麻豆影视

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OZARK鈥� The Ozark Dale County Library Board of Trustees Wednesday approved new policies that will require more parental supervision of children in libraries but did not explicitly remove or ban any books.

The approval came in a meeting that was far less tense 鈥� and far less crowded 鈥� than that followed challenges to books with LGBTQ+ content by local officials. The new policies will require more children to be accompanied by adults and limit children鈥檚 access to certain parts of the library.

Members of the board said Wednesday the changes would reaffirm the role of the parent and protect staff from potential legal liability.

鈥淭he only defense our librarians would have when a child checks out that book a minor checks out a book that may or may not have that kind of material in it is because their parents allowed them to do so,鈥� said Christina Faulkner, the board鈥檚 secretary.

The board Wednesday voted on changes that were discussed at the meeting about the potential accessibility of some books to minors. The initial informal complaint to the library focused on rainbow stickers on books with LGBTQ+ content, but the library Board of Trustees had mainly focused on potentially age-inappropriate sexual content.

The changes include:

• Raising the age of children needing to be accompanied by an adult from 10 to 13.
• Adjusting age ranges for sections of the library and adding age range stickers to books in the young adult section, based on publisher鈥檚 recommendations.
• Signage saying all books may not be in line with parents鈥� wishes and offering assistance from staff for questions and concerns. The sign will also ask parents to monitor their children.

A three-member committee will consider where a book challenged ahead of the August meeting should go.

Public speakers in attendance thanked the Board for the work the library has done over the last several weeks.聽

鈥淚 think the parental control, if that鈥檚 the right word, is it, you鈥檝e done a fabulous job,鈥� said Jim Hill, who said at the August meeting that he wanted books monitored.鈥淎nd I want to say thanks. I鈥檓 not trying to isolate any group or, it鈥檚 not about me or another person, it鈥檚 about our children or grandchildren.鈥�

Other speakers also expressed gratitude for the library鈥檚 efforts but said they were concerned that these compromises would lead to more and more concessions.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going down a rabbit hole,鈥� said Gene Lynn. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e done nothing wrong.鈥�

Libraries across the country and state are facing challenges to books. The Prattville City Council earlier this month narrowly rejected a contract that would have limited the local library鈥檚 autonomy

At the previous meeting, Board Liason Monica Carroll read a sexually explicit passage from 鈥淭he Mirror Season鈥� by Anna-Marie McLemore. The website says the book tells the story of a girl following a sexual assault at a party. The book was one of two formally being asked for reconsideration by County Commissioner Adam Enfinger.

Adam Kamerer, who started a Facebook group that opposed the moving of books, said that he did not think it was appropriate that two board members had shared negative views of the book at the last meeting.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe any member of the audience was aroused or sexually excited when that passage was read,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e were certainly moved to an emotional feeling. We were disturbed, horrified and uncomfortable.鈥�

Michael Cairns, vice-chairman of the board, later said that the board does not have authority to overrule the appointed committee鈥檚 decision about whether the book should be moved up to the adult section.

Later in the meeting, Carroll said that she valued different opinions and said they rely on the process.

鈥淲ithout the process, we don鈥檛 know how you feel,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 know about the books because we do not have the staff to read them all.鈥�

The board was not given the names of the people who will review the book but received information on their backgrounds. They are a professor, a teacher and a lawyer.

At the end of the meeting, Cairns criticized those he described as 鈥減rominent鈥� community members for claiming that the board members do not care about children.

鈥淣othing could be further from the truth,鈥� he said.

Also at the meeting, the board discussed the farewell reception for member Imogene Mixson, who served 30 years in two stints.

鈥淲hen I have been asked the question about why I would serve so long, it was an easy question to answer because I always say the same thing, and it鈥檚 a repeated response,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t is such a wonderful place that provides resources and services to all the people of Ozark and all the people of Dale County of all ages from children through all the adult ages, including senior adults, with a strong commitment to work with partners and agencies and all of the funding agencies, all the volunteers, the Friends of the Library. Much of my life has been spent in libraries and I鈥檝e loved them those days from childhood until this day.鈥�

The library will be closed Thursday to work on the new system.

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