Author: Arlene Quaratiello

The Institute of Museum and Library Services Should Be Defunded

April 15, 2025 Arlene Quaratiello

In the past few weeks, there has been a massive outcry from the public library community that the defunding of a recent target of DOGE – the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – will lead to the obliteration of library services that patrons have come to depend on and that the IMLS has … Read more

Be Careful Who You Vote For!

March 1, 2025 Arlene Quaratiello

In 2022, Pennsylvania State Representative Tony DeLuca was re-elected despite the fact that he had died a month before the election. While some voters may have cast their ballots for him to honor his memory posthumously, it is likely that many may have had no idea that they were voting for a dead man. Last … Read more

Parental Rights and Public Libraries

January 23, 2025 Arlene Quaratiello

The cartoon aardvark Arthur sang in one memorable episode, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card.” Unfortunately, obtaining your children’s library records IS very hard when they have a library card; in fact, it is against the law in New Hampshire and most other states! This law needs to be changed, and … Read more

New Hampshire Defunds the American Library Association

December 22, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

A recent article on the New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) website regarding Governor Sununu’s withdrawal of his state librarian nominee confirms that the previous state librarian withdrew the New Hampshire State Library (NHSL) from the American Library Association this year. While the reason given for this withdrawal was that “the yearly dues were not worth what the … Read more

You Could Have Had a V8!

November 18, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

Many voters in NH CD2 may eventually have a similar feeling of “buyer’s remorse” and wish that they had voted for her opponent Lily Tang Williams

Goodlander Hides Behind Out-Of-State Money

November 1, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

How can a Congressional candidate who has received 87.5 % of her campaign contributions from out-of-state donors truly represent New Hampshire? How can you trust a candidate who suddenly rents an apartment in the district she seeks to represent after spending years elsewhere? How can you believe a candidate who avoids debate opportunities and relies … Read more

Do Most State House Speeches Simply Fall on Deaf Ears?

October 15, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

On Veto Day, I addressed the New Hampshire House of Representatives one last time. I made a speech in favor of overriding the veto of HB1093, the bill prohibiting school boards from mandating mask-wearing. Last March, the House voted to pass this bill while the Senate did the same a few weeks afterwards, but it … Read more

Vote for Lily Tang Williams on Tuesday, September 10th.

September 8, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

Just like Congressional candidate Lily Tang Williams, I also fear that the country that I love — the United States — is becoming too much like the country that she left — China. As a state representative finishing up my first term, I originally ran two years ago due to this fear. It has become … Read more

Defund Woke Library Lobbyists: Our Tax Dollars Should Not Fund the ALA

November 19, 2024August 17, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

In February 2024, the American Library Association posted a press release on its website opposing Georgia legislation that would have defunded it. This press release describes the ALA as “the preeminent non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services in the United States.” The American Library Association further claims not to “espouse … Read more

Night Cap: No Elected Official Is Above the Law

November 19, 2024July 10, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

All elected officials, from the President of the United States down to those who serve their towns as public library trustees, take an oath of office. While the wording of these oaths might differ, they have one thing in common: they require the oath-taker to support the United States Constitution.

The Dudley-Tucker Redemption: Justice Prevails in Public Library Lawsuit

November 19, 2024June 22, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

In one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, an innocent man who is wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for many years is ultimately vindicated after patiently and methodically pursuing justice.

The Unmasking Bill Should Pass

November 19, 2024April 6, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

Now that the COVID pandemic is behind us, we must thoughtfully evaluate what happened during this unprecedented time and prudently consider what should be done if a similar crisis ever happens again. One of the major issues that emerged during this challenging period was the mandatory wearing of face masks in schools.

Book books pages jonas-jacobsson-0FRJ2SCuY4k-unsplash

Keeping Secrets: The Confidentiality of Kids’ Library Records

November 19, 2024March 25, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

It’s the Great American “rite of passage”—getting your first library card! The importance of a child having a library card has been celebrated from Arthur the Aardvark rapping “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card” to Francie Nolan keeping her first library card as a memento of her youth in one of … Read more

“And the Winner Is…” (How Librarians Decide What We Should Read)

November 19, 2024January 27, 2024 Arlene Quaratiello

In one of my previous articles, I told the story of how my request for Michael Knowles’ Amazon #1 bestseller Speechless: Controlling Words, Controlling Minds was denied by my local public library.

They’ve Got the Power: The Crucial Role Played by Library Trustees

November 19, 2024October 13, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

Last March during a “Candidates Night” forum in my small New Hampshire town, I was criticized by an incumbent library trustee who was running for reelection. Although she was seeking to continue in her elected office, she illogically asserted that I had inappropriately “brought politics into the library trustee race and,” as she further declared, “there is no place for politics in any library.”

Who’s Banning Whom? – The Hypocrisy of Being Called a “Book Banner”

November 19, 2024September 16, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

Kirk Cameron’s recently published children’s book, Pride Comes Before the Fall, is a charming story about the dangers inherent in being overly prideful rather than humble. While some detractors have labeled this book by the former child TV star as “anti-gay” because of its message about pride, Cameron prefers to call it “pro-humility.”

Protesting “Inclusive Collections”

November 19, 2024July 19, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

During an online professional development course called “How To Build and Defend Inclusive Collections” sponsored by Library Journal, Cornell University collection development librarian Carson Williams, asserted that “fostering an inclusive, safe queer library environment is the most important thing you can do.”

Coming to a Public Library Near You: Marxist Summer Reading Programs!

November 19, 2024June 16, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

The Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) sounds like a completely harmless organization. It may, in fact, be assisting your local public library with your children’s or grandchildren’s summer activities by offering information, guidance, and materials, but don’t be deceived.

SB272 Failure

November 19, 2024May 20, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

Educators often use the metaphor of the three-legged stool to convey the ideal parent-teacher-child relationship. If one leg is weakened, the stool inevitably becomes unstable. Over the past few years, this three-legged stool has become more and more wobbly.

Conservatives telling CRT to BACK OFF - Lion analogy

The“Anti-Discrimination Law” Must Not Be Repealed

November 19, 2024February 1, 2023 Arlene Quaratiello

When I taught English as an adjunct college instructor, one literary genre that I considered extremely interesting was that of the slave narrative. Hundreds of slaves, overcoming unimaginable obstacles, not only learned how to read but also wrote down their stories which revealed the truth about the horrors of slavery.