A newly launched petition from the Michigan Library Association aims to stir public support for the state’s libraries and push back against efforts to censor which books are found on their shelves.
The Protect MI Right to Read petition will be delivered in October to the Legislature and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during Michigan Library Month celebrations.
“Michigan’s public libraries serve everyone, not just the loudest voices,” MLA Interim Executive Director Dillon Geshel said in a statement. “The Petition to Protect MI Right to Read was created to send a clear message to our elected officials that public libraries exist to reflect all of us, and every resident deserves the freedom to see themselves on the shelves.”
The petition was developed in the wake of ongoing drives to remove books of certain genres or subjects from public and school libraries, often targeting books or authors from the LGBTQ+ or other marginalized communities.
Calling Protect MI Right to Read a “commitment to nurturing a literate society,” Holly Ward Lamb, director of the Howell Carnegie District Library, said the movement is “essential to the advancement of our citizens and our state.”
“Public libraries are on the front lines because they seek to make books and other resources available to all on an equitable basis,” she said.
“We’re seeing more organized efforts to control what people can read, and it’s happening right here in Michigan,” said Jenny Marr, MLA Board President and Executive Director of Capital Area District Libraries. “This petition reminds us that libraries are places of curiosity, growth, and empathy, and they’re worth defending.”
Organizers cited new statewide polling commissioned by the MLA and conducted by the research firm EPIC-MRA, which they said demonstrates the public’s support for libraries and opposition to book bans.
• 79% of voters surveyed said they approve of the work libraries are doing, up from 71% in 2023
• 75% said they trust librarians to decide what belongs in library collections
• 82% of respondents “agree that we need to protect the ability of young people to have access to books that help them learn about and understand different perspectives,” the poll results said.
• 84% said they support current library policies on age-appropriate shelving.
“It’s incredibly gratifying to see the survey results affirm what library staff across Michigan experience every day — that the public trusts their librarians, values intellectual freedom, and believes that everyone deserves to see their story reflected on our shelves,” Marr said in a statement about the poll results. “It’s also a powerful reminder, especially in communities facing challenges, that while there may be voices loudly opposing the freedom to read, they do not represent the majority of people in our state.”
– By Lily Guiney
