A Beachwood, Ohio man checked out 100 books from the Cuyahoga County Public Library, focusing on Jewish, African-American, and LGBTQ+ history. He subsequently posted social media videos showing these books, which were valued at approximately $1700, first in a car trunk with a caption referencing “cleansing” libraries, and later being burned. The Princeton University Bridging Divides Initiative alerted the library to the videos. The library will pursue restitution for the destroyed books once they are officially overdue, while police involvement remains limited to a potential civil matter.
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As an individual who values education and the freedom to access knowledge and information, the recent events at New College of Florida have left me deeply disturbed. The decision to toss hundreds of library books and empty the gender diversity library is a blatant attack on intellectual freedom and academic pursuit. It is a slap in the face to the very essence of what educational institutions should stand for – the exploration of diverse perspectives and the open exchange of ideas.
To witness books being discarded in dumpsters, as if they hold no value or importance, is reminiscent of dark periods in history where censorship and book burnings were used as tools to suppress knowledge and control narratives.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker