Challenge Results Trickling In

 

By Gretchen Garrity

The Christian County Library staff has responded to two recent book challenges. Although the challenge responses don't seem to be published on the library's website (as required) the outcome was expected except for a welcome concession regarding placement of displays.

 The first challenged book, "Thirteen Reasons Why," contains depictions of the sexualization of a minor, two rapes, sexual assaults, domestic violence, teen drug and alcohol abuse and suicide, and has been checked out 64 times since 2017. That is a potential of 64 kids who've been introduced to obscene and sexually violent scenarios.

Additionally, there is a popular Netflix series based on the book that may encourage minors whose parents won't allow them to watch the series to find the book at the library.

Further, the reasons given for retaining the book in the teen section of the library is that it is "well-reviewed," "popular," and appropriately located for a book geared toward 12-14 year-olds. 

The full response is below. Click on the image for clarity and size.

The second book challenge was for "Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story."

The book had been placed in a recent display in the Nixa library, in close proximity to the teen section. 

In a concession, the staff response said, "The display this book was on was next to the Adult Fiction collection, which is also near the teen area. The Nixa branch is limited in space, but we understand the concerns about materials being in close proximity to the teen area and confusion over the intended audience. We have reevaluated the location of that display shelf since it typically contains materials from the adult collection and have moved it further from the teen area."

Note the book display below in which "Sissy" was situated (you can see it peeking out from behind "The Bold World" on the middle shelf, also next to the book "Lawn Boy" and "Gender Queer." 

Other books in the display included "Normal People," "Fun Home," and "The Bluest Eye," among others. Several of those books are considered coming-of-age and would appeal to "young adults" and one, Gender Queer, is located in the teen section of the library.

 

Recent Nixa Library book display.

Activist book displays like the one above, are most likely the brainchild of groups like the American Library Association and its chapters like the Missouri Library Association. These groups, which actively seek to promote sexual and political agendas that are often contrary to local community values, filter down to local libraries through a well-organized narrative that pits parental rights and protecting children against "intellectual freedom" or  "freedom to read."

It's a false narrative. And taxpayer-funded local libraries should not belong to such organizations. A new and better alternative is the World Library Association, which is just getting started, and will serve as a commonsense alternative to radical associations like the ALA.

 And lastly, read WLA's Dan Kleinman's latest article about the plan for libraries to become vectors for socialism. It's straight from ALA President Emily Drabinski's mouth, thanks to undercover journalist Karlyn Borysenko.