Submitted by John Gear
To the TRL Board of Trustees:
I write to submit my comments in advance of your 26 July meeting.
I am a lifelong library advocate and have been ever since I was an extremely precocious reader as a young boy.
Over time, I have served on Friends of the Library group boards in Vancouver, Washington; Lansing, Michigan; and Salem, Oregon. Here in Olympia, I am now a lifetime member of Friends of TRL.
Every person and group in America has every right to read for themselves and to critique public library materials for themselves. Every person and group is welcome to produce their own guides and ratings and to offer those guides to their families and friends to help others find worthwhile materials.
And every library patron must be equally free to select for themselves the library materials that meet their needs and wishes, without regard to the criticism of others.
There is no agreement within the public on the meaning of “age appropriate.” I know from my own experience that the most age-appropriate thing in the world is for a child to be challenged and exposed to things beyond their own experiences and that expand their imagination, otherwise constrained as it is by one’s limited experiences and community setting.
At bottom, the banning of books and the burning of books begins with the belief by some that they ought to have the power to determine what is appropriate for others.
Such a belief is thankfully rare in this country -- because it is fundamentally the most un-American idea there is: that some of us should be arbiters of “appropriateness” for the ideas of others and given the power to put a government stamp of "age-appropriate" on certain library materials — which means creating the idea that all the other materials are “age-inappropriate” or that such a thing should even be attempted.
History shows again and again that such lists are the hallmark of the totalitarian state. They are never merely informative and they are never meant for the benefit of those demanding their use; they are only useful for those who want to control what others may read and think.
New policies delineating age-appropriate books and other printed materials, including a rating system, as suggested by Lewis County are pernicious and should be rejected forcefully and unequivocally. The TRL
collection guidelines in place work very well; the library staff in my experience is quite helpful and willing to advise patrons to help them find materials they will enjoy and to add materials to the collection in response to patron requests.
Cordially,
~ John Gear, Olympia
The opinions expressed above are those of the writer and not necessarily those of The JOLT's staff or board of directors. Got something to say about a topic of interest to Thurston County residents? Send it to us and we’ll most likely publish it. See the Contribute your news button at the top of every page.
Southsoundguy
Kids don’t need to be exposed to sexual content, it warps the young mind.
Monday, July 24, 2023 Report this
WillStuivenga
@Southsoundguy: What your kids read is YOUR responsibility, no one else's. What other people's kids read is between them and their parents and is none of your concern. Freedom to read is a basic principle of democracy and should not be infringed by anyone.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
HappyOlympian
Parents need to engage with their kids about what they read and are exposed to. Gear clearly understands the implications of a rating system, a well-written summary of the horrible implications of such a policy.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
Southsoundguy
Will, 1. It’s a public library, so we all have a say. 2. My point about sexual is it children being dangerous stands. Your brand of moral cowardice couched in libertarian niceties is why our country is experiencing an epidemic of mental health disorder in the transgender phenomenon, why zoomers in cities partake in a culture of casual ***, why men across a range of ages are addicted to porn, and why long-term family formation is still struggling. Yes, what my children will read is my responsibility. Just like it’s every other parent’s responsibility to not psychically destroy their children.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
AndyFalun
Books on library shelves are like buffet selections on a steam table; there's something for just about everyone, but all restaurateurs must adhere to food safety standards developed by law through legislation approved by the People. The People have decided that they would just as soon not see buffet chefs laying out offerings laced with Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Shigella, or Escherichia coli. The People harbor the same kinds of expectations for taxpayer-supported library curators.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
MaKane
You shouldn't need to ban books, utilize a policy similar to buying a movie, if a patrons age is attached to your library account you can regulate whether or not violent or sexually explicit material is appropriate for the individual
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
chezeve
To those wanting book restrictions I say you’re stepping on free speech & freedom of choice.
Do you really think your children aren’t affected by the world they live in today?Look all around you. Does no one curse in your house, act out sexually, wear skimpy clothing, drink excessively or do other drugs, what about what’s on TV, music you listen to, magazines, video games, cell phones, at school, their peers, older siblings & cousins . Give me a break! Cultural changes are complex & deal with many issues . It’s not as simple as 1 thing. So where does it end? What do you want to legislate next? Personal responsibility is the core issue. Take the time to set a good example for your children & take the considerable time that is required to monitor their activities which you have some control over . It’s not the job of laws or legislation!
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
CrazyGranny
Thank you, Mr. Gear! I too have written to the Library Team and expressed my concerns. Doesn't anyone but you or I see the resemblance to "1984" by George Orwell? Or the many book bans and burnings by the Nazis? I for one should be able to choose what I want to read and what I allow my grandchildren to read (with input from their parents, of course). I don't like the idea one bit of being told I can't read something because "someone else" thought it was inappropriate. If you actually "parent" your children, you should be able to steer them to appropriate books without denying other adults the pleasure of reading those same books and WITHOUT BANNING OR BURNING.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
JohnGear
So we should study anything that Pastor Z read as a child and ban children from any books like that, lest they be as warped as him later?
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/24/us/pennsylvania-pastor-cold-case-murder-gretchen-harrington/index.html
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Report this
AndyFalun
John Gear-
The First Amendment protects our society from arbitrary banning of books. Given the permissiveness of some parents, they have the right to allow their children to read just about anything. What's at issue here is the curation of books to be placed on the shelves of taxpayer-supported libraries. Logically, taxpayers should have a say in setting community standards for the books they pay for.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
GinnyAnn
I agree with Mr. Gear that a child will want to read what interests him/her regardless of his/her age. When I was a child I could read far above my grade level and was often chastised or questioned for wanting to read adult level books. It didn't matter to me whether or not I understood the dictionary definition of every word within it. I just wanted to read it. I was able to enjoy learning about the world and absorb the meaning. I loved literature and science. I was a bookworm. When I became a mother, my sons learned to read from the cradle as I read to them. I took them weekly to the library to check out as many books as they could carry. Their age never stopped them from reading adult level books and becoming scholars. A young mind should be free to explore and absorb new worlds, question the world he/she inhabits, and imagine infinite new worlds to come. Inhibiting reading choice only gives power to the closed minded. Let children read for themselves!
Ginny Ith
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
JohnGear
Mr. Falun — the First Amendment limits government’s power to ban books entirely, whether arbitrarily or under cover of a juiced-up cancel culture moral panic about “protecting children.”
While libraries cannot afford to stock all books and, therefore, choices must be made, that doesn’t then give government the power to make lists of books to be shunned based on their supposed brain-warping traits.
All persons — including children — have the right to free speech, which includes the right to access speech that others would deny to them. In a free society, we resolve any conflicts about kids read and view by letting parents determine what is suitable for their children. What we don’t do and what the First Amendment to the US Constitution and Art I, Sec. 5 of the Washington Constitution forbids includes conscripting the public library system into fighting the war on ideas that some people don’t like.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
Yeti1981
I love that people think they can prevent kids from accessing whatever they want to access. It's important for one's sanity and security as a parent. However, I remember being a kid and especially being a teenager. If kids want to access something, they will find a way. The best we can do is set a good example as parents. I don't care if your name is Tipper Gore. No rating system or whatever you implement will prevent your child from experiencing the world. The only thing up to you is how they perceive that experience.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
AndyFalun
Ginny Ith,
Would you have been as eager to read this excerpt from 'Jack of Hearts and other parts' a book on the shelves of Cedar Heights Middle School in Kent?
"I'd sucked my share of d**ks and had gotten plenty of b***j*bs, every kind of job, but only the b****** I'd had was with this junior who was in love with my c**k and he'd just hopped aboard."
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
AndyFalun
Mr. Gear,
You wrote, "In a free society, we resolve any conflicts about [what] kids read and view by letting parents determine what is suitable for their children." I agree with you 100% and that is all I ask of school Instructional Materials Committees and community library curation committees on our behalf.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Report this
JohnGear
Mr. Falun —
Thank you for supplying a missing word, not sure how that [that] escaped. But another the word I should have included is OWN, as in “we resolve any conflicts about [what] kids read and view by letting parents determine what is suitable for their OWN children."
You are welcome and free to compile lists of books that offend you and instruct your children to avoid them. If you publish your list, librarians will help anyone for searching for such a list to find it so that anyone who seeks your counsel on books to avoid for their children will be able to have it.
What librarians should not do, nor be asked to do, and never forced to do, is seek or accept any responsibility for ensuring that OTHER people’s children are constrained by or prevented from reading books from your list of “inappropriate” books.
Thursday, July 27, 2023 Report this