The Abbey library of St Gall is one of the oldest monastic libraries in the world
— James Lucas (@JamesLucasIT) December 4, 2025
Above the entrance door is a Greek inscription, ΨΥΧΗΣ ΙΑΤΡΕΙΟΝ (psukhēs iatreion), which translates to “healing place for the soul.” This wording is inspired by an inscription found at the Library… pic.twitter.com/m5mqxbBhd5
Also: The Most Beautiful Libraries on Earth
Marsh's Library
— The Ways of A Gentleman (@Gentleman_Ways) November 17, 2025
Dublin, Ireland
Built in 1707 pic.twitter.com/feIY3woXlg
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| Brian Doyle, The Daily Declaration |
By Gretchen Garrity
The next time local activists spout off about free speech at the library, share this story with them. From the article,"A Western Australian library worker who refused to undergo mandatory 'diversity' training promoting transgender ideology is now taking legal action, after being forced from his job after 15 years of faithful service.
Declan Mansfield, a former employee of the City of Armadale library in Perth’s southeast, said he was pressured to resign after opting out of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) course that, he believed, embedded transgender ideology in the workplace.
'There should be no ideological litmus test that employees in either the public or private sectors should have to pass to gain and retain employment,' Declan told The Daily Declaration.
'This should be especially so in libraries, which rely at their ideological core on the notion of freedom of speech.'"
It would be a terrible pity to find out that such things happen to library staff here in the USA. Another reason the ALA is wholly unsuited to be an authoritative voice for libraries. Like all ideologues who oppose traditional values like parents' rights, the ALA changes the meanings of words to suit their revolutionary agenda. "Equity of access" is just another meaning for forced outcomes.
Some books should be relocated and restricted from children, who do not have the emotional and intellectual development to effectively process certain topics. Parents have the authority to choose sexually charged and ideologically-driven books for their children, but not to force other parents' children to be exposed to them willy-nilly on a library shelf. That's just common sense. It has nothing to do with free speech. But the case below--now that's about free speech:
Our latest legal case, which is against the @CityofArmadale! As Declan says, 'thus far and no further'. pic.twitter.com/yQQQRo42Vy
— Free Speech Union of Australia (@FSUofAustralia) October 20, 2025
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| From: It's Columbus Day! |
Columbus Day is a federal holiday, falling on the second Monday in October. In the past, the Christian County Library had used Columbus Day as a Staff Training Day. No mention of Columbus Day. See screenshot above.
In a short and sweet meeting tonight, the Board of Trustees exorcised the last of the ALA out of the handbook, and restored Columbus Day to its rightful place, as well as providing staff an additional training day. Win/win.
The demons were howling again. ;-)
Public #libraries nationwide are wiping out Columbus Day. Here’s something that can be done to wrest control from the @ALALibrary #librarians using public money to attack America. 🇺🇸
— Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries® (@SexHarassed) October 14, 2024
School board restores #ColumbusDay!#parenting #moms #dads #tlchat #IndigenousPeoplesDay https://t.co/WIJQXAfiV2
Now, we just need the library to shelve some lovely books about Columbus. For kids, D'Aulaire's book, "Columbus." It's a classic book for ages 4-11. Wouldn't it be wonderful for our community's children to access books like this in the library?
"Gender is assigned at birth." That's what we're told.
But then there's this:
This is what "gender affirming care" looks like. They remove tissue from the arm to create a Frankenstein like appendage for female to male transition.
— Andrew Zywiec, M.D. (@AndrewZywiecMD) October 15, 2025
Complication rate is 100% for these surgeries. Regret rate will approach 100%.
This is madness. True madness. pic.twitter.com/nz3C7jVlzv
There's still lots of books pitching this crap in our Christian County Library.
The practice of breast binding can have catastrophic physical effects. Frankly, it is horrifying. Books that promote this via gender ideology do not belong in the children's or teens' sections of the library. The ALA's "Library Bill of Rights" states in part, "A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views."The longer I’ve been involved with the movement to protect girls and women, the more I see that much (most) of it is really a thinly veiled push to abolish child safeguarding. Girls being forced to undress in front of boys, children being taken from their parents for not… pic.twitter.com/g0gXzKb8nN
— Carilyn Johnson (@CarilynJohnson) October 9, 2025
No one is denying children the ability to use a library. But most people can agree that using taxpayer dollars to promote a harmful agenda to children is wrong. The next time an extremist activist tells you that it's about the First Amendment, or free speech, show them this picture. The real agenda is anti-human. It clothes itself in the flag and free speech, but it desires to end us as sexed individuals. It is an attack that goes to the deepest level of our biological reality and seeks to destroy it by mental and physical manipulation. It is deeply evil.
This agenda does not belong in the children's sections of libraries. Dozens of books in our library system promote to children that one can change one's sex. Colorful illustrations with smiling people are meant to encourage children to accept ideas that oppose reality itself. Don't fall for it.
Breast binding permanently damages the bodies of women and girls. It is not a “piece of clothing.” The damage is not reversible.
— Maia Poet🦎 (@thepeacepoet99) October 9, 2025
Why is everyone on BOTH sides so committed to downplaying the brutal effects of breast binding? https://t.co/vJacJXySLW pic.twitter.com/5fk0Sk1vWP
"It's an absolute travesty, but it would appear that you won't be stopped until, hopefully, the lawsuits begin in earnest." --Amy Jane Hoogstraet Safley
By Gretchen Garrity
The battle to make libraries safe again for children is a minefield. Organizations like the American Library Association (ALA) are extremely organized and well funded, and they often offer resources to those who oppose parental rights and the protection of children from age inappropriate and sexually explicit materials.
The political agenda to sexually indoctrinate children and demoralize them is well documented in books like "The Naked Communist," by W. Cleon Skousen. I want to thank the Christian County Library staff for purchasing this book for its collection.
While court decisions are beginning to move in a direction that recognizes the rights of parents, and the rights of public libraries to curate their collections without forced book shelving, the battle is still deeply engaged.
A recent case in Wyoming illustrates how complex the issue can be. A library director, Terri Lesley, was fired in 2023 and later sued under federal law. According to an article just published, "Lesley claimed that she was discriminated against because of her association with and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.
Three more claims alleged that the commissioners and library board violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, which protects people who oppose discriminatory practices against, advocate on behalf of, and associate with protected classes."
Not only did Lesley sue her county commission and the library board, but she has also sued a family in the community in a separate suit. While that suit is in the discovery phase, the suit against the library board and commission has been settled: "According to a settlement agreement provided to the News Record, the commission and the library board settled with Lesley for $700,000. The settlement agreement 'is not to be construed as an admission of liability by any party,' according to the court document."
Lesley had filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2023, which this year gave her a notice of right to sue. These things take time to shake out.
In exchange for the money to be paid out to Lesley and her attorneys, the former director agreed to dismiss the suit. This is common in such cases, because insurance companies are hesitant for lawsuits to go forward with expensive litigation costs.
Note that while the legal arguments were based on personal discrimination claims against the library director, Lesley's lawyer stated: "...that she hopes this sends the message that 'elected and appointed officials need to represent the interest of their entire community, not just a small band of activists.'
“'It is really important to remember the ideals of America,' she said. 'We do not discriminate, we believe in the First Amendment.'”
Of ten claims, only two mentioned First Amendment violations: "The seventh and eighth claims for relief had to do with the First Amendment. They argued that as a public employee, Lesley could not suppress the First Amendment rights of library users 'by censoring books based on disfavored content or their association with historically marginalized minority groups.'
They also alleged that the commissioners and library board participated in 'viewpoint discrimination and retaliation,' meaning they engaged in 'censorship based on their disagreement with the content of Ms. Lesley’s protected speech and association.'”
Of course, none of these claims will be heard in court because the case has been settled. However, court cases like Little v. Llano and Peter Parnell v. School Board of Escambia County, Florida, and The Roxbury Moms are bringing clarity to the issue of age inappropriate and sexually explicit books in school and public libraries. The Parnell suit is being appealed to the 11th Circuit Court.
Note in the two screenshots I provided that local activist citizens are suggesting lawsuits or other actions may or should be taken against the Christian County Library District and/or the board members. These are not the only examples that are out there. This is an aggressive strategy being used all over the United States to force a viewpoint, to force shelving of books, and to deny parental rights--not to mention the protection of children.
Mr. Swick is a retired teacher who seems to hope that actions be taken against the board of trustee members as individuals outside of their official actions as a board, thereby depriving these unpaid volunteers of legal costs protection. Incidentally, Mr. Swick's Facebook comment was very quickly deleted from U-turn in Education's page. However, a screenshot was obtained. U-turn in Education was founded by MSU professor Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk.
"Once the child is exploited that way there is major damage." --Jaco Booyens
🗣 It's #BannedBooksWeek! So let's talk about explicit books & what you can do.
— Arizona Women of Action (@azwomenofaction) October 6, 2025
In 2022, @marissastreit of @prageru & @BooyensJaco, anti sex trafficking advocate, discussed the seriousness of explicit books & how they harm children. Watch 👇 #ProtectKidshttps://t.co/VL5zvNgioH pic.twitter.com/C3GJK31niF
Full interview below:
Yesterday was a wonderful day.
— Airiel D Salvatore (@Sackless_Jack) October 3, 2025
I got to meet one of the people whose content gave me the courage to face the reason I transitioned in the first place.
I have been wanting to thank each one of these courageous people for fighting for people like me.
Yesterday I got the chance… pic.twitter.com/weGeBXh96S
IT'S ALL CONNECTED...
This might be the most disturbing paper I have ever read, perhaps even edging out a recent paper about "Queering Babies" that explicitly sexualized infants. These people are sick.
— Colin Wright (@SwipeWright) September 24, 2025
Read my write-up below. https://t.co/1Xwm1lpGhh
In another tweet on the same subject, Wright said, "The central theme of the paper is "pleasure." This aligns with trends in international sex education policy, particularly the International Planned Parenthood Federation's Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) program, which explicitly shifted away from sex education centered around reproduction and toward what it calls 'sexual expression, sexual fulfillment, and pleasure.' Pleasure is one of seven core elements of CSE. Its Youth Policy, applying to 'all young people irrespective of their age,' [bolded] declares a 'right to pleasure' and 'the right of all young people to enjoy sex and express their sexuality in the way that they choose.'"
And, for all those who were at the Christian County Library Board Meeting last night, and might not have a full picture of what the American Library Association is promoting for children in their "Library Bill of Rights" (LBOR):
"Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: Library
policies and procedures that effectively deny minors equal and
equitable access to all library resources available to other users
violate the Library Bill of Rights. The American Library
Association opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services,
materials, and facilities based on the age of library users. [Bolded] Amended
2025" (Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights)
And further:
"All people, of all ages, should have equal and equitable access to all library resources and services. The American Library Association (ALA) opposes any efforts to restrict access based on age. Policies and procedures that prevent minors1 from accessing the same resources and services as adults violate the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights. [Bolded] Libraries and their governing bodies should not use age as a reason to avoid potential objections. Not acquiring materials because minors might access them reduces the credibility of the library and limits access for everyone.
Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states, “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, [Bolded] background, or views.” The right to use a library means that people should have free access to all services, materials, and facilities and unrestricted use of everything the library offers. Any restriction based solely on the following criteria violates Article V:
Further violations of Article V include setting limits on:
Violations to Article V also include restricting access for minors who don’t have a parent or guardian available to sign a library card application or permission slip, who can’t provide legal ID to verify their name or address, or who can’t visit a library in person." (Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights)
Please support the efforts of the community to make libraries safe for children. One thing you can do right now, is to send the new executive director an email in support of the Library's direction to make that happen: wblydenburgh@christiancountylibrary.org. The support from the community has been unfailing, and is much appreciated. More than anything, your prayers are needed and gratefully received.
The Christian County Library will hold its monthly board meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Nixa branch. The formal removal of the American Library Association's presence in the policy handbook will be voted on tonight. Agenda HERE. The ALA is a subversive private organization that has great sway over many public and private libraries. Thankfully, more and more librarians are waking up to the insidious indoctrination it seeks to impose on our children and our culture.
Step-by-step, common sense is prevailing.
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| Ernest Meissonier. The Bibliophile. 1862 |
Non refert quam multos libros, sed quam bonos habeas — “It matters not how many, but how good books you have” (Seneca) pic.twitter.com/5FEg1cwL5q
— Learn Latin (@latinedisce) September 21, 2025
Below is 'the actual cost of thoughts and prayers':
The demons are howling and it is marvelous.
By Gretchen Garrity
While I believe the assassination of Charlie Kirk was from a state actor, the climate of division and hatred in our country has given political cover to the assassins. But, free speech is free speech even when lies and vile epithets from the Left are hurled at Christians and conservatives.
Yet, if I could ask one thing of those in our community who thought it was appropriate to call public servants and citizens with whom they disagree "white supremacists," "Christian Nationalists," "racist," "misogynistic," "inhumane," "criminals," "anti-education," "intolerant," "unsympathetic," "profoundly incompetent," "unethical," and on and on--it is to ask you to stop the incitement.
Charlie Kirk was willing to come into the lions' den, time after time to civilly debate with the Left. He was, in fact, deeply successful. And certain powers could not have the facade of the Left torn down in their own temples.
So they killed him.
Almost immediately, the powers recognized their mistake, for a vast spiritual charge rocked America. Not only have Christians felt it, but so have the occult powers. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church, as the Catholics say.
There is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed. Every leftist today is naked and shamed no matter their hasty words of "peace, peace." There will arise 10,000 Charlie Kirks now. It is unstoppable.
Nothing can prevent the truth from overcoming the lies.
While accountability for the unrelenting words of hate may not come in this world, it will come in the next. It is no good saying there is no such world to come. Justice will rain down one way or another. It is a law of the universe. Repent and believe the proclamation of the Gospel--it is the only way to be rescued. The lies of the Left are even now beginning to burn--an unquenchable fire.
Dante's Hell: Sandro Botticelli
— Nick Freitas (@NickJFreitas) September 10, 2025
