Senator Dan Sullivan Proposes Overhaul of Arkansas Library Governance
Senate Bills 181 and 184
Feb 11, 2025
Senator Dan Sullivan from District 20 in Jonesboro has introduced two bills aimed at transforming the operation and oversight of Arkansas libraries. The state’s Educational Television Commission may be affected, as well.
Arkansas Senate Bill 181
SB181 seeks to amend Arkansas code § 13-2-905(c) (2), which currently requires regional library directors to hold a master’s degree from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited program. The change would broaden eligibility to include those with significant work experience in library operations, provided they are approved by the local governing board.
On Friday, an amendment was filed by Senator Sullivan to extend this flexibility to the state librarian position, allowing applicants with work experience in library science to be considered.
The passage of Senate Bill 181 could empower local officials and taxpayers to diminish the ALA’s influence over community libraries, potentially aligning library practices more closely with local values.
For insight into how ALA membership impacts local libraries, read “Benton Library: End the Threat to Innocence,” which discusses how the Saline County Library’s ALA affiliation has challenged local efforts to reign in their public libraries.
Arkansas Senate Bill 184
SB184 proposes to abolish the Arkansas State Library Board and the Arkansas Educational Television Commission. Under this bill, their responsibilities and authority would be absorbed by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Last week, Arkansas State Library Board member Jason Rapert expressed his strong support for SB184 on social media:
“In the spirit of Donald J. Trump–DRAIN THE SWAMP! I fully endorse Sen. Dan Sullivan’s legislation to abolish the Arkansas State Library Board and transfer all duties and authorities directly to the Secretary of Education. It is long overdue. I am a member of this board myself and it is currently a useless and ineffective state board. There is nothing they are responsible for that cannot be carried out more efficiently and with more accountability to the people of Arkansas through the Department of Education. When I witnessed 12 months of inaction and dereliction of duty by fellow board members in failing to listen to pleas for our state to ensure we are doing all we can to protect minor children from sexually explicit materials being available to them on library bookshelves, it became clear to me these people cannot see the forest for the trees. Well, I welcome the legislature to help them see more clearly–clear the scrub brush and abolish the board and give the duties to the Secretary of Education. We will save money, save trouble, and reduce ineffective bureaucracy. Call your legislator and tell them to vote FOR SB184.”
— Jason Rapert, via Facebook
Despite their optimism, some conservatives familiar with the Arkansas Department of Education are skeptical about the bills’ impact. A primary concern is the need for the Department to sever all affiliations with the ALA, its “Library Bill of Rights,” and its negative influences on material selection in libraries and schools statewide. While removing the ALA accreditation requirement is seen as a necessary step forward, many wonder if it goes far enough.
An Arkansas librarian also shared her perspective on social media:
“MLS [Masters of Library Science] degrees ensure expertise. Librarians undergo rigorous graduate-level training in management, grant writing, information organization, historical preservation, database management, and First Amendment law. How much ‘work experience’ is equivalent to this specialized education, and in what capacity? … Arkansans deserve qualified library leaders, not less educated ones.”
— “lifelong Arkansas librarian,” via Facebook
Upcoming Committee Hearings
SB181
Senate Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Room 272
(Download Agenda)
SB184
Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Old Supreme Court Room
(Download Agenda)
Christian homeschool mom of 3,
amateur duck keeper
Thank you Cody. This is long overdue for our state. Bring the power back to the state level.
We need to be focused more on all the sources of evil training, including libraries, that are being made available to our youth. Media, social media, government schools, and our libraries all need to be visited with an eye toward reform. We own our libraries and have “given” responsibility to stock and run the libraries to an employee that we hired. Who gave that employee power over we the people? Who gave that employee the right to do things they know we do not want done? Why would anyone appoint Library Board members that favor providing porn to children. We have to get focused on the core of this problem. If big urban liberal libraries want to do their own thing without consideration of their perverting impact on children, let them do it on their own nickel. Smaller rural libraries should disengage with larger library systems that chose perversion. The smaller libraries can form partnerships with smaller library systems near them and ditch the liberal urban library influence.