FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In recent Arkansas legislative sessions many bills, especially those focused on obscenities in libraries, were proposed.
One of those bills, now Act 372, changes how content is classified and even creates punishments if someone were to be caught "furnishing a harmful item to a minor."
Executive Director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) Nate Coulter explained that the new bills have been frustrating for him.
"I like the great things a library is able to do," Coulter said in a interview with 5NEWS affiliate THV11. " To be targeted and vilified and have the suggestion that somehow we're a part of a threat to your child is offensive, frankly, it's unwarranted."
Because of that, Coulter said CALS is in the process of getting a lawsuit ready to file. That lawsuit could be approved to file after the next CALS board meeting on May 25.
Following the CALS board meeting, the Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) board voted to approve a motion to join the potential lawsuit, according to FPL Communications Director Samantha Herrera.
“As an organization, we are concerned about the constitutionality of the impending law, as well as the undue burden on libraries to implement it. We are proud to stand in solidarity with all public libraries in Arkansas by being part of a possible lawsuit” said David Johnson, executive director of Fayetteville Public Library.
The FPL board's vote to join the lawsuit was unanimous.
Coulter says that CALS curates selections for all — and while there may be some that he or others disagree with, it's a choice that they operate on.
"I don't like the authors, I don't like the content, I don't like the viewpoint particularly, but that's not my job," Coulter said.
Our affiliate, THV11, reached out to State Senator Dan Sullivan, the bill's sponsor, for comment. Sen. Sullivan stated that he did not want to comment until the lawsuit was filed but did express that CALS is within their right to file one if they'd like.
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