Another rash of library bomb threats
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
A new Illinois law that seeks to deter book bans and restrictions in public schools and libraries came under the scrutiny of a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday during a hearing that revealed stark partisan divisions over education and parental responsibility while also raising questions about the federal role in what is traditionally an area of local control.
Democratic Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who championed the law, was questioned by the committee’s ranking Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who initially sought to change the subject of the hearing to immigration policy under President Joe Biden before returning to the issue of book policy. […]
In addition to warning of threats made to librarians, Giannoulias told senators that several libraries in the Chicago suburbs were forced to close a few weeks ago due to bomb threats. Only hours after his testimony, it happened again, with bomb threats reportedly made to the Harold Washington Public Library in Chicago and to libraries in Addison, Aurora, Evanston, Hanover Park, Schaumburg and Streamwood.
* Daily Herald…
In Schaumburg, a threat made via an online chat message led to the evacuation and a police response to the Schaumburg Township District Library at 130 S. Roselle Road. The district closed that building and branch facilities in Hanover Park and Hoffman Estates as a result.
Schaumburg police Lt. Christy Lindhurst said that as of 4 p.m., police had found no evidence that the threat was legitimate, but their investigation is ongoing.
Aurora police said officers responded to all three of the city’s libraries after a bomb threat was made through an online source. Officials said no explosives were found.
* Fox 32…
Inside Chicago’s largest library, an employee alerted police to a disturbing message. Officials say an anonymous email stated that a bomb was located somewhere inside the Harold Washington Library. The Bomb Squad and K9s searched the premises, but nothing was found. […]
In Addison, police were alerted to a bomb threat at the Addison Public Library on Friendship Plaza. As a precautionary measure, both the village and library campuses were closed to the public. The DuPage County Bomb Squad conducted a thorough search, ultimately determining the threat to be baseless.
In Evanston, police received reports of a bomb threat at the Evanston Public Library on Orrington Avenue. While no substantiated threat was found, the Cook County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad was called to the scene, and the building was evacuated. A cautionary advisory to avoid the area was issued. […]
Additional reports suggested that further threats were made to other libraries in the Chicago area, making this an ongoing investigation.
* NBC 5 yesterday…
Aurora police have shut down downtown streets after a reported bomb threat against the city’s public libraries Tuesday afternoon.
According to authorities, the threat targeted the library in the 100 block of South River Street, with officers currently evacuating workers and closing down streets in the area.
Police have deployed officers to all three libraries in the community after the threats, according to officials.
River Street remains closed in both directions between Cross Street and Benton Street, according to authorities.
* Not a library, but it is a school in Springfield…
Lanphier High School students and teachers were returning to classes Tuesday afternoon after receiving an “all clear” following a threat of a bomb on campus.
Springfield Police and Illinois Secretary of State Police, who operate K-9 units, deemed the building clear after a search, according to Springfield District 186 officials.
The threat was called into the school at 12:30 p.m.
- H-W - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:18 am:
These people want to run our schools and our country. I say, “Never.”
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:31 am:
Ways to tell you might be on the wrong side of an issue: You are calling in bomb threats to a library.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:37 am:
Tell me again why you need to protect my kid from books but have no concern over guns and bomb threats?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:43 am:
The idea of knowledge and awareness in books is dangerous to society when it’s about limiting free thought *against* biases, racism, where it makes those willing to see actual Christian thoughts are “unholy”….
That’s the scary part.
The fear is the harm that goes with the “scary”, I can be scared and fight but fear of safety is real.
- Frida’s boss - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:51 am:
Why is everyone so mad?
- Jocko - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 9:58 am:
==Why is everyone so mad?==
Because the GOP has perfected outrage.
- Roadrager - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:03 am:
==Why is everyone so mad?==
Well, it’s not *everyone* everyone, but for those who are mad in this particular fashion, it is because their preferred provocateurs on TV, radio, and social media have incessantly drilled into their heads that anyone different than them is someone to fear and hate. This is very much by design, because when they can make their audience averse to everything but their own product, said audience will trend toward consuming said product exclusively.
Libraries are a community space that offer a wide variety of benefits to a wide variety of people. Community and a sense of belonging are anathema to the product of fear and hate, therefore libraries must be painted as secret liberal pedophile training grounds, coming for your (theoretical) children.
It’s not taking root as easily, but you see the same bad actors attempting to do the same thing to professional sports fandom. Did you know that football players are “feminized” now because they wear support clothing under their uniforms that wraps around their shoulders and chests? Clearly, the NFL is being overtaken by Big Trans and Big Woke. Also, for some reason, they’re still invoking Colin Kaepernick as if he’s the reigning seven-time league MVP.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:09 am:
For the far right…
Drag shows = deadly
Bomb threats = perfectly acceptable.
Apparently
- Blanche - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:11 am:
If parents want their children to read this type of book from the library, they should accompany their child to the library and sign their permission to do so, thereby relieving the librarians from judgment. If the parent cannot or will not do this, the child should have someone buy it for them. Our tax dollars should not be used for this purpose, nor should we have the library unavailable to us due to this issue.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:16 am:
“If parents want their children to read this type of book from the library”
The people who are pushing for book bans will vote for an admitted sexual predator. The whole anti-woke thing is utter bunk, just an excuse and permission to continue keeping marginalized people down.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:22 am:
Blanche - while I agree the libraries should have the books and parents have the right to “sheild” their kids from them, giving polling on the question, shouldn’t the rule be “opt-out” rather than “opt-in.”? Let parents who don’t want their children to read books take the action.
- Socially DIstant watcher - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:34 am:
Oh, Blanche. Some day you’ll see that giving in to extremists isn’t worth it. In the meantime, please do keep using that argument.
- Appears - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:42 am:
Those who make the bomb threats should get jail time.
There are other ways to protest.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 10:47 am:
==Our tax dollars should not be used for this purpose==
Which purpose is that?
- Nick Name - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 11:10 am:
===Tell me again why you need to protect my kid from books but have no concern over guns and bomb threats?===
Quote of the day. The rest of us can go home.
- levivotedforjudy - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 11:33 am:
It seems the new “go to” move for a lot of extremists or wannabees is the call in bomb threats. Even if they were venting or in jest, this will give some lunatic an idea who will consider actually doing it. I hope they find some of these folks and to use an old (probably canceled now) phrase, throw the book at them. Make an example out of them. Actions should have consequences. Elderly folks are afraid to be election judges and now being a librarian is a high risk job. We are in a really bad place now.
- OneMan - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 11:55 am:
When I was a lad, I checked out a Judy Bloom book, I think it was “Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself,” and my mom noticed the cover and asked the librarian about it because as she put it “He doesn’t get a lot of books with girls on the cover” the librarian explained what the book was and my mom was fine with it.
Over a few years, I read just about everything from Judy Blume, partly because they were interesting books and partly as an attempt to understand girls better (that didn’t work). Looking back now, I am thankful my mom was paying enough attention to ask and thankful that my mom trusted me to be able to deal with it (it does mention racism and other subjects that would cause some parents to freak out today). Generically, her youth books covered many things that some parents would object to (they shouldn’t). I am glad I could read those books and a host of others.
As a parent of adults, I now understand that, in retrospect, you will fail if you try to hide things in life from your kids. Telling someone you can’t read that book just to motivate a reader to go read it all the more. Also, perhaps the greatest asset someone can have in life is curiosity, and when you suppress that in a child, you will do a great disservice to them as adults.
Fundamentally if you want to protect your kid from everything, hide them from everything don’t expect society to hide everything from them.
- Ron Burgundy - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 1:00 pm:
I have a relative that works in a HS library. If the funding was there and a system could be implemented that allowed parents to inform the school that their kid can’t have certain books, fine. Being a parent gives you certain rights over the child until they reach majority, whether you are competent and qualified or not. What being a parent does not give you is the right, expertise or authority to tell other parents what their kids can or cannot read (especially when you likely haven’t read it yourself). That is none of your business. If the majority of parents are willing to leave such decisions to the school staff and administration that is up to them, not you.
- West Sub Ladi - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 1:56 pm:
Why haven there been any arrests for this? With automatic tracking on smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc., you’d think these sick perpetrators would be caught and arrested. Is catching these perpetrators even a priority?
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 2:24 pm:
- Is catching these perpetrators even a priority? -
That’s the question…on my mind…too.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 2:39 pm:
=If the funding was there and a system could be implemented that allowed parents to inform the school that their kid can’t have certain books, fine. =
If we’re going to fund something why not start with literacy? Anyone with school aged kids knows that reading provocative books is a non-issue. This made up problem is geared towards riling up senior citizens and getting them to the polls. Parents know that their kids are far too busy exploring the internet to go searching for objectionable material in the library. The issue isn’t keeping these kids away from books but getting them to pick one up.
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Sep 13, 23 @ 4:31 pm:
- These people want to run our schools and our country. I say, “Never.” -
That makes two of us.
Never.