The Michigan Library Association (MLA) presented a petition late last month to Governor Whitmer and other state lawmakers as a part of their "Protect MI Right to Read" campaign.
The petition, which gathered over 4,300 signatures, calls on the state to establish protections for libraries to continue providing materials and resources to everyone, regardless of personal beliefs.
According to MLA Interim Executive Director Dillon Geshel, public libraries are required by law to give access to everyone, regardless of how specific people or groups feel about the material's content.
"There's a lot of long-time Supreme Court precedent that's already established. Every visitor should be able to walk in and find material of interest on any topic," said Geshel. "Because it's a First Amendment right."
Michigan has seen a ten recent attempts at challenging books at public libraries in the last four years. The largest challenges include the removal of LGBTQ+ and sex-ed literature from the teen sections of libraries. In some cases, the libraries are attempting to lock the materials in age-restricted sections instead of directly removing them.
The MLA calls these attempts unconstitutional, as First Amendment rights apply to everyone of all ages and beliefs. The petition also calls for the state to increase aid and funding to public libraries in the 2027 state budget, to help support at-risk programs and resources.
This petition isn't the first attempt at protecting First Amendment rights in public libraries this year, with two bills being introduced to the State House back in March.
Bills 4250 and 4251, also known as the "Public Library Freedom to Read Act", would prevent materials in public libraries from being challenged unless otherwise unprotected by First Amendment protections.
If the bills were made into law, media in public libraries would no longer be able to be challenged based off religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, height/weight or familial/marital status.
Under U.S. law, speech unprotected by the First Amendment includes obscenity, child pornography, defamation, illegal conduct, and threats. The laws would not apply to private and school libraries.
"First Amendment rights in public libraries exist for all people," Geshel said. "All across the age spectrum. Librarians have years of experience studying and getting advanced degrees that help them understand how to curate broad collections that serve all people."
Earlier this year, the Trump Administration attempted to pull funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which helps fund library services across the country, including Michigan's eLibrary services. Lawsuits against the decision reinstated IMLS funding and grants.
