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Mom goes viral after sharing her experience with Idaho's baffling new public library law

"My heart broke."

@carlyjdot/TikTok

Carly Anderson went viral on TikTok after sharing her experience of Idaho's new library law.

Idaho's House Bill 710, signed into effect on July 1, is the end result of years of attempts by the state’s legislature to restrict library access.

This bill requires that libraries relocate items deemed “harmful” by anyone who fills out a form to a restricted “adults-only” area. Failing to do so within 60 days puts libraries in danger of being sued for $250, as well as “actual damages and any other relief.”

For those who want to venture into the restricted area: you must be 18 or older, have an unrestricted library card… or be accompanied by your parent or legal guardian who must sign an affidavit every time you come to the library.

If your skin is starting to crawl just reading this, wait until you hear from a mom who has experienced it firsthand.

In a now-viral TikTok video, Carly Anderson, a mom of three living in Idaho Falls, Idaho, shared what happened when she took her 11-year-old daughter to the library to get a copy of “Fellowship of the Ring,” after just having finished “The Hobbit.”

As they went upstairs to the adult section, they noticed the new sign with the whole spiel about needing an unrestricted library card or affidavit.

Okay, no problem: Anderson shows both her ID and her daughter's library card. Should be smooth enough sailing from here.

But that’s when the librarian stopped her.

“Why don't they let me? Because I'm holding a baby, my 1-year-old."

That’s right, even her baby (who can’t read yet!) needed a “library card or I signed an affidavit.”

"So me and Daphne just watched from the edge while Scarlett goes in to find her book. The librarian ended up helping her,” Anderson said.


@carlyjdot Coming to a library near you 😭 #library #greenscreen #scarletttok #bookban #momtok #lordoftherings #harrypotter #project2025 #librariesoftiktok ♬ original sound - Carly


It’s worth noting that Anderson made it clear that she doesn’t blame the “nice and patient” librarians for this mess, who seem just as “sick of it” as everyone else, and who seemed to “feel so bad turning kids away from going into the library."

And while, in the end, Anderson’s kid did get the book she needed, here “heart broke” and the thought of other knowledge-hungry kids who wouldn’t be so lucky.

"What about these kids that aren't coming in with parents? What about the Matildas out there that literally come to the library to just read, read, and read and then gain superpowers because they're Matilda? What about the Hermiones out there that find amazing answers because they go into the Restricted Section of the library?"

As one viewer sadly noted, “The Matildas and Hermiones won’t even know who Matilda and Hermione are because they’re not allowed into the library to get their books."

Sadder still, Anderson added in a follow-up video that “some of the smaller community libraries have been closed since July 1 because they just don't have the funding to restructure a library like this, or the funding to get sued every time someone gets offended."

Anderson then rattled off a long list of folks who will be very negatively impacted by this new law: marginalized groups, smaller communities, kids that don't get to come in with their parents, grandparents taking their grandchildren, teenagers looking for answers about eating disorders and abuse…just to name a few.


@carlyjdot Replying to @stephdykman Giving more detail on why Idaho libraries are hurting right now. Spread the word so we can change this! #parttwo #librarytiktok #booktok #bookban #project2025 #vote ♬ original sound - Carly

It’s no surprise that at only a month in, Bill 710 has already drawn passionate criticism. Just last week, a lawsuit to stop enforcement of the bill was filed on behalf of three schools, four parents, the Community Library Association and Collister United Methodist Church, under the claim that it violates first amendment rights.

As Anderson rightly puts it, "Thank you to our Idaho librarians for putting up with this nonsense." And folks were equally right to let this story be a reminder to vote in November…lest we slip into a real life Fahrenheit 451 situation.


This article originally appeared on 8.2.24

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Librarian is sharing the treasure trove of items she's discovered in returned books

Who knew books could be filled with such sweet trinkets?

Photo by Rabie Madaci on Unsplash

Librarian finds lost treasures in library books.

Here at Upworthy, we try to find stories that will warm your heart so when NPR shared about a lucky librarian, we had to share. Sometimes, looking through forgotten things can be fun, especially when they give you a glimpse into someone else's life. Even the smallest things can feel like a treasure. In California, an Oakland Public Library librarian, Sharon McKellar, has been collecting things she has found left behind in books people return.

Who would've thought that there could be so many things left behind inside a library book? Sure, you can imagine the obvious like a bookmark or a Post-it note holding the reader's place, but this librarian has found some pretty cool things. Some things are unique, while others are things like tags or receipts—most likely things used to bookmark the page for later reading. But the collection is something that will give your heart a little smile and she has it all in one place for people to explore. Since McKellar's collection started to grow, she started a page on the library website just to display her treasures so their owners could claim them should they want them back.

Great Patient | Oakland Public Library.

oaklandlibrary.org

It's hard to imagine that people would want most of the things in the collection. Not sure what someone would do with a good dental report from a few years ago or an old Southwest luggage tag. But among the finds there are a few items that people would find priceless, like old family photos and little love notes.

McKellar told NPR that she had been collecting things from library books for a while, but about 10 years ago she figured other people may also find the items interesting. That's when she started adding images of the found items to the library's website. Other Oakland librarians send things they've found in books to McKellar, who then scans them and uploads them to the website. When speaking to NPR, she said, "I had always collected little things I'd found in library books and I knew other people did that too," McKellar said. "So that was how it started. It was pretty simple, I was inspired by a magazine called Found Magazine."

Couple at Drakes Brewing Co.

Couple at Drakes Brewing Company.

oaklandlibrary.org

There are now more than 350 items in the archive, according to NPR, and most remain unclaimed. There's no indication of what will become of the collection in the future or if McKellar will continue to collect until she needs to take out a storage unit. Either way, these little finds are a fun and wholesome glimpse into the lives of strangers.

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Writer sneaks 50 journals containing her life story into book stores across the America

Spoiler alert: It's how she met her future husband!

Writer sneaks 50 journals containing her life story into book stores across the America
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A burst of creativity and some serendipity changed the course of her life.

"If Found Please Read" author and creator Madison White started her writing career with 50 handwritten journals and a plan to sneak them into book stores across the nation. She saved about $2,000 from her waitressing job and decided to cross the country on a Greyhound bus on her self-proclaimed book tour. What she didn't realize was that her life would change before this adventure ever really started.

Her journals include what Madison refers to as "ramblings." Unedited, unapologetic expressions of her life. In her writings, she tackles issues such as depression and what it was like to leave home, focusing on growing up and refusing to. She was going for raw, unedited and real.

At the start of each journal, Madison included her contact information in addition to a disclaimer and introduction to her work. She wrote that the first chapter may be hers, but that the second is the reader's—an open invitation for them to tell their own life story. The point of this mission was to connect with strangers.

A few days before her planned departure, she went to a show and afterwards chatted up one of the musicians, explaining her "If Found Please Read" project and the journey she was about to set out on. A luck would have it, his band was breaking up and he was looking for renewed inspiration with his music. He invited himself along on her tour to play in coffee shops and bars as they traveled. He also happened to drive a Toyota Scion—a step up from the Greyhound bus.


@iffoundpleaseread

It’s just too much story! Part 3 after work and the kids go to sleep 😬 #itreallyhappenedthisway #iffoundpleaseread #streetlibraryproject #everyonehasastory #booktok #journal #story #guerillapublishing #storyforthegrankids

Madison couldn't refuse that sweet set of wheels, and together they traveled across the country, clocking up 18,000 miles in his car. Her new friend played in coffee shops and Madison snuck her journals into bookstores, and at night they'd lay down the back seats and sleep in truck stops and parking lots. The first of Madison's journals was found when they were passing through Portland. She received a text that read, "Is this real"?

Madison was jumping—someone had found her book. After back and forth texts, this complete stranger opened up to her saying how he related to Madison's leaving home early because he too left home when he was young: his parents didn't accept him coming out. Madison had embarked on this project as a way to connect with people and it had already proven to be a powerful tool.

As they continued traveling, Madison received more phone calls and texts, even meeting some of her perfect strangers in person. A total of 30 of her initial 50 journals were found and she deemed the trip a success. Oh yeah, and you may have guessed this already, but that musician who came on the road with her? Well they're now married and have been for several years.

But here's the really exciting thing: Madison's starting it back up. This time, she's on a mission to leave 1,000 handwritten journals for perfect strangers to find. You never know where they're going to turn up! Happy hunting.

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This viral library isn't all it's cracked up to be. But it's still stunning and important.

China just built a new, futuristic library. And while it's not quite as amazing as it seems, it's still an architectural marvel.

Real books are making a comeback. Yes, everyone loves a good ebook — or even better, a good audio book — but nothing beats the look and feel of a real, honest-to-God book in your hands.

Need proof that print books aren't going away anytime soon? Just check out the new (and lavish) Tianjin Binhai Library, located outside of Beijing. It's an incredible sight to behold.

We're used to seeing impeccably architected libraries, but the appeal is often historic. After just a three-year construction period, the Tianjin Binhai Library is bringing libraries into the 21st century and taking its place among the world's most beautiful.

Well. Sort of.

All photos by Ossip van Duivenbode/MVRDV. Used with permission.

The new library is 36,000 square feet, covering five stories floor to ceiling. But there's a catch.

The main room is touted as being large enough to hold a staggering 1.2 million books. Unfortunately, a miscommunication between the architectural firm and local authorities led the stunning main hall to be approved only for sitting, reading, and gathering ... but not actually storing books.

(The Chinese government has never been the biggest champion of free information.)

Sadly, those bookshelves that line the walls and stretch for thousands of feet, writhing and winding their way around the entire structure, are only for show.

If you look carefully, you'll notice the majority of the books in the library's photos are actually flat decals stuck to the wall. The few real books shown were placed only for promotion and will also be removed soon. The sections of the library that are approved for storage will only hold a couple hundred thousand books.

The giant orb in the center, one of the building's most distinguishing features, has earned the library its nickname, "The Eye of Binhai."

Inside the sphere is an auditorium.

At least that part is real!

Cleverly tucked away behind the stacks are reading rooms, work spaces, and offices.

You could seriously get lost in this library — and a good story or two — for days.

As of October 2017, this library is open to all.

These look like concept renderings, but they're real photos of the actual building as it stands today.

The library's going viral for its unreal architectural beauty, and though it turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment, it's still symbolic of something important.

Worldwide, more and more libraries are shutting down every year. It's sad to think that the places for people to pick up a real book are dwindling — but it's important to remember that libraries are so much more than just the tomes they hold.

They help revitalize communities, promote literacy in under-served neighborhoods, and often offer special programs that aid children, the elderly, disabled people, immigrants, and other groups.

Research is split on whether physical books have any advantage over other forms of reading. But as a community staple, libraries are irreplaceable.

It's awesome to see a new one pop up while so many are closing down, even if it ultimately is a little more surface than substance. People are still excited by the beauty of the building and going in droves to see it in person.

Hopefully the excitement over the Tianjin Binhai Library will inspire more cities around the world to step up their own library game.

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