A local church is urging its members to permanently remove books from the Shelby County Public Library by checking them out and never returning them. The books portray gay characters and historical figures or explore LGBTQ+ themes.

Pamela Wilson Federspiel, who has been director of the library in downtown Shelbyville for 34 years, says the action is tantamount to “stealing.”

But three leaders of the Reformation Church of Shelbyville defend what they call an “act of civil disobedience.”

  • @Fedizen@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    The way to fight this is easy. Offer to buy new library copies. Eventually they’ll run out of people without overdue books.

    Burning or disposing of the books will also generate bad press because it associates them with their kindred spirits: Nazis and church censors.

    • @ouRKaoS@lemmy.today
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      22 days ago

      I was gonna say start taking pews out of their church until the books come back, but buying new books works, too.

      • @Bwaz@lemmy.world
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        32 days ago

        Or just hang around till the offering plate comes by and then help yourself to money to rebuy books.