this post was submitted on 11 May 2025
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Summary

A man checked out 100 books from Beachwood Library in Beachwood, Ohio, covering Jewish history, African-American history, and LGBTQ topics, and later posted social media videos showing the books with captions referencing “cleansing” libraries before burning them.

Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative alerted the library about the posts.

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

Police say the matter is civil unless he fails to pay. He is now banned from returning to the library.

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[–] BlackSheep 7 points 5 hours ago

This is the mentality of MAGA. SMH

[–] [email protected] 22 points 7 hours ago

Ohio let's you check out 100 books at a time?

[–] [email protected] 26 points 10 hours ago

He doesn't want us to read those book, by the same logic, would it be OK to cut off that mans genitalia because we don't want him to reproduce?

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

In Ohio felony theft is over $1000.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 hours ago

republicans are swine.

[–] [email protected] 74 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (4 children)

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

Police informed CCPL that, because a contract was entered when the books were borrowed, failure to return or pay for the books would become a civil matter turned over to the city prosecutor.

Should the man return to the Beachwood Library, he will be banned from the property.

Shoutout to libraries. Absolute diamonds in the rough. Burn books? Whatever, people don't return books all the time. When they're overdue, here's the bill, next!

We don't live in the age of books anymore. Shit like this is ignorant and fascist but also just symbolic. Libraries are cornerstones of a free society, but the physical paper itself isn't nearly as important anymore. It's hilariously replaceable.

I want the list of books. "Banned" and "burned" books go hard as hell. Maybe even files for the m@tes to get 'em all at once. The modern age can undo all this idiot's work with a single link.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 hours ago

We don’t live in the age of books anymore.

We don't, but there's problems with only relying on electronic information that can be swapped out at any time. Don't have to burn the information when you can make it say whatever you want.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

I worked at an elementary school (public) in a very red state.

I had been overhauling the library computers (I was IT) all day and had been chatting with the librarian. Cool chick, probably 10 years older than me, so late 30s. I was dating my wife at the time, so I wasn't looking to date, but got invited out for drinks with other librarians from the district.

After a few rounds, the topic turned to censorship, book bans, etc.

Every single one of them, from the churchy prim and proper lady, to the more alternative types, we against banning books and discussed how to get the kids access and and encourage them to read them, without losing their jobs.

I had to shutdown their plan to distribute cheap flash drives with banned material on them a la guerilla distribution - ie, leave it where kids would find them.

And that is why next week Mr. Case's cyber security BS thing was about how we don't plug random shit we find in to computers.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 hours ago

"Banned" and "burned" books go hard as hell

Every library I've been to in the last 5 years has had a poster of "banned books" specifically to advertise them because people (especially teenagers) love that shit.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

The books were worth about $1,700. Since they are not overdue, the library will bill the man later.

honestly that's hilarious as fuck 😂

[–] [email protected] 13 points 12 hours ago

Librarians are pretty chill, unless you're a loud talker hehe

[–] [email protected] 22 points 14 hours ago (2 children)

If I were dictator I would announce a new LGBTQ and African American wing of the library and dedicate it to him, with a placard showing his payment to the library for the books he has to pay back, but he doesn’t deserve to have his name anywhere…

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 hours ago

I think having his name represented on something in which he hates is absolutely deserved and hilarious.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Just remind yourself that if that were the case you absolutely would be a dictator.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 hours ago

I don’t want it

[–] [email protected] 26 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (2 children)

How is that not criminal destruction of property? Some of those books may not even be replaceable. 😠 You could also say criminal intimidation of protected minority groups by an obviously targeted political act.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Because the man was legally in possession of them at the time. It's the same reason that you have to go through a tedious process to have your car reported stolen if you let someone borrow it and don't bring it back.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago

Generally don’t sign a TOS when tossing your buddy the keys.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Project Gutenberg is ensuring that all books are 100% replaceable. Don't worry, this ignorance cock hasn't done anything that can actually interfere with people being able to obtain and read any of the material he's taken.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

"this ignorant cock hasn't done anything that can actually interfere..."

He absolutely has. Stop being a pushover. In the coming weeks this will be normalised American behavior. Push back.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 hours ago

Hear this well, your reaction of outrage is why he's doing it. Should he be charged for his destruction of public property? Absolutely. But should we really be putting him on a right wing soap box by making tons of posts raging about his bullshit acts of ignorance? Definitely not.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I think we may have different definitions for “replaceable”.

[–] Sturgist 8 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Digital copies are serviceable, they are by no means a replacement.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Anything digital can be made into a physical copy with almost comical ease. I don't want this mouth breathing red hat to have the satisfaction of doing more than simply creating a minor inconvenience because everything he has done can be replaced in a few days. At his expense no less.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 17 hours ago

"Dort wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen." - Heinrich Heine

Book burners have never once been on the right side of history.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 19 hours ago

Same as it ever was.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 6 hours ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (2 children)

pretty sure it's not legal to destroy something you don't own. The fact that he's getting fined is a pretty clear indicator.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

He's getting fined by the library. But, it can be illegal to destroy something you don't own. Take for example vandalism. The key for even that is eluding or attempting to elude cleaning it up/paying to do so. Think about it. Is it illegal to dent someone's car? Not if you pay for repairs. It's the fleeing the scene without paying that it becomes a crime.

Same could be said here. Yeah he made a vid glorifying an anti-LGBT stance on YouTube by burningthe books. But its fine if you return a full copy in same or better condition to whom you borrowed the book.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 hours ago

He's getting fined by the library for the same amount he'd get fined for "losing" it since it's $17 a book. That doesn't seem like it's illegal or that it matters.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

To destroy someone else’s property?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

If he hadn't rented it they might consider calling it that but that's a normal "oops the books gone" fine.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Take away his library card!

[–] [email protected] 12 points 15 hours ago

"He is now banned from returning to the library."

It's in the article.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Wait...is this for real?...Typically there is a limit to how many books you can check out...

[–] [email protected] 33 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

At my library, that limit IS 100 books.

My kid regularly has ~60 books checked out. It's kind of a problem lol

[–] [email protected] 18 points 15 hours ago

But what an awesome problem to have!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (4 children)

Have they learned about the wonders of interlibrary loans yet? (And Anna’s Archive, if they don’t mind digital…)

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 21 hours ago (4 children)

He’s aware that the whole book burning thing was something that the German Nazis, the one various nations had a war with, did, yeah?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 18 hours ago

These people think the only bad thing that the Nazis did was lose. They think the Nazis were too soft, and they intend to me much stronger this time around.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 16 hours ago

They are well aware. They are following the same playbook.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 20 hours ago (7 children)

Yes. These people know exactly what they're doing.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I’m not German. So obviously I can’t be a Nazi.

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