The battle between social conservatives and Michigan libraries to remove certain books from the shelves is becoming increasingly political as the November elections draw near.
A Michigan Library Association poll shows more than three-quarters of Michiganders oppose censorship of library books, but the public filed 47 complaints in 2023. Debbie Mikula with the association says in most cases, those bans would violate the First Amendment.
“When there’s an effort to try to prohibit accessing information or a book because some individuals don’t like the ideas contained in the book, the United States Supreme Court has held that that’s unconstitutional,” Mikula said.
One recent incident involved the Alpena County Library, where county commissioners removed the entire library board for “failing to act” on community members’ demands to remove certain books. The community members also vowed, but failed, to vote down the library’s millage.
