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'Book banning by another means'

Public comment is closing soon on a proposal from the Missouri Secretary of State, who wants to crack down on which materials children can access in public libraries. But former library administrators are speaking out against what they see as government overreach.

Local libraries could soon find themselves without state funding after a recent rule proposal by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. The rule seeks "to protect minors from non-age-appropriate materials" and requires libraries to certify their compliance in writing or risk the loss of funding.

In response, 12 former library directors and administrators penned a letter of opposition that was recently sent to Ashcroft.

Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke with two of the letter's signatories: former director of the Trails Regional Library Karen Hicklin and retired director of the Mid-Continent Public Library Steven Potter. Ashcroft did not respond to a request for comment.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

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As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
Trevor Grandin is a contributing producer for KCUR Studios.
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
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