David Davis has been named chairman of the Columbia County Library Board in the middle of continuing conversations about soft censorship related to the recent passing of book reshelving guidelines.
Davis, a retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army, was chosen to be the board’s new leader at a March 12 meeting, the day following a regional library board meeting in which a community member alluded to him during a public participation comment.
‘Protect their innocence:’ in favor of Senate Bill 74
“There’s somebody on this board, at least one person, who has gone to Atlanta and is trying to influence and actively influence state legislatures to criminalize some of the basic functions of our library. And criminalize the librarian, so they could be arrested,” said Sandra Bowers during the Greater Clarks Hill Regional Library Board meeting on March 11.
Bower’s comment was in regards to Davis, who shared that he visited Atlanta as a private citizen to hear Senator Max Burns present Senate Bill 74 – a bill that would land librarians with misdemeanor charges for knowingly selling, loaning or distributing materials considered harmful to minors.
Librarians who make an effort to remove flagged content would not face charges under this bill.
If passed, the new law will become effective on July 1, 2025.
Davis shared with The Augusta Press that his visiting Atlanta for that purpose was not a secret, and something he is not afraid to stand behind.
“[It’s for] the children. They’re children. They are little boys, and they’re little girls. And they’re God’s creatures. And they have uh, they have an innocence. And until the time is right, chronologically right, legal, we have a due diligence, [a] responsibility as responsible parents to protect their innocence,” he said.
A slippery slope of subjectivity
SB 74 has been considered controversial, as its supporters fight to safeguard children and its opposers raise the question: who gets to decide what material is and isn’t harmful?
Marlena Bergeron, an active board meeting participant, said in a phone call that SB 74 holds books up against a “subjective litmus test,” and threatens to “undermine our entire state’s library systems.”
“People want to make it sound like it’s really not a big deal, we’re just extending the law…but what everyone needs to understand is that the temperature at the library is running very hot and that there are some patrons who walk in who are deliberately walking in to find books and pick a fight with them,” she said.
Further, she said she fears the passing of this bill would result in a reduction in library services, programming, books, personnel and the upending of the PINES catalogue system.
“SB 74 will have far reaching, long-lasting impacts. If you use the library, this could be devastating for patrons and a slap in the face to librarians.
Bergeron noted that National Library Week is April 6-12, adding that librarians “could use our help and our voice right now.”
