OKLAHOMA CITY — A social media uproar caused Oklahoma library officials to clarify their policies about how they will approach the topic of patrons looking for more information about abortion.
According to Vice, an email was sent to Metropolitan Library System (MLS) employees stating they couldn't discuss abortion or help with any abortion-related research topics. The report also stated workers could be held legally liable and face penalties under Oklahoma's abortion laws.
The report refers to House Bill 4327 or Senate Bill 1503, which allows private citizens to bring lawsuits against someone who performs an abortion or "aids or abets" someone in getting an abortion, The Oklahoman states.
Screenshots of the email made the rounds on social media which led to confusion, outrage, and a demand for answers from MLS. Since then, officials gave some clarification on what its new library policies look like concerning abortions and current Oklahoma law.
Recently, questions were raised about the civil liability that we might have if certain types of information on abortion were provided to our guests. We asked an attorney for a legal opinion on the best way we can provide information services on this topic that al minimized civil liabilities for MLS and ensured we were complying with the law and our professional responsibilites.
They said employees could provide factual information about:
- What abortion is (such as a literal definition or factual description of the procedure)
- Scientific research
- What current Oklahoma statutes/laws say on the topic
- Information about national laws and court cases, such as Roe v. Wade
Officials continue to say employees cannot offer opinions or medical and legal advice, as well as not encourage or assist anyone in breaking laws.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1503 into law back in May, which banned abortion past the sixth week of pregnancy or once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo. This came weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court overturn its landmark case Roe v. Wade which then triggered a total ban on abortions in the Sooner State.
MLS says to keep up with current Oklahoma law, they are tightening their technology security and record keeping to keep and preserve the privacy of patrons who come into one of their branches searching for information about abortion.
Outside of those guidelines could create civil liabilities for MLS, including a minimum fine of $10,000.
MLS is the largest library system in the state of Oklahoma. It covers 19 branches across the Oklahoma City metro area and surrounding cities like Edmond, Bethany, and more.
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