Attorney General Alan Wilson supports removing inappropriate material from library shelves

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson recently joined West Virginia in support of the Greenville County Library System having the authority to remove inappropriate materials from its shelves.

Libraries have long been seen as serving a critical function in our democratic republic. That not only includes the selection of books, but also the deselection of material from the collection.

The States argue that South Carolina libraries and democratically accountable officials should decide what goes on the shelves of taxpayer-funded libraries. The plaintiffs contend that shelves should be filled with whatever patrons want, including in children’s sections.

“Books promoting gender transition have no business in children’s sections of libraries,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “My office has continued to help our state libraries stay in alignment with state law and, as Attorney General, I will continue to ensure our children are not indoctrinated with woke ideology while parents are kept on the sideline.”

There have already been at least four lawsuits within South Carolina alone regarding library curation. Libraries are constantly determining what to buy, what to put on the shelves, and what to cut. A patchwork of court decisions leads to second-guessing and confusion about which rules to follow.

The lawsuit is being heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

You can read the letter here.