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How Our Libraries Are Changing

Can You Imagine a World Without Public Libraries? 

Public Libraries are at the heart of democracy.  They ensure equitable access to information and knowledge, with a strong commitment to intellectual freedom.  But our Public Libraries are in the line of political fire these days -- some states are questioning books available through our libraries and even questioning if libraries should be defunded altogether. 

Did you know that in Sonoma County, we are very fortunate to have a robust and vibrant library system? 

Join us on Monday May 22^nd at 11:30 am via Zoom to meet the new Sonoma County Library Director, Erika Thibault,  and the Chair of the Sonoma County Library Commission, Deborah Doyle, for an overview of our local libraries:  How are they funded, who decides if a book should be banned, what new services are being offered, the many ways to access our libraries, and more.
Are we taking our local libraries for granted, assuming they will always be there with all the books and materials we want to read?  The First Amendment to the Constitution states, in part, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Emphasis added)  So congress may not ban books, but maybe States and individuals can.  What about local government and local school boards?

              Deborah Doyle                                             Erika Thibault

Books are a form of free speech, and are covered by the first amendment.  Books also enhance our knowledge.  Knowledge = power. So, what do you think banning books is all about?  Book bans are a way to control our access to knowledge and to restrict our power.  We need to protect our access to knowledge of all kinds, and our freedom of choice to read any book.

The most obvious reason why we need to protect against book banning is that it is a form of censorship. Censorship is the suppression of ideas or information. The First Amendment protects citizens against censorship by the federal government, but not by private citizens or organizations. In fact, book banning is the most prevalent example of censorship in the United States.

In the 1982 Supreme Court ruling on Board of Education v. Pico, Justice William Brennan wrote that taking books off of library shelves could violate students’ First Amendment rights, adding that “Local school boards may not remove books from school libraries simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.”

Parents may control what their own children read, but don't have a right to restrict what books are available to other people.  Parents who don’t like specific books can have their kids opt out of an assignment without infringing on the rights of others.

The National Coalition against Censorship explained that “Even books or materials that many find ‘objectionable’ may have educational value, and the decision about what to use in the classroom should be based on professional judgments and standards, not individual preferences.”

Join us on Monday, May 22 11:30 am to learn more about our local libraries and how we can support this vital community resource. 

Monday Monday 22th  11:30 am - 1:00 pm Zoom meeting

Register Here 
 
The Zoom link will be sent to you after you register.

Our League has invited the current Grand Jury members to a luncheon next month, Wednesday, June 14, Flag Day! We will hold the event at Charlie’s Restaurant at the Windsor Golf Course from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.  Space is limited to thirty-five members. There will be a $35 charge for the lunch. Look for the registration email coming soon.

So, what does the Grand Jury do?  A quote from the Sonoma County Government website:

• A citizen watchdog function authorized by the California State Constitution,
• An investigative body; an “arm of the Court: - Assesses action and performance of local government entities,
• A group of 19 citizens serving a 12-month term. Every California County has a civil grand jury.

California and Nevada are the only States that have standing Grand Juries. Come join us to honor the outgoing grand jury and learn about their work.

Gayle Peterson presenting the voter registration card training

Part 2 of Coverage of the City of Santa Rosa’s Housing Programs

Homelessness is a critical concern for the Santa Rosa community and one of the City Council’s top priorities.  The City’s five-year Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan (2023-2027) outline key strategies and actions the City will take to address homelessness in collaboration with the regional system of care.  The Plan follows the evidence-based practices of Housing First, which prioritizes the provision of permanent housing as the primary tool for ending homelessness in alignment with Federal and State policy.  The goal is to achieve “Functional Zero” homelessness in which a person’s experience with homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.  To that end, the City is making strategic investments in five key initiative areas.

These areas are Day Services, Emergency Shelter, Community Based Solutions, Street Outreach & Encampment Resolution and Housing Support.  Details on these services can be found on the City’s website.

While progress has been made in recent years, most recently the number of individuals experiencing homelessness county-wide increased by approximately five percent between 2020 and 2022, with a 13 percent increase in Santa Rosa.  57% of the overall count-wide homeless population resides in Santa Rosa.

A few of the City-funded programs and initiatives for fiscal year 2021-22 are:  219 housed, 1,271 sheltered, and an additional 3,209 served in various ways.

Current annual investment in Santa Rosa’s homelessness solutions is $4.9 million, up from $1.7 million in 2016/17.

A dedicated staff and community partners are hard at work on these issues 24/7.

You have probably noticed that the American flag has been at half-staff recently. That is because of the most recent mass shooting in Allen, Texas. We can all agree that gun violence is out of control across the country and in California. We have some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. And yet we continue to have mass shootings. As of this writing there have been 17 mass shootings so far in California this year resulting in 28 deaths. This does not count the daily shootings such as suicides, drive-by shootings, domestic violence, etc. Thus far this year there have been 15,056 all cause gun violent deaths nationwide. The Gun Violence Archive keeps a daily tally of these grim statistics. https://www.gunviolencearchive.org  Despite a public outcry for Washington to address this epidemic of gun violence, little progress has been made.

Has the LWV taken any stand on this endless gun violence? Yes, they have. On the national front the LWVUS lobbied congress in 2022 with this statement:

“As comprehensive gun safety reform is considered and implemented, it must include: (1) closing the gun show loophole, (2) providing universal background checks, (3) banning assault weapons and placing limits on high-capacity ammunition magazine size, (4) increasing penalties for straw purchases of guns, and (5) funding research and reporting on gun violence in America. Curbing gun violence is a critical matter of public safety and health to restore public confidence in our government’s ability to protect communities and vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people of color who are often targets of gun violence.”   

Most recently on the state level, the League is offering support to a bill making its way through the current legislative session to make changes in the current licensing of concealed firearms (SB 2- Portantino) to require more training and accountability.  

But until the federal government gets serious about improving gun safety, strict gun laws at the state level will have minimal impact. This may not be the last time we see our flag at half-staff this year.

We often partner with local Leagues in neighboring counties, but we also do this in a more formal way through the  Bay Area League, which is a regional group of the local Leagues that hare some common goals relevant to this area.

You can subscribe to Bay Area Monitor and Monitor Notes by sending an email to :  https://bayareamonitor.org/subscribe/.

We are also currently looking for a member so serve as liasson between our League and the Bay Area League.  If you are interested, please contact Donna Roper and president@lwvsonoma.org.