- November 23, 2024
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The Volusia County Council plans to chime into the current discourse on challenging books, as some board members expressed concern about "inappropriate materials" in the children's section of the county's public libraries.
The council was meant to appoint new board members to the Volusia County Library Advisory Board at its meeting on Tuesday, April 18, but the item was postponed until a meeting after May 2 to allow council members to discuss both the need for the advisory board and whether there are ways to monitor books being placed on shelves.
Councilman Don Dempsey — who suggested the topic for discussion after Councilman Jake Johansson questioned whether the board was needed — said that the idea of monitoring content would only apply to books in the children's section.
"I would think adults can pretty much handle anything — just pick it up, or read it or put it down — but as far as children, and pushing agendas to children, and propaganda to children, I think it's something that is prudent to at least have a forum to hear complaints from citizens," Dempsey said.
County Manager George Recktenwald said the council could expect a presentation from the library director on the topic, adding that he believes there is a review process for "controversial books" in place and that the director could speak to that.
"We run a very large library system," Recktenwald said. "We have regional libraries, local libraries, and there's a system that is in place, but I would have to have her come in and describe exactly what those programs are."
Councilman Danny Robins shared his thoughts on removing books from children's libraries on his Facebook page, reposting his response to a WFTV request for his comments. He wrote that he believed council "made it clear that they would like to see what kind of checks and balances are currently in place."
"As a parent, I would have to agree," he wrote. "I would for sure want to know that if my children went to the library there were measures in place to ensure they were in a safe learning environment. The indoctrination and/or the exposure to material that is not age appropriate or appropriate in general for a minor has nothing to do with a political party. It has everything to do with what's right and wrong, it's that simple."
