Micah Beckwith [FN1] is running for IN Lt Gov, the nominee for which is picked by the GOP State convention. Right now Beckwith’s recruiting people to run to be convention delegates. This end-run on voters is how Beckwith previously obtained public office: HEPL board. 1/11

Beckwith was placed on the HEPL board w/neither fanfare nor public notice. [FN2] He was part of a short-lived 4-3 majority that adopted a policy of book banning. Beckwith says no books were “banned.” He is astonishingly authoritative in his ignorance on this, and many, topics. 2/11

Book banning:“the practice of prohibiting or restricting the reading of certain books by the general public []Books can be banned by [] their removal from publicly accessible locations.” [FN3] Removal of a book to eliminate diversity of ideas violates the First Amendment. [FN4] 3/11

Under Beckwith’s reign, books were removed from a young adult section to be reviewed for age propriety. I was on staff in library systems of two universities. [FN5] As many books as HEPL had to move requires time & $$$. Beckwith claimed this was to fight “porn.” 4/11

People were removed from library board meetings for simply disagreeing with some members of the board. Beckwith, et al, wanted to leave the false impression that there were no standards for these books. Here’s the thing: standards already existed. [FN6] 5/11

The American Library Association’s standards are easily accessible online. Beckwith seemed not to have read any such standards. He simply got onto the HEPL board to raise a fuss & grab power. Here’s the thing. Did anyone ask Beckwith if he ever checked out and read a book at HEPL? 6/11

For retail merchants, how to run a cash register is critical. Libraries’ check-out systems vary & are critical. Beckwith did an end-run on voters to get onto the HEPL board & he wasted time & $. He wanted to make a political splash. His path to be LT GOV is a similar end-run on voters. 7/11

Beckwith’s LT GOV run hardly is “novel.” He seems not to have read much or I’d say this is “Macchiavellian.” He sure as hell hasn’t read much about libraries. And from what I can tell, as an area of study, he’s read the history of The Constitution least of all. 8/11

Footnotes:
FN1. Hamilton County preacher, lost 2020 GOP primary for INCD5; resigned as board member of Hamilton East Public Library (HEPL).
FN2. See, Rudolph, “Why this petition matters,” change [dot] org, 02/25/23. 9/11

FN3. Volle, Adam, “book banning”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Jan. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/book-banning. Accessed 19 January 2024.
FN4. Bd of Ed’n Island Trees Union Free Sch Distr 26 v Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982) 10/11.

Footnotes:
FN5. Purdue University, 1980-82 and 1985-86; Northwestern University School of Law, 1982-85.
FN6. https://www.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/assets/libraries-fo...
FN7. ala.org/tools/challengesupport/youth resourcesFAQ 11/11