Missouri Libraries Adopt New Regulation to Protect Minors
Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has made significant strides in establishing guidelines for the protection of minors in state-funded libraries. In October, Ashcroft issued a notice about the potential changes that would impact public libraries in Missouri. Following a period of public consultation and a few revisions to the original draft, the new rule was put into effect on May 30, 2023.
While there were minor modifications made since the draft was released in October 2022, the core tenets of the rule remain the same. These changes were made in response to feedback from the library community.
The requirements set forth in the rule are as follows:
Libraries must adopt written policies determining age-appropriate material.
State funds must not be used to purchase or acquire inappropriate materials that could appeal to a minor's prurient interest.
Libraries must honor a parent's decision about the material their child can access.
Parents will have the right to challenge a library's age-appropriate designation for any material.
Public access computers must either have software that restricts access to pornographic materials or buy internet connectivity from an ISP that offers filter services for such content.
Libraries should develop a policy, in line with community standards, to limit minor's access to pornographic material on computers.
To comply, libraries need to certify themselves using a form provided by the state library, demonstrating either adherence to an internet usage policy or use of filtering software on public access computers. Any library or library official unwilling to submit this certification will be considered noncompliant with the rule.
This measure is designed to return local control and parental involvement to the realm of what children are exposed to in libraries. "When state dollars are involved, we want to bring back local control and parental involvement in determining what children are exposed to," said Ashcroft. "Foremost, we want to protect our children."
Ashcroft’s office is encouraging feedback on the rule via mail or email. It will be published in the Missouri Register, and there will be a 30-day comment period. These proposed regulations, alongside the existing measures, will ensure that public libraries remain a safe and conducive environment for minors.