Outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has withdrawn his nomination of Mindy Atwood for the position of state librarian, according to NHPR. This withdrawal is a cowardly move in the face of a malicious extremist reaction from the N.H. executive council.
Atwood has served as an administrator for the state library for two years and was a library director in Sunapee and Salisbury for 15 years prior, according to NHPR. In other words, she is a perfectly qualified candidate for the position, which has become vacant following the retirement of previous State Librarian Michael York. York had also endorsed Atwood, further illustrating her fitness for the position.
The supposed issue here is ultimately Atwood’s belief in free speech; she has presented on multiple occasions in opposition to book bans and restrictions in libraries, a belief upheld by the New Hampshire Library Association, the New England Library Association and the American Library Association, according to NHPR. Conservative councilors, alongside lobbying groups like RebuildNH, spoke out against the nomination to further their goals of a dumber, more complicit New Hampshire. Executive Councilor David Wheeler (R-Milford) labeled Atwood “too woke” to earn his vote, according to InDepthNH.
Book bannings have become a hot button issue with the tired excuse of “saving the children” continuing to be run into the ground. Even those in support of book bannings, however, should in reality take little issue with Atwood’s nomination, as the state librarian holds no authority over the collection development policies held by N.H. libraries.
The unspoken assertion on the part of these right-wing councilors and lobbyists may then be that they would perhaps like for a state librarian to have such authority – but only as long as the librarian in power aligns with their book banning agenda. Newly inaugurated Gov. Kelly Ayotte now holds in her hands the decision of who to nominate for the position. If the right wing continues to push for a state librarian who supports the banning of books, the risk could be realized that this new librarian would end up overextending their authority and acting as a tyrannical and restrictive figure reigning over the state’s local collections.
This prospect, combined with the fact I expect Ayotte to be hard-pressed to find a remotely qualified librarian in favor of book bannings, alarms me with regards to the future of information, education and history in the state of N.H. Sununu should be ashamed of his complete failure to take a stand on a matter so blatantly lopsided and ridiculous. Councilors such as Wheeler should be ashamed of their eagerness to prioritize culture war nonsense over the basic needs of N.H. communities.
If nothing else, this is a cue for councilors with some sense as well as activists who believe in the value of free speech to put real pressure on Ayotte to make the right choice in her nomination. That does not have to mean a re-nomination of Atwood; I think at this point the anti-Atwood crowd has unfortunately created enough of a fuss to make her continued candidacy an unrealistic goal. Nevertheless, Ayotte could still nominate someone with a similar level of legitimacy and qualification as Atwood and, perhaps even more importantly, stand her ground in the face of backlash where Sununu was unwilling to do so.
Charlotte King can be contacted at
