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Library advocates raise concerns that requiring libraries to automatically notify parents every time their kids check something out would be overly burdensome. The bills (AB 641 & 642) requiring that for school and public libraries are from state Representative Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc). She testified on the bills before a state Senate committee on Tuesday.
“I think people have ascribed some motives to these these pieces of legislation that aren’t necessarily there. We want parental engagement. And our goal in this legislation is not to further inflame the issue, but to bring the temperature down.”
#WisconsinEye Morning Minute: Parental Notification of Library Materials feat. @WEMTAOnline & @RepDittrich
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ℹ️ https://t.co/nJV7owcSQZ#Wisconsin #wipolitics @wispolitics pic.twitter.com/dhMctycEsJ— WisconsinEye (@WisconsinEye) November 29, 2023
The bills would require libraries send notices within 24 hours of kids checking out books and other items.
“It gives us this opportunity to monitor what kids are checking out both in the school and the public libraries. And it’s not book banning,” Dittrich said. “Your child unsupervised right now can go into one of our public libraries with a self checkout and checkout an R rated film without your knowledge even. Which shocked me. And I don’t think we want our eight year olds doing that.”
Library advocates raised concerns that the requirements would be overly burdensome on staff. State law already allows parents to request information on what their children under the age of 16 check out.