Abilene City Council hears arguments pro and con on LGBTQ materials in libraries

In the wake of a group complaining about LGBTQ materials in the children's section of the Abilene Public Library, the Abilene City Council on Thursday heard a presentation on current policies and plans to re-examine issues such as age-appropriateness of materials.

As with a former discussion on making Abilene a "sanctuary city for the unborn," those interested in the issue spilled over into other areas outside the council's temporary chambers at the library's branch in the Mall of Abilene.

A group of individuals asking for tighter controls on making LGBTQ books available in the library's children's section told the council they are not interested in an outright ban.

But several speakers emphasized they did not want the books in general circulation, instead asking they somehow be sequestered away from the main children's collection.

On the other side, supporters for keeping the books freely available cited the reality of suicide statistics among those in the LGBTQ community, while emphasizing a need to recognize diversity — and the general freedom to read.

Mayor Anthony Williams said the community can "always do better," but a broad picture was needed, especially in the light of suicide risk among teens in the LBGTQ community.

"We know in our community, we have felt the reality of that," Williams said. "... We don't want certain books in one section that can be offensive. But we do want you, as a public library, to respond to the whole community — and provide a response that allows us to help individuals, especially our youth, navigate the complexities of this life."

CityManager Robert Hanna said he would like city librarian Julee Hatton and the library's advisory board to return to the council with a fresh look at its policies, last revised in 2016.

Freedom to read

Jason Hernandez Marshall said he was not in support of removing books with LGBTQ themes  from the library.

While parents have the right to influence what their children read, "it is no parent's right to determine what another kid is allowed to discover in our library," he said. Doing so, Marshall said, constrains children's education and development that prevents them from learning "about themselves and people who are different from them."

"These are books that reflect real people and real families," he said, noting that this week the community is celebrating the Children's Art & Literacy Festival.

"As the 'Storybook Capital of America,' do we really want to be a town bans books on culture, education and diversity?" he said.

Jane Bering, a retired librarian, said book choice and discussions about appropriateness should be a "family decision, not a decision for the community," adding that libraries have adult supervision policies for younger children.

Libraries are "the people's university," she said.

"You go to the library to learn and broaden your horizons and learn compassion about your community," she said.

Under library policy, children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by their parents.

Speaker James Wagstaff said inclusion begins when a person is born.

"And having books available as they grow, making sure to help them feel they belong, is paramount," Wagstaff said, adding that he contemplated suicide throughout junior high and high school because he is gay.

There is a difference between promotion and availability, he said.

"(This) is simply about availability," he said.

Elizabeth Powell, a mental health therapist whose family owns a used book store in town, said any version of "restricting, segregating or banning books" is wrong.

"When a book comes into the bookstore that I personally disagree with or I find morally wrong, it goes on the shelf with the others where it belongs because  knowledge is not something that should ever be restricted or contained by people in power or the majority."

Knowledge is something that should be explored, "even when it makes you uncomfortable," Powell said, and representation of Abilene's whole community is vital. 

"Abilene is diverse, and that diversity is our strength," she said, adding representation and inclusion can save lives.

Alex Russell, an Abilene parent, said she appreciated the library's governing policies already in place and could not understand "spending any more time discussing taking away that freedom by parenting other people's children from a government podium."

Parental rights

Erica Batten said she is a homeschooling mother of six children and emphasized she wanted to see questioned library materials relocated to "keep our library safe for our young children," calling some of the materials, especially those dealing with LGBTQ issues, "not age-appropriate."

"When I discuss sexual issues with my own children, I want to do it on my terms," she said. "... Books of a sexual nature are not appropriate for children to see without parental permission."

She said the library was potentially "overstep(ping) on my parental rights to teach my children on this sensitive issue."

She did not want to ban books, but to have them "reshelved," also citing books on "religion, witchcraft and other sensitive topics" as items that should be examined.

Francesca Rodriguez said the issue is a problem of "parental rights," adding she had come across inappropriate materials with her children in Abilene's public library system.

She said the local library should speak with other library systems about what they have done in the face of such issues.

"You have to choose (to talk about these) topics when you think your child is ready," she said. "You don't get to choose it for me."

Former Abilene City Council candidate Charles Byrn, who spoke at a previous meeting, said he believes those who vetted certain books had read them, they would not be available on the library's shelves, stating they do not align Abilene's values as a "Christian, conservative city."

He said a "cross section" of the community should help make decisions about books in the library system, "not one certain group."

David Rodgriguez said the "envelope is being pushed" on parents, recommending the library consider publishers that better reflect local values.

"If you look at publishing companies, many of them have agendas," he said, arguing a company in California might not publish materials reflecting Texas values.

Existing policies

The library's current collection development policy is approved by its seven-member advisory board, appointed by the city's mayor and approved by the council, Hatton said.

The most recent version of the policy covers everything from how materials are selected and how evaluated to procedures for "reconsideration" of materials.

While respecting and responding to community needs and interests — and supporting school and home school curricula — the library "does not place the needs of one individual over (another), but strives to provide adequate resources to meet all needs," she said.

That includes the right of patrons to access information, no matter if it may be considered "controversial, unorthodox or unacceptable to others," she said.

Librarians and selected staff that have current, relevant knowledge of a collection are responsible for adding additional materials, while the library uses several resources to choose best materials, including those that are award-winning, large publishing companies, reviews and trade publications.

One of the volume brought to the council's attention,  2019's "The Bride was a Boy," received an award from the American Library Association, while another, "This Day in June," which focuses on the history of Pride Month for younger readers, won multiple awards.

"This Day in June" is recommended for readers ages 4-8, while "The Bride was a Boy" is listed as being appropriate for readers ages 13-17.

Suggestions from the public are encouraged and are reviewed, Hatton said.

The collection is evaluated on circulation statistics, current library literature and standards and opinions and suggestions from users.

There is a process to "reconsider" what is in the collection, Hatton said.

Patron complaints are handled by staff first, then a branch manager, then the city's librarian.

From there, it can go to a formal reconsideration process.

The item is removed from the shelf while the advisory board reviews it.

Items the board deems appropriate for the collection will not be removed except in accordance with established "weeding" policies to periodically cull the collection.

The last formal reconsideration of any library materials was in 2019, Hatton said.

Looking forward

The council as a whole expressed an interest in looking at the policies in the future.

No votes were taken Thursday.

Williams said the process of looking at Abilene's policies may take time, and should, something he said was part of "effective government."

Councilman Lynn Beard said he had "some concerns about age-appropriateness in general and how those things are defined and who arrives at those decisions."

Councilman Shane Price cited a case in Wichita Falls in which a federal lawsuit was brought against that community's library for removing children's books and placing them in the adult section.

Wichita Falls lost that lawsuit, said Stanley Smith, the city's attorney, and the books were returned to the children's section.

"The judge in that case said the reasons for doing so violated the First Amendment," he said. 

A similar lawsuit is in Llano, is still pending, against the county's library, Smith said, filed a "couple of months ago."

In that case, books were removed completely from the library system and an online subscription canceled.

A hearing is scheduled in July, Smith said.

Brian Bethel covers city and county government and general news for the Abilene Reporter-News.  If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com. 

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Council hears arguments pro and con on LGBTQ materials in libraries