Letters to the Editor
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To the editor,
There are a couple of inaccuracies in the background provided for the January 26 cover story about the library. The lower level of the library has three distinct sections: the Children's section, which occupies the entire south end; the Juniors section in the northeast corner; and the Young Adult (YA) section in the northwest corner. The book What's the T? was initially placed on the New Titles shelf of the Young Adult section, not the Children's section. It is now shelved with the rest of the YA titles and New YA titles are now shelved with all other New Titles on the main floor of the library. There were no titles "with explicit sexual instruction" shelved on the lower level as alleged in this article, nor have there been since.
Second, the article claims that it is impossible to challenge specific titles "because there is nothing in the policy about content" in the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form or policy. Policies are written to provide a broad outline of how to approach running a public library. They cannot anticipate every situation or challenge. That is left up to the professional training and experience of librarians and library staff. To create a policy or procedure to deliberately exclude information on a given group, viewpoint, etc., violates patrons' access to information as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution. The library supports parents' right and responsibility to make decisions about what materials are suitable for their own family. The 1st Amendment also guarantees that no one has the right to restrict what other patrons may use or to make decisions for other families. The Columbia County Rural Library District has a responsibility to provide information for a wide variety of users in our community and will continue to do so going forward.
When a Request for a Reconsideration of Materials is received, the item is temporarily removed from circulation while the Director reviews the item according to established policies and procedures. When a patron appeals the Director's decision to the Library Board, the item is made available to Board members for them to review it. Once all Board members have reviewed the item, it is temporarily removed from circulation until a decision is reached. What's the T? is currently unavailable for checkout until after the next Board meeting, which will be held on Monday, February 27, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Delany building. The public is welcome to attend in person or via Zoom. Details are available on the library's website.
Todd Vandenbark, MLS
Director of Library Services
Columbia County Rural Library District
