AG Jeff Landry releases report addressing content of books in public libraries

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry and several Louisiana lawmakers want to address the issue of whether certain books should be restricted in public libraries.

Many Louisiana lawmakers are already proposing legislation around the issue.

Landry held a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 7, to release his “Protecting Innocence Report.” He said the report is a thorough examination of the state of public libraries in Louisiana.

According to Landry, the report highlights the access that children have to material that his office calls far from age-appropriate.

“Libraries are repositories of knowledge and resources that are able to help children and adults alike solve problems, learn new skills, and hone emotional intelligence,” Landry said the in the report. “As such, I believe that libraries should house a variety of diverse and inclusive viewpoints – not only because we are all unique individuals, but also because we must face unique problems. At the same time, children and teenagers do not have the emotional maturity of adults and may be unprepared to experience certain aspects of our world.”

Landry’s report also includes potential steps that he said parents and lawmakers can take to resolve the issue.

“One solution we recommend is updating our library card system so that parents can ultimately choose what materials are appropriate for their children, which then takes pressure off of the librarians and puts more power back into the hands of parents – where it belongs,” Landry said.

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