Lyon County residents have been expressing concerns about availability of sexually explicit materials in local libraries and filling a vacant trustee position.
Discussions began in September when the Library Board of Trustees received complaints about passages of materials considered pornographic or unsuitable were accessible in children’s sections or by request via the Nevada Library Cooperative.
“About seven or eight people showed up and had passages out of certain books, and they were complaining the libraries were peddling explicit materials to children, and they wanted items removed or destroyed,” said Wynne Prindle, Lyon County library system director. “There were various requests.”
Library Board President Deanne Davis said she was alarmed when she first was approached by community members about the materials.
“I was horrified and didn’t think that kind of material was published,” Davis said. “But publishers seem to have taken out all the stops, and I’ve seen some examples of the books I think an ordinary person with common sense would say, ‘This is really sexually explicit content adults are even embarrassed to read.”
The library board’s October meeting drew supporters who submitted e-mail comments or publicly participated in favor of removal. Many libraries across the nation have been facing similar problems, Prindle said, adding there can be legal repercussions referring to First Amendment rights.
“When you start censoring, you’re on a slippery slope,” she said.
Children younger than 18 do not have limitations on materials they can check out but do require a parent or guardian to acquire a library card. The library can only limit what a child checks out when they’re overdue or have a fine, Prindle said.
Lyon’s library board began reviewing its Collection Development and Materials Selection policy as part of its October agenda. The policy provides guidelines for purchasing items, had not been updated since 2013 and needed clarity, Prindle said.
Davis made a proposal with changes that ultimately was voted down 3-1 by the other trustees.
Trustees of the five-member board are appointed by county commissioners. The board has one vacancy and eight candidates have applied, all of whom attended the Jan. 28 meeting to make a statement about their interest in serving, Prindle said.
Also Jan. 28, trustees voted 3-1 to move ahead with the staff’s recommended Collection Development Policy, which, as revised, states its purpose is “to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure and the creative use of leisure time.”
Neither the Lyon County Library System nor the Nevada State Library Archives are a part of the American Library Association, Prindle reported during the Jan. 16 Lyon County Commission meeting. But Davis said residents who brought forth the complaints have referred to the ALA, an advocate of libraries, and its Freedom to Read statement that argues free expression, even in libraries, has been attacked.
“Unfortunately, people who bring up freedom of speech should think that they can say whatever they want to children,” Davis said. “I guess it’s a different understanding of what the First Amendment is and how far publishers can go to get explicit materials in the hands of children, and according to the county, other libraries have faced different issues.”
Prindle said she worried about being able to serve in everyone’s best interests.
“As a librarian, I’ve been using a library since I was a tiny child,” Prindle said. “Libraries are places for everybody. When we see certain groups wanting to limit what we can have and calling library staff enablers of pedophiles, it’s upsetting. We take pride in what we do. We help everybody, and if people don’t like the materials, we invite them to follow our process.”
The libraries offer a “Reconsideration of Materials Form” for residents to submit if they prefer not to have items available. Prindle said Jan. 27 she received six that had not been processed as of Jan. 29.
Erich Obermayer, Silver City resident, who has submitted public comment, attended one of the recent library board meetings and felt decisions about materials should be entrusted to staff members.
“It’s not really about children, it’s not really about books, not really about pornography,” Obermayr said. “It’s about power. It’s about a small group of people wanting to dictate how the libraries work.
“They want to be the ones who make the decisions about how libraries operate as opposed to the professional staff who are hired for their professional expertise, and their focus, their cover, is describing themselves to protecting children from pornography.”
The Lyon County Commission will consider appointing a member to the Library Board of Trustees during its next meeting at 9 a.m. Feb. 6 at the Lyon County Administrative Complex, 27 S. Main St. in Yerington.