Actor and author Kirk Cameron has spent the last year hosting reading events at public libraries for his publisher Brave Books. Saturday, August 5th Cameron and Brave Books are encouraging people across the country to host their own events. Residents have planned events at every branch of the Christian County Library.
Brave publishes what they call “faith based” books that “teach traditional values,” their calls to action and press releases engage in similar rhetoric as other groups and individuals challenging book access in libraries and have garnered similar attention.
Christian County has faced challenges to books in public schools and in the public library, but Christian County Library Director Renee Brumett says the library is not treating the planned events differently than any others, and welcomes use of library resources. Brumett said, “what we try to convey all the time is we are the public library and we here for everybody.”
No events are planned at the Springfield-Greene County Library District, but Director Regina Greer-Cooper says she is aware of Brave Books. Christian County and Springfield-Greene both own copies of their titles. Greer-Cooper said she had recently checked one out, and that it was comparable to other children’s books in the Library’s collection.
Cameron has however made news claiming hostility and impedance from libraries, directed at Brave Books. In June the publisher circulated information suggesting the American Library Association, a professional organization for library workers, made a deliberate effort to prepare libraries to prevent Brave Books events from happening in their buildings. This was picked up by some news outlets and prompted a stern statement in July from Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, opposing the ALA and its affiliate the Missouri Library Association.
Neither KSMU nor Brumett or Greer-Cooper could fully substantiate or deny these claims by Brave Books and Sec. Ashcroft, only brief clips of a recording appear available online, but both directors pointed to their meeting room policies and the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights which specifies that meeting rooms be provided “on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.”
Greer-Cooper added that there are misconceptions about the Associations, she emphasized that they are funded by member dues, and while they offer trainings and conferences relevant to library work, those things are not mandatory, and the Associations do not dictate local library policy.
Organizers of the events in Christian County respectfully declined the chance to comment for this story.