Teacher: Military recruiters should be allowed in Maryland public libraries

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - To Ralph Jaffe’s disgust, military recruiters are prohibited from approaching patrons inside public libraries, a widespread policy he says violates the First Amendment.

“For these heroes to be shackled is wrong,” said Jaffe, a former Baltimore County public school social studies teacher.

“We have our freedom because of these heroes.”

Jaffe asked the trustees of the Baltimore County library system this week to allow recruiters inside libraries, but the board refused, reflecting a no-solicitation rule found in all Baltimore-area libraries and elsewhere.

But he isn’t giving up.

He plans to approach the librarian at the Pikesville branch Wednesday as a demonstration to raise awareness about his fight.

James Fish, Baltimore County library director, said the no-solicitation policy doesn’t single out recruiters, but also targets salespeople, campaign workers and activists seeking petition signatures.

Without the rule, he said, it would be chaos.

“We had 5.6 million visitors to the system last year,” he said.

“Just imagine what it would be like to have salespeople or people pushing a political cause. Once we allow one group, you can’t stop anybody from doing it.”

Baltimore County military recruiters said they aren’t pushing to enter libraries but lamented that some librarians don’t display their military pamphlets.

Most libraries in the region, however, allow the brochures.

No recruiters have complained about not being able to enter libraries, said Staff Sgt. Kristofer Baumgartner, a spokesman for Maryland National Guard.

“Libraries wouldn’t be the first place we would want to go to anyway, because it’s a quiet area,” he said.

Baltimore City, and Howard, Anne Arundel, Harford and Carroll counties also have no-solicitation policies but allow recruiters to use meeting rooms for free.

Several years ago, some visitors at Carroll libraries complained after a recruiter approached them, said Ann Wisner, a library spokeswoman.

“The purpose of the public library as an educational institution is to connect people with information,” said Brian Auger, deputy executive director of Howard libraries.

“People should be able to expect to come to the library to do that unhindered.”

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

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