ACLU critical of Pahrump library’s plan to probe questionable books

Pahrump Community Library trustees on Monday called for Director Vanja Anderson to begin researching how other rural libraries are cataloging so-called “controversial” youth books on race, gender and sexuality, and present her findings publicly to the board next month in a plan that’s already being criticized by civil liberties advocates.

Trustees gave Anderson no parameters for how to conduct her research, except to say that she should survey the policies of libraries in regions with similar populations to Pahrump.

“Different areas of the country vary wildly on issues like this,” said library trustee Brian Shoemake.

Books about race, gender and sexuality — especially those that focus on LGBTQ people — are facing a historic wave of challenges at libraries across the country, according to a Washington Post analysis, which found that a large percentage of complaints come from a small number of “hyperactive” adults who seek to shield children from sexual content and prevent kids from reading about queer lives.

Pahrump’s library currently maintains a policy that youth may solely check out books and materials with permission from a parent or guardian, but trustees say that some materials in the youth wing might need to be relocated to another part of the library to better alert adults to their mature themes.

In April, library trustees voted 5-0 to craft a review system of questionable materials after board chair John Shewalter said he received an email criticizing a display of LGBTQ+ materials in the library’s youth section that included a book that contains interviews with a handful of gender-neutral young adults on their struggles with identity and transitioning.

The book isn’t appropriate for young readers, according to the complaint received by Shewalter because it contains “a sex act by a 6-year-old” and includes the “sexual experience of a teenager.”

Shewalter has not identified who wrote the complaint. He redacted the name and email address of its sender before circulating a printed copy of the complaint at a meeting with trustees earlier this spring.

Since then, the complaint has prompted an internal review of the library’s public collection with a number of LGTBQ-affirming titles being questioned for their appropriateness.

Alysha Wogee, the Pahrump children’s librarian, told trustees in April that before the complaint surfaced she was unaware there were issues with books in the youth department. She noted that the diversity of the library’s youth collection reflects its patrons, but said she will remain neutral on board policies and will “listen to all sides” as they craft a plan in the months ahead.

“As a community, we decide what should be in our library and what should not. I do feel our collection is a good collection, but if there are issues, I do want to hear from people on what needs to be done,” Wogee told trustees in April.

ACLU reacts

The latest directive from Pahrump trustees to begin exploring the policies of other libraries already faces objections from the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada and critics who say the scrutiny “perpetuates a climate of censorship, intimidation and intellectual repression.”

“Singling out books related to race, gender or sexuality as controversial, the library risks violating the Nevada Equal Rights Amendment,” Jacob Smith, a Pahrump native and staff attorney with the ACLU of Nevada warned trustees in an email ahead of their Monday board meeting.

Library patrons are granted fundamental rights to “explore diverse perspectives, challenge societal norms and engage in critical discourse,” Smith argued..

The ACLU is ready to defend access to information — and the youth of Pahrump, he told them.

Other critics of the plan say it’s a “slippery slope” when trying to reach a consensus for what’s appropriate for children.

“I am concerned about who makes the determination about whether a book is controversial or not,” Ginny Okawa, of Pahrump, told trustees on Monday.

In the past, library member Carolene Logue, said the now-defunct Friends of the Pahrump Library group had helped local staff review and catalog materials to “broaden its approach” and diversity in the public collection.

The community should consider reconvening the group, she said, to help provide additional guidance ahead of any reorganization of the library’s collections.

“Public libraries are for the masses and not the few who might not want the masses to be educated,” she told trustees on Monday.

The Pahrump Community Library director is expected to present the findings of her research on how other libraries identify and catalog books and materials that have been called into question when trustees meet again in Pahrump on Aug. 14.

Contact Editor Brent Schanding @bschanding@pvtimes.com