Athens residents packed a recent meeting of the Athens Regional Library System’s Board of Trustees opposing censorship and calling for a continuation of LGBTQ-inclusive programming in the face of recent anti-LGBTQ backlash.
About a dozen people spoke for a half hour during the public comment portion of the July 20 meeting. Many speakers thanked the library for being an inclusive space. Others urged library board members to resist what they feel are calls for censorship from right-wing groups like Moms for Liberty.
“A nationally funded organization and some local folks are trying to ban books,” Athens resident Gail Cowie told the library board. “They’re doing it spreading lies and misinformation about those books and the people represented in them. In the future, if you face any requests to remove specific books or restrict programs, please do not appease extremists who want to limit educational resources based on misinformation and false claims of liberty.”
Cowie was likely referring to a recent request to relocate the young adult graphic novel Flamer to the adult section of the Oconee County Library. Flamer, a book about a gay teenager, has been targeted for removal from school libraries by right-wing groups across the country.
“I offer my thanks and my encouragement for all of you to be proactive about this well-funded, well-organized movement that is attacking our freedoms,” said University of Georgia developmental psychology professor Janet Frick.
A rumor had been circulating that members of Moms for Liberty would be attending the meeting to advocate for more books to be relocated, which is one reason why so many residents showed up. But no one against LGBTQ inclusion spoke up during public comment.
Most attendees left after public comment ended when the board resumed their regular meeting, which was largely unrelated to concerns about censorship. However, the board did discuss modifying their relocation of materials policy which is relevant to the ongoing conflict.
Valerie Bell, executive director of the Athens Regional Library System, said that the board voted to limit complaints about books and other library materials to a maximum of five requests for reconsideration per quarter, handled on a first-come, first-served basis. They did that because there are a limited number of staff who can respond to such complaints, which can take a significant amount of time to review.
Bell said she understands complaints over library materials will arise in a diverse community, but that she and other library employees have had a difficult time dealing with some of the more intense objections. “Because our values support inclusivity and a welcoming environment, not everything the library provides will suit every person in the community,” Bell said. “The hardest part of this for me is that one of our staff was followed home and harassed, and another one of our staff… was bullied on social media.”
Regarding the appropriateness of certain reading materials for children, Bell said parents are ultimately responsible, although the library has “committed and dedicated staff who are willing to assist parents in selecting materials that they feel are appropriate for their children.”
Last month, about 200 people attended an Oconee County library board meeting. The local Moms for Liberty group, led by former school board candidate Julie Mauck, wanted the board to get rid of all its LGBTQ-themed books and end programs for LGBTQ youth, but they were outnumbered by supporters of the LGBTQ community and opponents of censorship. The board did not take such drastic steps, but it did move Flamer from the young adult to the adult section.
According to the American Library Association, there were a record 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022. More than 2,500 titles were targeted, most of them written by or about members of the LGBTQ community or people of color.
“A book challenge is a demand to remove a book from a library’s collection so that no one else can read it. Overwhelmingly, we’re seeing these challenges come from organized censorship groups that target local library board meetings to demand removal of a long list of books they share on social media,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. “Their aim is to suppress the voices of those traditionally excluded from our nation’s conversations, such as people in the LGBTQIA+ community or people of color.”
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