this post was submitted on 11 May 2025
550 points (98.9% liked)

News

29328 readers
3619 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

A man checked out 100 books from Beachwood Library in Beachwood, Ohio, covering Jewish history, African-American history, and LGBTQ topics, and later posted social media videos showing the books with captions referencing “cleansing” libraries before burning them.

Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative alerted the library about the posts.

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

Police say the matter is civil unless he fails to pay. He is now banned from returning to the library.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 31 points 15 hours ago

Ohio let's you check out 100 books at a time?

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 30 points 18 hours ago

He doesn't want us to read those book, by the same logic, would it be OK to cut off that mans genitalia because we don't want him to reproduce?

[–] BlackSheep@lemmy.ca 7 points 13 hours ago

This is the mentality of MAGA. SMH

[–] greybeard@lemm.ee 17 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

In Ohio felony theft is over $1000.

[–] Initiateofthevoid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 78 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 children)

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

Police informed CCPL that, because a contract was entered when the books were borrowed, failure to return or pay for the books would become a civil matter turned over to the city prosecutor.

Should the man return to the Beachwood Library, he will be banned from the property.

Shoutout to libraries. Absolute diamonds in the rough. Burn books? Whatever, people don't return books all the time. When they're overdue, here's the bill, next!

We don't live in the age of books anymore. Shit like this is ignorant and fascist but also just symbolic. Libraries are cornerstones of a free society, but the physical paper itself isn't nearly as important anymore. It's hilariously replaceable.

I want the list of books. "Banned" and "burned" books go hard as hell. Maybe even files for the m@tes to get 'em all at once. The modern age can undo all this idiot's work with a single link.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 10 points 15 hours ago

We don’t live in the age of books anymore.

We don't, but there's problems with only relying on electronic information that can be swapped out at any time. Don't have to burn the information when you can make it say whatever you want.

[–] Case@lemmynsfw.com 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

I worked at an elementary school (public) in a very red state.

I had been overhauling the library computers (I was IT) all day and had been chatting with the librarian. Cool chick, probably 10 years older than me, so late 30s. I was dating my wife at the time, so I wasn't looking to date, but got invited out for drinks with other librarians from the district.

After a few rounds, the topic turned to censorship, book bans, etc.

Every single one of them, from the churchy prim and proper lady, to the more alternative types, we against banning books and discussed how to get the kids access and and encourage them to read them, without losing their jobs.

I had to shutdown their plan to distribute cheap flash drives with banned material on them a la guerilla distribution - ie, leave it where kids would find them.

And that is why next week Mr. Case's cyber security BS thing was about how we don't plug random shit we find in to computers.

They got the spirit! Libraries and librarians are some of the most fundamental "good" in society. They're basically the canary in the coal mine - when they start to go, we all know there's nothing but toxic gas in the room, and need to do something about it.

It is a shame that there's very few ways of going "rogue" with access to digital information that doesn't involve tremendous security risks to the uninitiated.

"We want to secretly give kids the ability to get whatever information they want!"

"Great... let's start with 'don't ever accept packets of digital information from unidentifiable sources'"

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 37 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

honestly that's hilarious as fuck 😂

[–] sfled@lemm.ee 14 points 20 hours ago

Librarians are pretty chill, unless you're a loud talker hehe

[–] Bassman1805@lemmy.world 15 points 19 hours ago

"Banned" and "burned" books go hard as hell

Every library I've been to in the last 5 years has had a poster of "banned books" specifically to advertise them because people (especially teenagers) love that shit.

[–] Wazowski@lemmy.world 8 points 17 hours ago

republicans are swine.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 23 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

If I were dictator I would announce a new LGBTQ and African American wing of the library and dedicate it to him, with a placard showing his payment to the library for the books he has to pay back, but he doesn’t deserve to have his name anywhere…

[–] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 11 points 19 hours ago

I think having his name represented on something in which he hates is absolutely deserved and hilarious.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee 40 points 1 day ago

"Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen." - Heinrich Heine

Book burners have never once been on the right side of history.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 26 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

How is that not criminal destruction of property? Some of those books may not even be replaceable. 😠 You could also say criminal intimidation of protected minority groups by an obviously targeted political act.

[–] GoodLuckToFriends@lemmy.today 10 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Because the man was legally in possession of them at the time. It's the same reason that you have to go through a tedious process to have your car reported stolen if you let someone borrow it and don't bring it back.

[–] potpotato@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago

Generally don’t sign a TOS when tossing your buddy the keys.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Project Gutenberg is ensuring that all books are 100% replaceable. Don't worry, this ignorance cock hasn't done anything that can actually interfere with people being able to obtain and read any of the material he's taken.

[–] Pnut@lemm.ee 8 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

"this ignorant cock hasn't done anything that can actually interfere..."

He absolutely has. Stop being a pushover. In the coming weeks this will be normalised American behavior. Push back.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago

Hear this well, your reaction of outrage is why he's doing it. Should he be charged for his destruction of public property? Absolutely. But should we really be putting him on a right wing soap box by making tons of posts raging about his bullshit acts of ignorance? Definitely not.

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 11 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

I think we may have different definitions for “replaceable”.

[–] Sturgist@lemmy.ca 8 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Digital copies are serviceable, they are by no means a replacement.

[–] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 2 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Anything digital can be made into a physical copy with almost comical ease. I don't want this mouth breathing red hat to have the satisfaction of doing more than simply creating a minor inconvenience because everything he has done can be replaced in a few days. At his expense no less.

[–] theangryseal@lemmy.world 70 points 1 day ago

Same as it ever was.

[–] Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml 49 points 1 day ago (4 children)

He’s aware that the whole book burning thing was something that the German Nazis, the one various nations had a war with, did, yeah?

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 26 points 1 day ago

These people think the only bad thing that the Nazis did was lose. They think the Nazis were too soft, and they intend to me much stronger this time around.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 37 points 1 day ago (7 children)

Yes. These people know exactly what they're doing.

load more comments (7 replies)
[–] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

They are well aware. They are following the same playbook.

[–] j0ester@lemmy.world 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m not German. So obviously I can’t be a Nazi.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ThraawnSolo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 34 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Wait...is this for real?...Typically there is a limit to how many books you can check out...

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 1 day ago (6 children)

At my library, that limit IS 100 books.

My kid regularly has ~60 books checked out. It's kind of a problem lol

[–] Kite@sh.itjust.works 19 points 23 hours ago

But what an awesome problem to have!

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Take away his library card!

[–] kerntucky@infosec.pub 12 points 23 hours ago

"He is now banned from returning to the library."

It's in the article.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 174 points 1 day ago (3 children)

"A man"

This person has destroyed public property. Whether or not he pays, his name should be made public. People who know him should know what kind of person he is. His employer should know who they have hired. His employer's customers should know who they are dealing with.

This is not normal behavior. This person is a sociopath and society needs to know who he is.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is not normal behavior. This person is a sociopath and society needs to know who he is.

I wish people would stop throwing clinical terms around like this. Socio/psychopathy is a complicated psychiatric disorder with distinct behavioral and psychological markers, not a synonym for “evil.”

Sadly, you don’t need a psychiatric disorder to engage in despicable behavior. “Normal” people are quite capable of being racist, sexist douchebags, and most racist, sexist douchebags are not mentally ill. Bigotry is a product of culture, not abnormal psychology.

[–] Bridger@sh.itjust.works 10 points 22 hours ago

I think the correct clinical diagnosis in his case is "flaming asshole"

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] mercano@lemmy.world 61 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Police say the matter is civil unless he fails to pay. He is now banned from returning to the library.

Pretty sure Destruction of Public Property is a crime in most jurisdictions.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ElcaineVolta@kbin.melroy.org 131 points 1 day ago (9 children)

from the library's perspective this couldn't be simpler. they have an exact list of which books to replace and who to charge for the balance.

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] antithetical@lemmy.deedium.nl 36 points 1 day ago

What a horrible human being. If destroying books or repressing knowledge is part of your dogma you are on the wrong side of history.

load more comments
view more: next ›