Books and library control in Iowa
~a column by Mary Weaver
OK! I admit it.
When in Mrs. Osborn’s fourth grade class at the former Rippey Consolidated School, two of the boys showed me National Geographic colored photos of bare breasted African women. I suspect our teacher knew what we were giggling about. No parents called the school in protest. The magazine was not banned from our school.
I was an only child, and probably very indulged, but every Saturday night as I entered the grocery store check-out line with my mom at the United Food Store in Perry, she purchased a LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK as part of the milk, sugar, flour, and other essentials. I still have some of them, but they are frayed and tattered from my reading them, and some were also read to our children.
I have a very passionate heart for librarians. Our son David and his wife Emily are both master’s prepared librarians. In many rural communities, libraries have become the town center for social events and camaraderie among citizens. In addition to loaning books and periodicals, patrons may access computers and the Internet.
So, for all those reasons I was filled with dread when I learned under Governor Reynolds reorganization plan the previously independent State Library will now be under the Department of Administrative Services. The seven person Commission will no longer be responsible for hiring the State of Iowa Librarian, nor overseeing the budget. Reynolds will now appoint the State Librarian. She has signed the reorganization bill and the activities of the State Library Commission will move to DAS effective July 1, 2023.
When questioned by email, Mr. Michael Scott, current State Librarian, responded “the Commission will still have an active role in the success of the State Library.”
While he acknowledged book challenges, “they will be handled at the local library level. The new law does not change what we communicate to libraries. The best thing they (local libraries) can do is to have a solid collection development and reconsideration policy in place and follow it.”
Jane Millard, Jefferson library director, and my own community Rippey library director Cara McCoy provided examples of their established Board policies regarding RECONSIDERATION.
Greene County Community School superintendent Brent Abbots provided a copy and a request sheet adopted in 2014 and updated in 2021 of the reconsideration policies.
Iowa Libraries have long been a part of our State’s history. The State of Iowa Library began as a territorial library in 1838, by an Act of Congress, and transitioned to an agency when Iowa reached Statehood in 1846. The Library Bill of Rights was written in 1938 by an Iowan, Forrest Spaulding, then director of the Des Moines Public Library, and was adopted nationwide in 1939. Given this rich Iowa history it is sorrowful to observe the potential political weaponization of libraries.
Millard has the Library Bill of Rights embedded into the policies….materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation. Cara McCoy shared the Freedom to Read as found in the Rippey Library’s policies. The first line in the document, “The Freedom to read is essential to our democracy”.
House Representative Carter Nordham and Senator Jesse Green have agreed to attend the Thomas Jefferson Garden’s sponsored Meet your Legislator Saturday April 15 at 10 am. This will be an opportunity to ask questions and voice any concerns. It is our responsibility as Greene County citizens.
I’m a fourth generation Greene Countian, a mom, and grandmother to three, and I want them and other young people to have access to books so they can read, learn, and grow up to be thoughtful critical thinking citizens.
Also, a shout out to Greene County High School students Hailey Carman, Makayla Betts, and Grace Curtis for establishing a high school book club. Fifteen current members, meeting every two weeks. Hurrah for our local youth.
