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Man checks out 100 books from Beachwood Library, then burns them in social media post
(www.cleveland.com)
Ohio let's you check out 100 books at a time?
this post was submitted on 11 May 2025
535 points (98.9% liked)
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This is the mentality of MAGA. SMH
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?
In Ohio felony theft is over $1000.
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.
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.
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.
They got the spirit! Libraries and librarians are some of the most fundamental "good" in society. They're basically the canary in the coal mine - when they start to go, we all know there's nothing but toxic gas in the room, and need to do something about it.
It is a shame that there's very few ways of going "rogue" with access to digital information that doesn't involve tremendous security risks to the uninitiated.
"We want to secretly give kids the ability to get whatever information they want!"
"Great... let's start with 'don't ever accept packets of digital information from unidentifiable sources'"
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 😂
Librarians are pretty chill, unless you're a loud talker hehe
"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.
republicans are swine.
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…
I think having his name represented on something in which he hates is absolutely deserved and hilarious.
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"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.
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.
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.
Generally don’t sign a TOS when tossing your buddy the keys.
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.
"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.
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.
I think we may have different definitions for “replaceable”.
Digital copies are serviceable, they are by no means a replacement.
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.
Same as it ever was.
Wait...is this for real?...Typically there is a limit to how many books you can check out...
At my library, that limit IS 100 books.
My kid regularly has ~60 books checked out. It's kind of a problem lol
But what an awesome problem to have!
Have they learned about the wonders of interlibrary loans yet? (And Anna’s Archive, if they don’t mind digital…)
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Take away his library card!
"He is now banned from returning to the library."
It's in the article.
"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.
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.
I think the correct clinical diagnosis in his case is "flaming asshole"
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.
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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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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.
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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.
What a horrible human being. If destroying books or repressing knowledge is part of your dogma you are on the wrong side of history.
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