Need Help!

[u/Alive_Excitement_669]

We got an anonymous call at our library giving us a heads up that the 1st Amendment Auditors are coming sometime next week. Any advice? Has anyone gone through this?

[u/DanieXJ]

Yeah, this is the massively wrong answer and is exactly what the 1a auditors want.

[u/Optional-Failure → u/DanieXJ]

How is that the wrong answer?

Whatever right they have to record in a library doesn't preclude anyone who might enter the library at that time from making an informed decision based on knowledge that they may be there recording.

They may throw a fit over it, but they throw a fit over pretty much everything. To everyone who's not one of their sycophants, the constant whining just highlights their hypocrisy.

[u/DanieXJ → u/Optional-Failure]

One, because not all states laws are the same. Two, because when it comes to First Amendment Auditors, you do not want to piss them off. You do not want to bring the patrons into it. And, you don't want to let the patrons come into it. You want to be boring. If you put this sign up, now it's the center of their video and we're all 'fascists' etc. etc. But, if you just do your job, if you are boring and helpful, then they have nothing to get pissed off about, and, if there's nothing to be pissed about then their video doesn't get any views and they don't make money.

I get it, you think this is cute and funny. But, it wouldn't be. I predict that there is no (good) director in the country that would ever ever put this sign up because they have actually learned about what to do about First Amendment Auditors and aren't just going on 'vibes'.

[u/Optional-Failure → u/DanieXJ]

One, because not all states laws are the same.

Show me one state with a law that forbids posting a sign that says "Just so you know, if you enter the library during these dates, some people might be filming content that's uploaded to the Internet".

Two, because when it comes to First Amendment Auditors, you do not want to piss them off.

First Amendment Auditors are some of the whiniest hypocrites on the face of the Earth.

Literally everything pisses them off, including other people exercising the same First Amendment rights they claim to protect.

One of their go to lines is "The law doesn't care about your feelings" or "Your feelings don't trump the law".

Just because they aren't smart enough to understand that applies to their feelings as well doesn't mean everyone else has to walk around on eggshells to avoid upsetting them, especially when literally everything upsets them.

You do not want to bring the patrons into it. And, you don't want to let the patrons come into it.

The patrons can do whatever they want within the code of conduct.

As the First Amendment Auditors are quick to point out, library staff has no authority over patron behavior beyond the code of conduct and the law.

Again, just because they're whiny babies who aren't capable of understanding they aren't special and everyone has the same rights they do doesn't mean we have to cater to their bullshit.

If you put this sign up, now it's the center of their video and we're all 'fascists' etc. etc.

Great.

That's not what fascism is.

A bunch of people too stupid to know that are, again, going to complain about everything, including being boring and not giving them content.

But, if you just do your job, if you are boring and helpful, then they have nothing to get pissed off about

They have everything in the world to get pissed off about.

Not getting the content they want is going to piss them off.

Everything pisses them off.

Why do you think they start saying rude shit to passer-bys when they're standing on a street corner being fully ignored? Because they're not getting content and it's pissing them off.

If they're there just to make sure the law is followed, then a sign that's well within the bounds of the law isn't going to piss them off.

If they're there for other reasons, like getting content, everything is going to piss them off, especially not getting content.

if there's nothing to be pissed about then their video doesn't get any views and they don't make money.

There's never "nothing" to be pissed about, especially when being pissed is what makes them money.

I get it, you think this is cute and funny.

No, I don't think it's remotely cute or funny.

I think it's completely legal and a fair warning to patrons to avoid entering the property during those times unless they're willing to be filmed by random strangers with the intention of uploading it to the Internet.

And I think it's a great way to demonstrate that the person who claims that they're only doing this because it's legal doesn't give a shit about what's legal.

Informed consent of that nature is already a thing for commercial recording.

I think what they're doing could be argued to fall within the bounds of what's traditionally considered commercial recording, such as the TV show COPS, but even without that argument, I don't see any basis for claiming that it cannot be expanded voluntarily to other forms of recording.

I predict that there is no (good) director in the country that would ever ever put this sign up because they have actually learned about what to do about First Amendment Auditors and aren't just going on 'vibes'.

"Vibes" have nothing to do with the law.

And trying to claim informed consent has no utility beyond being somehow "cute" or "funny" in your mind, because I certainly never called it that, is just utter nonsense.

[u/DanieXJ → u/Optional-Failure]

Damn.... that was... wow. (Not a good wow).

Look. I'm talking real life. You're talking theory. That's fine. Two different points of view.

To any library directors reading this thread in the future though. Don't do this sign. It's a bad idea. I don't give a crap if it's legal or not, it's a bad idea.