I made this statement at the most recent FRL Board meeting. It will be Jackson County’s last meeting, and if this is the last public comment I make as an FRL Trustee, then I think it sums up the struggles at hand. I know the news media could not print this entire statement in a news story, so here is my statement in total.
These comments were preceded by a motion to remove the Collection Development Policy (CDP) from the meeting agenda.
I would like to begin by stating that I have not made this motion because I think it is a bad policy or that it needs more work. I believe it is a good policy and can be passed at a later date if the FRL Board so chooses.
I always read with interest the emails from the public that are sent to Board members between scheduled meetings. I want to take this opportunity to address some of the comments made that apply to the Collection Development Policy (CDP) because they should be addressed.
One individual suggested that the changes in the policy are unnecessary. The board reviews every policy on a rotating basis, usually reviewing each one every three or four years. More than a few people said they believed the CDP draft was unconstitutional. It would be most helpful if the writer told the Board what and where to find the unconstitutional portion or portions. Our attorney missed it if it is there.
Another individual expressed concern that LGBTQ books will be removed from the Children’s Department under this policy. They will not. I do hope that one day, graphic sexual material will be removed from the Children’s Department. Children under age 12 are treated differently in our society. We recognize, or use to, that they are not ready for some adult activities or ideas. We do not let 7-year-old children join the military. We do not allow minors to drink alcohol. A six-year-old child cannot get a driver’s license. No 12 year old can get a mortgage or a job without severe restrictions. And yes, it is possible to have books about two mommies or two daddies without graphic details about what happens in the bedroom.
One writer accused us of wasting taxpayer dollars. Unpaid volunteer Board members approve and sometimes seek additional information about line items provided to us by librarians and the Finance Officer. Please be specific as to how taxpayer money has been wasted.
Some writers were critical because they believe books will be banned. Their definition of a banned book includes moving a book to another shelf or area of the library. One person said the definition of a banned book should be generally and popularly accepted. So, allow me to share two definitions that I was able to locate quickly.
- Merrian-Webster defines banned book as “a book that has been entirely removed from a public, school, or academic library, or one that is prohibited from being published, sold, or distributed.”
- Harvard University Gutman LIbrary, the library for the graduate school of Education, defines a banned book as follows: a book that is removed from a library or libraries, not allowed to be published, not allowed to enter a country, not allowed to exist or be physically destroyed as in the case of Nazi Germany, and the most extreme form of banning is the death or demand for death of an author, most recently in the case of Salman Rushdie.
No book has been removed from any FRL library unless it was weeded by a librarian. This Board voted to relocate one book which was moved to a different section of the same library.
Another person commented that Jackson Trustees are trying to control Macon and Swain counties. Jackson has three trustees on a Board of nine members. This policy has been in development for nearly a year. This is not a rush to pass situation. All nine of us are FRL members until July 1, 2026 not just when it is expedient or popular.
One individual stated that the community by and large is against what you are trying to impose. Neither six nor ten nor 200 emails constitute a community. There are thousands of people in our communities. The best poll of what a community wants is an election. All three of our counties elected Commissioners who appointed Board members who they hoped would share their priorities. The people who elected the Commissioners indicate the majority views, at least of the people who cared enough to vote. This does not mean other views are not important.
Finally, some have said that this Board wants to push our ideology on others. We, or most of us, have consistently advocated for neutrality. All perspectives should be included and by being included, respect for the opinions of those with whom we may adamantly disagree are being respected. If the ideology of the past few years that was imposed on our libraries respected the rights of those with whom they disagreed, we would not be where we are today.
I am making this motion because I agree that as a Trustee leaving in less than two weeks, I should respect the wishes of one of the two remaining FRL counties to remove the CDP draft policy from the agenda.
Deborah Smith, Jackson County