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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[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 172 points 2 days ago (3 children)

"A man"

This person has destroyed public property. Whether or not he pays, his name should be made public. People who know him should know what kind of person he is. His employer should know who they have hired. His employer's customers should know who they are dealing with.

This is not normal behavior. This person is a sociopath and society needs to know who he is.

[–] darkdemize@sh.itjust.works 75 points 2 days ago

Agreed. He didn't have any problems posting it to social media. There's no reason not to include his identity in the article. Even if he posted under a pseudonym, that should still be included.

[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 23 points 2 days ago

If you do that kind is stuff publicly on social media, you’re pretty much begging for people to make the connection between your name and those actions.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is not normal behavior. This person is a sociopath and society needs to know who he is.

I wish people would stop throwing clinical terms around like this. Socio/psychopathy is a complicated psychiatric disorder with distinct behavioral and psychological markers, not a synonym for “evil.”

Sadly, you don’t need a psychiatric disorder to engage in despicable behavior. “Normal” people are quite capable of being racist, sexist douchebags, and most racist, sexist douchebags are not mentally ill. Bigotry is a product of culture, not abnormal psychology.

[–] Bridger@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago

I think the correct clinical diagnosis in his case is "flaming asshole"

[–] ElcaineVolta@kbin.melroy.org 129 points 2 days ago (4 children)

from the library's perspective this couldn't be simpler. they have an exact list of which books to replace and who to charge for the balance.

[–] Deconceptualist@lemm.ee 72 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (4 children)

Yeah but in the current climate I'm worried he's going to encourage other bigots to be similarly destructive, and that shithead nazis will come to his defense and try to normalize it.

[–] ElcaineVolta@kbin.melroy.org 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

well of course, I agree. but the library can't control that; they're just trying to hold on and survive.

[–] Deconceptualist@lemm.ee 15 points 2 days ago

Sadly. More power to the librarians! Those folks are truly knowledgeable and capable. I wish we would empower them to do so much more then just "survive".

[–] GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works 27 points 2 days ago

In my state the librarian can have a warrant issued for your arrest if you fail to return or pay for books worth over a certain amount after giving proper notice. It's either $50 or $100 iirc.

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 11 points 2 days ago

yeah on the one hand it limits the availability while they are rebought but I guess on the plus side their authors make more money.

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[–] grue@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago

Sending a bill is one thing; collecting on it is another. As it stands now, the library is out $1700 and those books aren't necessarily getting replaced soon (or if they are, something else is not getting done instead).

An example needs to be made so that this tactic doesn't spread.

[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 19 points 2 days ago

The library may need to review its policies if a person can borrow 100 books at once, though.

[–] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago

Also, open a fund that people can donate to. With a damage like $1700, they can probably get back multiple times that in a week.

[–] SARGE@startrek.website 88 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Good thing it wasn't a Tesla, then "the man" would be doxxed by mainstream media outlets, he'd be tried as a terrorist, and the cops would have been deep into investigations before the sun came up.

[–] Initiateofthevoid@lemmy.dbzer0.com 87 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 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.

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 41 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days 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 😂

[–] sfled@lemm.ee 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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

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[–] Bassman1805@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days 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.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 13 points 1 day 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.

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[–] theangryseal@lemmy.world 72 points 2 days ago
[–] mercano@lemmy.world 61 points 2 days ago (1 children)

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

Pretty sure Destruction of Public Property is a crime in most jurisdictions.

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[–] troybot@midwest.social 50 points 2 days ago

Something this article doesn't mention is that the population of Beachwood is predominantly Jewish, so this was very targeted

[–] DarkShaggy@lemmy.world 49 points 2 days ago (2 children)
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[–] Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee 41 points 2 days 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.

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 38 points 1 day ago

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

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 37 points 2 days 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?

[–] ThraawnSolo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 35 points 2 days ago (2 children)

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

[–] spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone 33 points 2 days ago (6 children)

At my library, that limit IS 100 books.

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

[–] Kite@sh.itjust.works 19 points 2 days ago

But what an awesome problem to have!

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[–] antithetical@lemmy.deedium.nl 34 points 2 days ago

What a horrible human being. If destroying books or repressing knowledge is part of your dogma you are on the wrong side of history.

[–] Wispy2891@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It's almost more shocking that the library allowed to check out all those books. There can't be a legitimate reason to do so, even if he said he needed to reference them all for a thesis or something like that

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

Yeah the limit at my library is 14, which is more than generous even if you happen to be researching a topic for a report / thesis etc.

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[–] blattrules@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago

Sounds like a hate crime to me.

[–] leadore@lemmy.world 27 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (7 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.

[–] GoodLuckToFriends@lemmy.today 13 points 2 days 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.

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[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 26 points 2 days ago (3 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…

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[–] HowAbt2morrow@futurology.today 24 points 2 days ago (2 children)

This fucking prick couldn’t read and unluckily could use fire, like a basic caveman.

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[–] CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The library should be taking this douches nozzle to collections, and replacing the destroyed materials.

[–] cyborganism@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I think that's the point. But legally they have to wait for them to be overdue. At least that's my understanding.

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[–] qevlarr@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This should be charged as a hate crime or incitement

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[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 19 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Meanwhile, the library just buys new copies of all the books out of tax money.

[–] jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works 24 points 2 days ago

Assuming their budget doesn't get cut

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[–] greybeard@lemm.ee 19 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

In Ohio felony theft is over $1000.

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 14 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Take away his library card!

[–] kerntucky@infosec.pub 12 points 2 days ago

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

It's in the article.

[–] kruddman@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago (2 children)

1 year for every book seems an appropriate sentence

[–] riskable@programming.dev 11 points 2 days ago (3 children)

1 year for every book seems an appropriate sentence

No! An appropriate sentence would end in a period, question mark, or exclamation point!

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