Some commissioners want to move LGBTQ books out of children and young adult sections of the library.
FORSYTH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Monroe County Commissioners are facing community concern about LGBTQ+-themed books in the Monroe County Public Library. This issue comes amid a nationwide debate over the removal of such books from public libraries.
The topic of relocating LGBTQ+ books from the children’s and young adult sections to the adult section of the library took center stage during Tuesday’s commission meeting, held in a packed room of about 100 people. 20 citizens made public comments.
District 2 Commissioner Eddie Rowland, who placed the library discussion on the agenda, says while he believes that while no books should be removed, the community would prefer these materials be moved to a more appropriate section.
According to Rowland, feedback from his conversations with constituents revealed that “60 to 70 percent” of Monroe County citizens would favor moving the LGBTQ+-themed books to a location in the library not accessible to young children.
“Sometimes parents don’t want their children to be exposed to that; they’d rather talk about it in the confines of their home,” Rowland said. “We want everybody to have the opportunity to get literature they want to read. We don’t want to take books out of the library. We just want to put them in a safe section that’s more easily accessible to the people that want to read that particular type of information or media and to separate it from other types of media.”
The Monroe County Library Board’s policy on book removal or relocation requires that requests be submitted in writing. The board then evaluates the appropriateness, accuracy and quality of the materials in question. Taylor Bittick, representing the Monroe County Library Board, said public library collections are intended to reflect the diversity of the community and that parents bear the responsibility for guiding their children’s reading choices. Specifically, the policy said books for children and young adults may have representation of the human experience, and books are not restricted by the possibility that a minor may use them, putting the responsibility on parents and not the library.
Despite the ongoing controversy, no formal requests have been made to remove or relocate books since two challenges were made last year. Commissioner Rowland said the next step would be exploring how to move the books to another section of the library.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Monroe County attorney Natalie Sundeen told commissioners to be cautious in their decisions to avoid discriminating against protected classes, mentioning that similar debates are happening across Georgia.
To read a summary of public comments made during Tuesday’s meeting, click here.
