The small town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which sits roughly 100 miles south of the Canadian border, is known for its beautiful weather, numerous lakes, but more than anything, its conservative values. The town sits in the heart of one of the reddest, most conservative areas in the nation.
The area has continually seen major growth over the last few years as conservatives seek a safe haven from liberal policies in states like California. It's not a surprise that locals, and even transplants, have fought to keep the area conservative.
A few months ago a conservative began hiding progressive and anti-Trump books throughout the Coeur d'Alene Library.
"I noticed a large volume of books attacking our president. I am going to continue hiding these books in the most obscure places I can find to keep this propaganda out of the hands of young minds," the culprit wrote on a comment card posted on a public bulletin board, KREM-TV reported. "Your liberal angst gives me great pleasure."
The Library Director, Bette Ammon, responded to the comment and said the library "tries hard to purchase well reviewed books on all sides.”
Ammon and her team have repeatedly found various books placed in obscure areas. One of the books that has repeatedly gone missing: Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury," which has been dubbed as an inside-the-look tell-all book about the Trump administration.
The library has continually had to repurchase the books that have gone missing because they have been requested by other patrons. According to Ammon, that's a waste of taxpayer funds.
“These books keep disappearing and we keep buying new copies because people keep wanting them. And then we find the find the hidden copies," Ammon said. "So it’s not really working well for the person who wants to keep other folks from reading.”
Fast forward a couple months later and the book hiding continues. According to the New York Times, the book topics vary "from gun control and women’s suffrage to LGBTQ issues and how people of color fare in the criminal justice system. About half the books specifically deal with President Trump."Although the books weren't stolen, they've been hidden, almost to the point where they can't be found. Some have been shelved in the completely wrong section while others have been placed with their spine facing inward.
After KREM-TV did their initial story on the book hiding, the culprit now has additional people helping with the mission. Ammon told The Times someone called to praise the hider's work, saying the library only has books with a liberal bent.
“I am going to continue hiding these books in the most obscure places I can find to keep this propaganda out of the hands of young minds,” the culprit wrote on a comment card. “Your liberal angst gives me great pleasure.”
But this isn't the first time books went missing from the local library. In the late 1980s, "human rights literature" began disappearing. Topics ranged from the "Holocaust, the persecution of African-Americans and the history of various religions." The Coeur d'Alene library received the Raoul Wallenberg Civic Courage Award for combatting neo-Nazis and the once-prominent Aryan Nation group. The board of directors decided to use part of the award's funding to purchase a glass lock box to put the "human rights literature" in. They stayed there until 2005 when Ammon took over the job.
“My theory is, why do you have something if people can’t take it and read it?” Ammon asked.