Book bannings are popular again with regressive bigots, puritanical nutjobs, and those who offer nothing but culture wars, attacking libraries across the country. Some are seeing success not just with local school boards but also entire states.

Utah passed a law that banned 13 books that took effect on July 1, 2024. Now, individuals in that same state are beginning to target Little Free Libraries. Little Free Libraries are small, book shelves where individuals can drop off and pick up used books. Often, they are on private property like people’s lawns.

Utah Parents United, a driver behind the Utah bans, are now arguing owners of Little Free Libraries should face prosecution if they make “obscene” material available. The Utah law is vague and just mentions the distribution or “offers to distribute” any pornographic material to others can run afoul of the law. Often, those who have Little Free Libraries are unaware of what is available in the box as strangers can add and take books from it at any time of the day.

We at GP have had a Little Free Library running for over a year, often making sure to put in banned graphic novels. It’s also stuffed with books from the neighborhood, most have not been added by us. Utah State Rep. Sahara Hayes announced she was celebrating Banned Books Week by placing titles that are banned in Utah inside Little Free Libraries which of course led to an uproar from the pearl clutchers.

So far, Salt Lake City police have said they haven’t received complaints of Hayes’ book-sharing. While you of course need to follow the law, even on private property, this shows that it was never about libraries, it’s about thought control for everyone.

It looks like the modern day book burning is expanding and the modern day brown shirts are coming for the books you share on your private property. Give them an inch they’ll take a mile.