Arlington library board recommends LGBTQ book displays in teen and adult sections only
Arlington’s library advisory board voted Thursday night to recommend guidelines that would allow displays of LGBTQ materials in teen and adult areas but not in the children’s section.
The vote was 9-1, and it came after several hours of public comment and debate from those who felt the library needed to represent everyone and those who did not want their children exposed to the displays.
Linda Barrish said she was shocked that this type of discussion was taking place in 2022.
“You are bringing your child, they don’t have to check out books. I am opposed to censorship of any kind,” she said.
But Donald Warner said the religious community needs to be represented.
“Libraries should not be in the position of promoting a lifestyle,” he said.
Warner added that the news media has plenty of information for people looking for information on that subject, meaning the LGBTQ community.
When it came time for the board to vote, members debated on a compromise for displaying LGBTQ books and materials throughout the year and during Pride Month in June.
Board chairman Catherine Serna-Horn said it is important to follow guidelines from the American Library Association and that librarians do not make personal judgments when choosing materials because they must serve a diverse community.
Jabranika Stroba, a board member who voted against the proposed guidelines, said that there is an attitude of elitism and that parents should have a say.
“I think that both sides feel like they are marginalized,” she said.
But Serna-Horn said the LGBTQ identity is not something that is chosen. “It’s how you were formed,” she said to shouts of disapproval from the audience.
The library advisory board, which doesn’t set policies, has discussed the issue at meetings where large crowds gathered with some saying the books have no place in libraries while others say the library must meet the needs of everyone in the community.
Arlington library director Norma Zuniga told the Star-Telegram previously that the debate has spread from schools to some cities.
Zuniga said the issue concerning the LGBTQ community isn’t about banning books, but instead how and where they are displayed.
People started questioning the library’s procedures on displaying books last May when the city council issued a Pride Month proclamation.
Zuniga said the library put up a display of books with LGBTQ themes in the children’s and teenage areas of the George W. Hawkes downtown library.
Before Thursday night’s meeting, the library posted a survey to get opinions on what the community wanted to see in terms of the displays and guidelines.
The majority who took the survey, 1,062, did not want limits on where the LGBTQ materials were displayed; 686 wanted the displays in adult areas only; 51 did not want any types of displays, and 7 did not want displays that were political or controversial.