Last week the Montana State Library Commission voted to cut all ties with the American Library Association, making them the first state in the union to do so. The MSLC stated that their commitment to the Constitution of the United States compelled them to be no longer associated with the ALA.
This historical turn of events comes about after the election of Emily Drabinski, a self-described “Marxist lesbian,” in the spring of last year to serve as president of the ALA. Drabinski even boasted about her ideological leanings in a now-deleted Twitter post about her election.
“I just cannot believe that a Marxist lesbian who believes that collective power is possible to build and can be wielded for a better world is the president-elect” of the American Library Association,” she said. “I am so excited for what we will do together. Solidarity!”
Drabinski has long made her objective as president and member of the ALA crystal clear. She wrote a paper called “Queering the Catalog: Queer Theory and the Politics of Correction” in 2013 which contended that “queer theory informs new strategies for teaching the library catalog from a queer perspective.”
Drabinski’s deleted tweet and previous claims brought national attention to the ALA’s intentions as a national hub for literary insight, accreditation, publishing, and ideological direction to nearly all accredited publicly funded libraries. Dating back to 1876, the ALA stands as the largest and most influential library institution and has its tentacles in every facet of the book distribution game.
In an already fraught cultural landscape, trust is at an all-time low for federally funded institutions due to their intentional promotion of political ideology and related impacts on our country’s youth. Largely brought on by the strain of the lockdowns, parents and organizations began asking questions, for the first time realizing that groups they once thought to be value-neutral and “safe” may actually have more nefarious motives.
The ALA has already made its position on many controversial topics well-known. From support for pornographic books to continually be made available in schools and public libraries for consumption by children, to pushing the LGBT book agenda through spotlighting selections at both physical libraries and on their websites, to promoting groups within their association such as the “Rainbow Book List Committee,” to leveraging a massive war chest to sue those challenging the books, the ALA is paving the way for other states to easily sever ties.
"We're pulling out based on the fact that our oath of office for Montana and for the federal government is in direct violation of the Marxist opinion” of the new president, Montana State Library Commissioner Tamara Hall said in an interview with Fox News.
As a lukewarm follow-up to Montana ending their relationship, the ALA did not respond specifically to Drabinski’s Marxism or the impact of her position on the association. Rather, they skirted the issue altogether.
“The value placed on ensuring diversity in perspective and background is evident in ALA’s democratic electoral process,” the statement said. “Despite the decision in Montana this week, ALA remains committed to providing essential support, resources, and opportunities for every library and library worker in every state and territory across the nation to help them better serve their communities.”
On the heels of Montana making the first move, a group of thirteen Idaho legislators are now calling on their state library commission to follow suit and immediately withdraw their support from the ALA. The Idaho Freedom Caucus released a statement that said the state library commission, as well as local and public school libraries, must end their membership with the ALA.
“Activists have burrowed their way into the ALA, bending the organization to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice instead of serving an educational purpose and upholding American ideals,” the statement said. “Their strategic plan integrates these principles into the organization's mission, impacting Idaho libraries and attracting federal funding for DEI initiatives. The organization-wide commitment to leftist ideology has been further entrenched through the current President’s commitment to Marxism.”
It’s no secret that the American Library Association has an agenda. The election of a Marxist only accentuated the visibility of their intentions and accelerated their plans.
There’s an old, familiar adage that says: “When someone tells you who they are, believe them.” The ALA has repeatedly told children, parents, and politicians who they are and what their aim is: to capture and educate young minds in Marxism and other forms of leftist ideology. We should believe them. The question now becomes whether other states will have the courage to stand up to the behemoth.
