Kelly Jensen, writer and former public librarian, has been keeping an eye on the "storytimes" being offered by Brave Books and Kirk Cameron. On August 5, Cameron is calling on supporters to hold storytimes at public libraries in order to “pray, sing, and read BRAVE Books and other books of virtue.”
This Book Riot post is a deep dive into what public libraries need to know and consider if they are approached to host this type of event.
Jensen writes: "If you’re a public library worker, now is the time to prepare for what could be either an onslaught or a big nothing burger. In hoping for the latter, preparing for the former will ensure that your library is indeed in a strong position to defend the choices it makes in the interest of its purpose, its staff, and its users. This includes reviewing your policies around meeting rooms and meeting with your legal representation on what requirements you can and cannot make of those requesting rooms (specifically around security — someone like Cameron, via his profile, is a public safety concern but also, knowing that increased law enforcement at the public library is antithetical to the tenants of librarianship and is an impediment for the use of the facility by marginalized individuals, what do you do?)."
Check it out here. [Brave Books, Kirk Cameron Plan Public Library Events August 5- Libraries Need to Prepare. Jensen, Kelly. Book Riot blog. June 5, 2023.]
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