Iowa book ban prompts disclaimers on Little Free Library exchanges

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — State restrictions on books that may be made to be had to Iowa scholars have brought about some Des Moines-area college districts to post disclaimers on Little Free Libraries.

Earlier this 12 months the Iowa Legislature licensed a regulation that bans books that describe intercourse acts from libraries and school rooms, forcing college districts to inspect their books and take away any in violation of the brand new laws. The invoice additionally calls for college districts to deal with on-line lists of books which might be to be had to scholars.

That regulation has led no less than two suburban college districts to put disclaimers on Little Free Libraries, free-standing out of doors shows the place individuals are inspired to proportion books.

At Webster Elementary within the Urbandale college district, the Des Moines Register stories {that a} signal has been posted pointing out, “This ‘little library’ is not funded, sponsored, endorsed or maintained by the Urbandale Community School District and is not in any way part of the Urbandale Schools library program.”

School district spokesperson Dena Claire told The Associated Press that the notice was posted to be sure people understood the district was complying with the law even though the little library was on school property.

In the West Des Moines school district, spokesperson Laine Buck said the district planned to add signs on any little libraries on school grounds but wouldn’t remove the exchanges.

“They are intended for free book sharing, and because it is a community resource that we believe the broader community appreciates, we currently do not have plans to remove any from district property,” Buck said.

The Des Moines school district has a Little Free Library outside at least one school but doesn’t plan to post a disclaimer, a spokesperson said.

Margret Aldrich, a spokesperson for Little Free Library, a nonprofit based totally in St. Paul, Minnesota, mentioned it used to be disappointing that college districts felt a want to post disclaimers however that it used to be excellent they’d discovered an answer that enabled the book-sharing program to proceed. Aldrich mentioned she wasn’t conscious about the rest identical in different states.