BOONVILLE, Mo. – Rev. Christopher Olah lost his Boonslick Regional Library privileges in March when a Boonville branch librarian decided he wasn’t a permanent resident because he lives in a transitional shelter. Olah then contacted the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM).
Because the Supreme Court recognizes that First Amendment free speech protections include a right to receive information and public libraries provide the ideal forum for that to happen, the ACLU-EM wrote the regional library director to protest the seizure of Olah’s card. Linda Alcorn promptly responded with an apology and reinstated Olah’s library privileges.
“Libraries are vital to residents, like Rev. Olah, who depend on their important resources and Internet access to search for information, as well as employment,” says Grant Doty, staff attorney for the ACLU-EM. “We are pleased that the library director rectified the problem quickly.”
In addition to restoring Olah’s card, Allcorn notified all of the branch librarians that people living in area transitional housing centers are residents and entitled to a card and privileges.