Anyone visiting the Hamilton East Public Libraries, whether in Noblesville or Fishers, can see that the revamping of the buildings is near completion and the changes are dramatic. While the external changes to the building are positive, things on the inside are not.
For almost a year now there has been division on how the operation of the library should proceed. The community appears to be splintered between the function of the library board versus the function of the library director and staff. There are three main factions:
- Parents who believe they should determine what their child sees and reads and that the board was out of line with their Collection Development Policy (CDP).
- Parents who feel that their kids should not be exposed to explicitly obscene material and approve of the CDP.
- Parents and community members who feel that the library director is best suited to decide what books to buy and where they should be placed in the library.
At times the public comment got heated, and rather than being conciliatory the comments got personal and accusatory, especially as it referred to the last president of the library board, Laura Alerding. Those who did not like the policy seem to have focused their dislike on one person instead of acknowledging that the decision was reached by a majority of the seven-member board. Those board members were selected or appointed by elected officials in the community. In addition, the policy was developed not by one person, but after meetings with local leaders, legal counsel, and other personnel from other libraries.
Unable to ease the concerns of the varying groups, and with no consensus reached, the library board decided to pause the new collection policy for further review. During the last meeting, there was a discussion on moving forward with more public hearings that would be run by a facilitator. I agree that having listening groups is a good idea but I would ask if anything can improve if divergent groups are not open to thinking more critically and inclusively.
For example, how do you develop a policy that is agreeable to opposing groups of parental rights believers, the pro versus con on the CDP? Does this policy put any more restrictions on access to content than the school library books and iPad safeguards or the library computer guidelines that are in place for young children? Or, how do you reconcile the beliefs of those who feel parents decide with the beliefs of others who feel the librarians are professionals and should decide how to handle the books?
I believe the current policy addresses the concerns of parents who believe it is their right to determine the content their child can see. I have not heard or seen anything that restricts the ability of the library director to purchase the books she feels should be added to the library.
Simply stated, young children, those of elementary school age, will be shielded from seeing or reading content that is of concern to some parents. The books that contain more “graphic” or explicit content are still accessible to all children, just in a different section of the library. Should any community member feel that a book has been shelved in the wrong section, a complaint process form has been added to the policy for easy access.
Can the CDP be streamlined or worded better? Sure. But that will not happen unless we are willing to listen to one another and have some give and take.