Public Libraries are Wild and (not always so) Wonderful, by Tom Zawatsky

Public Libraries are Wild
and (not always so) Wonderful

Tom Zawatsky

In response to Brian Raitz's Op-Ed on 10-15-22, I attended
the Library Board meeting of 9/28/22 to which he refers. 

I strongly share the concern the group had over the book,
"Gender Queer" (among others), which is aimed at young readers and is
nothing more than a "pornographic novel" displaying explicit sex acts
under the pretense of being, as Mr Raitz puts it: "a graphical
autobiography of someone's life growing up with gender identification
issues".

One day after the board meeting, Mr. Raitz contacted me to
meet and in the ensuing 2 weeks, we met 3 times for over 3 hours. We discussed
issues of library autonomy, freedom of speech, handling of  obscene materials, and social responsibility.  To be sure, I found Mr. Raitz to be very
gracious and generous with the time he gave to our group's concerns, even willing
to consider a suggestion I made that would accommodate his desire for 'free
speech' yet stay within the law. 

The idea presented to Mr Raitz was NOT to remove the book
'Gender Queer' from their online listing but rather to withhold it from view
of any minor person unless accompanied by a parent  (who he said was the one primarily
responsible).  However, this book, banned
in many school districts across the country, was available on a featured
display of 'Banned Books'…an obvious attempt to draw people in to
investigate further, and may still be available on the shelf for such
illegal perusal by  minors.

In his Op-Ed, Mr. Raitz stated: "It (the book) offended
most, but not all (at the Board meeting), and this may be the heart of the
issue."

I agree, and it is for this very reason that our Public
Library must provide the same protection for our children that all other retail
and commercial establishments in Wood County provide, in accordance with the
law!  Our children's well-being is at
stake:

(WV Code 61-8A-3(b) "Exemptions from criminal
liability") states:

                (there
is an exemption for) "A public
library, or museum, which is displaying or distributing any obscene matter to a
minor ONLY WHEN THE MINOR WAS ACCOMPANIED BY HIS OR HER PARENT"

 Currently, there is no
reasonable means of preventing a minor from looking through the book
without adult supervision as is required by State law!!

The MOVCAC (Motivate, Organize, Volunteer Citizen's Action Coalition)
is a group of independently minded people who are NOT monolithic in their
opinions, with one exception…  that of
concern for our children. My appeal to Mr. Raitz was, and is, to take action
out of respect for the social responsibility that his position as Executive Director
of the Parkersburg-Wood County Public Library demands.

 It appears, however,
that a regretful pursuit of the enforcement of our State law is the only option
left.