
To add to this, in every other context you would be seen as such a dick for refusing to refer to someone as they wanted.
But they don’t extend the same courtesy to trans people because they don’t view them as humans.
Like if someone says refer to me as doctor smith. And I’m like no, you’re name is Chris because I know better than you you’d be such a fucking dickhead.
parkslopeymcamanager t1_ivpv0us wrote
I would have given you an honest response but your bizarre attempt at an insult isn't doing much for me. One day you'll realize your movement has good intentions but completely jumped the shark to the average person. Maybe stop trying to cut the genitals off every 10 year old boy who plays with dolls and people will take you seriously.
funforyourlife t1_ivpzqih wrote
The headline is pointlessly inflammatory - "slip through bans" as though they need to smuggle the books. Any modern book ban in the US is always "we won't allow taxpayer funds for this / we won't allow this in a public school curriculum"
Darrackodrama t1_ivq4u5i wrote
Classic tactic you employ when you realize you are losing an argument, resort to arguing against a straw man based on assumptions about what I think and feel on this issue. Who said I support gender confirmation surgery for minors, I certainly do not and nor does the AMA.
Puberty blockers and deep intensive therapy are the best course of action it seems.
And yea you have nothing to say because historically I am correct and your dumbass thinks this is a fad because you can’t fathom that maybe these people are a part of the human experience. You basically can just go ahead and admit you lost on the facts because your half ass response really shows you have nothing to say.
Now when we start treating them with respect you act like we’re trying to force kids to become trans.
And I’m not a part of any movement just recognize the continued existence and non erasure of my trans friends.
Let’s be serious, you don’t actually believe people want to chop their child’s dick off, you just fear a world where a kid can actually be trans without bullying and high risks of suicide because they hate what they see in the mirror
But keep thinking this is somehow new.
King-of-New-York OP t1_ivj719n wrote
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” ~ George R.R. Martin
Keep fighting the good fight BPL.