For libraries that are hosting the Kirk Cameron Brave Book events, it is time to have a plan to let staff bow out that day, since the chances of their faces and bodies being photographed by bad actors is not low. Imagine you're just doing your job and then you're on right-wing media. In a lot of cases, you don’t need to imagine because you’ve seen it happen again and again. If you have a staffing issue which doesn’t make this possible, that’s worth examining in and of itself. Encourage those staff members unwillingly put in this position to wear masks or clothing to keep them as unidentifiable as possible and to not wear name tags that can impact their right to privacy–a first name and place of employment are more than enough for creating real harm in their lives.

Absolutely none of this has been secret or hidden and the information has been available months in advance. Libraries that allow it to happen–and they can, even if it is ill-advised–need to be prepared for the reality of who is going to be there.

These are the people who've been making your life hell now for 2+ years. They'll be coming in to do it, to take photos and point to books they don't like as "proof' of an agenda, then plaster images of people with the words you know they like to misapply to you (“groomer,” “evil,” “indoctrinator”). The folks who vilify you and who demand you stop having certain books or hosting certain programs are exercising their rights to continue harassing you and making a show of their bullshit right in your own home.

These people cry that their First Amendment Rights are infringed if you don’t let them do these private events while saying no one should have access to the books in your library. While claiming your books are grooming children and that your staff deserve harassment.

Libraries too often operate from assumption of good intent, in part because of this nonsense insistence of neutrality. This is one time you need to operate from a different place than that. It is likely this will be a wakeup call for the public libraries who have not yet experienced this first hand.

We have evidence here of malintent. Assuming less puts you in needless danger.

If you over-prepare and nothing happens, then what?

Nothing.

If you don't prepare and something happens, then what?

You can only guess.

There are going to be people who show up in support of the library for these events, and that’s great. However, the same protection of privacy and safety needs to happen, too. Cover your faces. Don’t wear anything identifiable. Maybe even be cautious about where you park your car–at right-wing events local to me, people took photos of cars and license plates of counter-protestors.

Be safe, be smart, and stop begging for neutrality when there is nothing neutral about this.