Missouri librarians say Ashcroft's new state rules on 'obscene' content are 'vague' and confusing...

A new statewide rule introduced by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has librarians concerned for their ability to curate their collections in a way that serves the entire community.
In order to comply with a rule introduced by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, public libraries in the state now require kids and teenagers as old as 17 to have adult permission in order to obtain a library card.

“What we're hearing from libraries is a lot of confusion,” said Missouri Library Association President-elect Kimberly Moeller. “The rule is vague enough in its language, so many libraries are attempting to be in compliance by saying, ‘OK, well, our new policy says that, if you agree as a parent for your child to have a library card, it means they have access to everything that the library contains.’”

Jason Kuhl, CEO of the St. Charles City-County Library district, said most of the issues the rule addresses have been in place in public libraries for years.