*COMMENTING ON THIS ARTICLE IS NOW CLOSED*
OLD LYME — We received a copy of the letter below from Old Lyme resident David Rubino. The letter is addressed to the OLPGN Library Director, Officers, and Board of Trustees and urges the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes (OLPGN) Library to “reject the requests of the censorship supporters in their entirety.”
As at 8 p.m. last night, more than 400 people had signed the letter in the 24 hours that it had been available.
At 12:50 p.m. today, the number had risen to 442 with additional signatures still being verified.
Signatures are still being collected. Anyone wishing to sign the letter/petition can do so at this link.
The letter is in response to a letter sent by a group of Lyme and Old Lyme citizens requesting the OLPGN Library should reconsider its decision to include a specific sex-education book in its collection, undertake, “a proper review of the materials in the Teen/Tween room,” and, “… encourage a change in the library’s focus for our community’s children.”
He explained that a small group of Lyme and Old Lyme residents came together to organize preparation of the letter and collection of signatures. Rubino added that he and Kimberly Russell Thompson are overseeing signature collection and maintaining the master list of signatories.
Signatories include Old Lyme Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker, Lyme Selectman John Kiker, Region 18 Board of Education member Jason Kemp, and New York Times best-selling author Luanne Rice.
Various other signatories serve on Old Lyme Boards and Commissions including Mary Jo Nosal (former Selectwoman and current Zoning Commission), Gil Soucie (Zoning Commission), Edie Twining and Michael Reiter (Halls Road Improvement Committee), and Kimberly Russell Thompson (Board of Finance).
The letter reads:
Dear Madams/Sirs:
First, let us begin by apologizing for the necessity of this correspondence and the unenviable position in which you have all been placed. None of the signatories of this letter imagined that in a community like Lyme/Old Lyme, in the year 2023, we would find ourselves forced to publicly assert our opposition to book-banning. Yet here we are.
As you know, some members of the public have written to you complaining about certain books found in the Tween/Teen reading room. To proactively counter charges of censorship, they claim they aren’t seeking a “ban” though they paradoxically request that the library “reconsider [its] decision on this book and its availability to children ages 11-19”1 and conduct “a proper review of the materials in the Tween/Teen room in hopes that no other content like this is available in that space.” This is censorship and nothing more. It is the very definition of a book banning campaign. We the undersigned write not only to assert our strong opposition to any such censorship in our community, but to make clear that those seeking this ban represent a small fraction of the community at large.
We believe, as Annex A to the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Collection Development Policy so eloquently states, that,
“[T]here is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression… We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedoms of others.“
1 It’s worth noting that 18 and 19 year olds can legally drive, vote, serve in the armed forces and marry in all 50 states. If ever there was an indicator of the unreasonableness of the drafters’ request it is this: they unabashedly ask the library to ban legal adults from accessing books.
We likewise support the policy’s admonition that, “[r]esponsibility for children’s use of materials rests solely with their parents or legal guardians. Selection of material will not be inhibited by the possibility that items may come into the possession of children.”
Though we would suggest that the content of the primary book in question, “Let’s Talk About it: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being Human,” is of little relevance in this context, we are aware that independent reviewers such as the Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly and the School Library Journal all reviewed it positively. In addition, we know that the book’s two authors have had their work featured in the Tate Modern Museum in London. We do not offer this as proof of the objective value of this book or its merit, but rather for the proposition that reasonable minds may differ in this regard. Banning, censoring or restricting books for “objectionable” content is a slippery slope indeed.
Even amongst the undersigned, we understand that each of us may individually disagree as to when, how, or whether to introduce this material to their own children. Where we differ from the authors of the letter which spawned this debate, however, is that we do not aim to tell other parents what their children can and cannot be exposed to. We do not aim to sanctimoniously claim something should be removed for all because it offends some. We believe, in the words of Ben Franklin, “if all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.”
We write this letter to support the library and its well thought-out anti-censorship policies. We ask that, consistent therewith, you reject the requests of the censorship supporters in their entirety. Not only do we believe these books should remain available to all, we believe that it is crucial they remain in the safe space of the Tween/Teen reading room where curious young adults can access them in a comfortable setting surrounded primarily by their peers. The PGN Collection Development Policy explicitly notes that the Tween/Teen room will, “contain special interest topics for adolescents, including, but not limited to, sex education, drug abuse, popular culture, and mental health.” Moving these books – overtly targeted to teen needs – to a place where access is difficult, embarrassing or populated primarily by adults, may defeat their purpose. They are designed, in part, to help teenagers navigate questions they may be uncomfortable discussing with or around adults. Forcing them to seek or retrieve them in the main stacks may be tantamount to banning them altogether.
Thank you for the valuable resource you provide our community. It is our sincere hope that you continue to do so in a way that remains true to the ideals of our democracy, and stands firm against the suppression of ideas. Please know that we, the undersigned, are standing with you.
Sincerely,
Supporters from Lyme and Old Lyme:*
David Rubino
Alecia Rubino
Anna Reiter
Michael Reiter
Kimberly Russell Thompson
Josh Thompson
Jason Kemp
Michelle Neely Yates
Luanne Rice
Mary Jo Nosal
Jac Lahav
Joseph “Gil” Soucie
Roger Nosal
Steve Jungkeit
Rachael Jungkeit
Juliette J. Meeus
Martha Shoemaker
Rebecca Crosby
Tonie Easter
Pam Ingersoll
Penny Smyth
Janet Roach
Kalie Morrissette
The Rev. Kate Wesch
Gavin Lodge
Joel Wesch
Justin Fuller
Grace Morrissette
Tanya Emmerich
Melanie Lee
Richard Barreto
Annie Fuller
Sallie Schwartz
Deborah Eastman
Tess Hamilton-Ward
Avery Wesch
Jamie Jackson
Edie Twining
John Kiker
Hannah Paynter
Colleen Sablone
Ross W Higgins
Naomi Mohn
Kinny Kreiswirth
Tali Greener
Rev. David W. Good
Erin Cameron Mohn
Elizabeth McEvily
Allison Gaffey
Gaia Cornwall
Cathy Flanagan
John Locke
Catherine Stevens
Morgan Regan
Heather Imbriale
Beth Sullivan
Amanda Baker
Jennifer Hall
Paul Smyth
Anna B. James
Missy Garvin
Matthew Griswold
Nora Leech
Susan Beyer
Angela Mock
Audrey Bombaci, Health Educator
Peter Hunt
Kim Petersen
Bradley Mock
Gerald Lewis
Baylee Drown
Ellen Calkins
Laura Fitzpatrick-Nager
Raina Volovski
Rita G MacWilliam
Joyce Brodeur Soucie
Marcello Marvelli
Candace Fuchs
Caroline Emig
Elaine Brown Stiles
Rosemarie Padovano
Winnie Edmed
Danielle Kuczkowski
Sara Fogarty
Kelly Watkins
Kara Bonsack
Peter Imbriale
Christine Gianquinto
Olaf Bertram-Nothnagel
Meredith Kranz
Julia Ressler
Kelly Lynn Geschwill
Kimberly Quiros
John A. Higgins
Caryn Davis
Michael J. Gaffey
Marcia Gaffey
Jessi Maclean
Kylie Hall
Monty Volovski
Paul Fuchs
Morgan Lavigne
Melissa Behnke
Kristen Nielsen
Kimberly Monson
Joan U. Salm
Robert Kranz
Eileen Kane
Joan Overfield
Eileen Mueller
Elizabeth Rougny
Nicoll Brinley
Bethany Benak
Matthew Barrett
Caitlyn McHugh
Christopher Steiner
Julia Israelski
John Mueller
Russell Fogg
Rachel Schlachter
Tyler Morrissette
Rebecca Steiner
Pam Russell
Andrea Scaglione
Cara Zimmermann
William R. McCollum
Madeliene Donnelly
Karen Taylor
Damon Smith
Richard Korsmeyer
Harry Godfrey-Fogg
Lisa Holmes
Michele Griswold
Michael E. James
Amelia Mastrangelo
Coralyn Hamilton
Hildegarde Hannum
Dawn Hamilton
Alex Twining
Howard Margules
Mark Bradley Jones
Barbara Ballard
Georgiana Goodwin
Claudia Schmaus
Anna Scanlon
George Willauer
Robert Coward
Shannon Nosal
Amy K Greenberg
Danielle Locke
Emily Fisher
Paul Gianquinto
Brynn McGlinchey
Jennifer Zagorski
Kaylyn Emma
Jennifer Kosecki
John Griffin
Bill Dejonge
Anthony Daniels
Barbara Willkens
Toby Lapinski
Melissa Kelly
Shaleigh Reynolds
Carol Adams
Eve O’Connor
William Donovan
Erica Tannen
Evan S. Griswold
Joseph Mastrangelo
Fred Verillo
Mark Terwilliger
William J. Belluzzi
Charles Dahlke
Alida Dahlke
Will Coppola
Campbell Mann
Laura Nelson
Sandra Rueb
Susan Schlachter
Day Halsey
Shay Cantner
Patricia Smith
Joanne Belluzzi
Rachel O’grady
Summer Wollack
Samuel Yates
Will Cooley
Leslie Gourlay
Jamie Gourlay
Melissa Knapp
Mark Nelson
Edwin Lopez
Judith Ulrich
Thomas Lovejoy
Eric Engdall
Agatha Hunt
Mary-Gardner Coppola
Aileen Kosecki
Lynn Richmond
Emily Obrien
Betsy Barry
Corah Engdall
Chad Kelly
Elizabeth C Frankel
Samantha Malone
Maris Wacs
Austin Halsey
Sarah Sahl
Lucy Wilkinson
Doug Wilkinson
Lyndon Haviland
Chris Lawrie
Allyson Cotton
Jeri Baker
Billy Barry
Mimi Brainard
Jillian Adams
Russell Learned
Lee Pritchard
Martin Kreiswirth
Andrea Fenton
Alexandra Clarke
Taylor Sahl
Daniel Small
Sadie Frankel
Rachel Coffee
Meghan Merris
Ben Merris
Melanie Snyder
Joanne Elmoznino
Rachel Fairchild
Francette Donato
Amanda Blair
Michael Thomas Duffy
Andrew Snyder
Gary Jenkins
Nancy Gladwell
Jennifer Harvill
Sarah Foley
Adeline Riccio
Doina Lavoie-Gonci
Ashley Coker
Eleanor Fogle
Scott Mahon
Ann Lightfoot
Maureen Mcculloch
Sarah Bowman
Cynthia Love
Kristin Luck
Teresa Balough
Jacqueline Jaffe
Laura Hansen
Jennifer Holth
Lucy Brainard
Marie Abraham
Michelle Bagnati
Andrew Watson
Denise Savageau
Susan Fox
Christopher Petersen
John Pote
Deborah Andreas
Jesse Vasiloff
Craig Taylor
Bill Fitzgerald
Bobbie Semple
Sarah Ayasse
Mary Bradford
Anthony Enders
Lindsey Scott
Ellen Poetz
Peter Carlson
Catherine Angert
Lucy Blatter
Polly Merrill
James Dahlke
Sheila Riffle
Riley Nelson
Cynthia Kelly
Laura Mooney
Kieran Moone
Lilian King
Alastair Clements
Kirin Peagler
Lee Ann Kornacki
Laura Spector
Cathleen Mcdonald
Heidi Worcester
Bill Garlette
Robert House
Carol House
Jason Shapiro
Jessica Garvin
Lisa Kaplan
Erin Wyman
Todd Ellison
Susan Ballek
Kimberly Van Tongeren
Chrissy Cowell
Jamie Snurkowski
Annabelle Coppola
Ethan Vernon
Betsey Cooley
Hope Worcester
George Wilhelm Fowler
Josh Edmed
Greg Melville
Denise Golden
Rebecca Petersen
Deborah Giaconia
Jill Mazzalupo
Mary Ballachino
Birgit Musheno
Wendolyn Hill
Dottie Wells
Jeffrey Cooley
Carlos Martinez
Joan Motyka
Isabelle Barbour
Mal Karwoski
Christy Clement
Judith Chapman
Joab Hunt
Damon Coppola
Kristen Clark
Sakura Gemme
Abigail Block
Ann H. Brubaker
Mischa Elmoznino
Marlena Window
Konrad Kissling
Jonathan Butler
Mary Roth
Jodi Lott
Ann Aldrich
Alex English
Marcia McLean
Ann Rich
Juliette Case
Maxwell Gagnon
Abigail Cipparone
Mikhela Hull
Meghan Olsen
Sadie Bowman
Cooper Bowman
Marianne DeBruyn
Katherine Favello
Teresa Theriault
James Schwartz
Ella Halsey
Deborah Butler
Richard Wyman
Keri Procko
Kathy Hylas Doonan
Clare Conniff
Marisa Hartmann
Richard Fisler
Frederick B. Gahagan
Eliliana Felix
Jessica Murtz
Alison Conrad
Jane Bachman
Rebecca Pote
Tracy McGlinchey
Mark Hornyak
Robert Andreas
Jennifer Hornyak
John Heckman
Mary OBrien
Franceska Nebel
Scott Shoemaker
Barbara Dooley
Leslie Massa
Cameron Paynter
Jolene Brant
Alan Bradford
Curtis Deane
Imelda Koptonak
Maureen Swarts
Thomas Shoemaker
William Bachman
Pat Aldrich
Marna Wilber Schneid
Helen Cantrell
Alan Froggatt
Christopher Hurtgen
John Zaccaro
Thomas J. Britt
Ericka Moniz
Mary Stone
Holly Rubino
Alison Ritrovato
Anne Mulholland
Chris Berger
Lynn Fairfield-Sonn
Kellie Sablone
Melanie Parker
Alexandra von Raab
Jacob Olsen
Jaymie Nickerson-Buckmaster
Braydon McCormick
Howard M Fish
Donna Hurley
Liz Renaud
Jill Clark
Darren Favello
Delaney Nelson
Erin McCarthy
Erica Zapatka
Briana Hochadel
Chris Bourne
Henry Hunt
Candy Ogland
Supporters from Outside Lyme and Old Lyme:*
Andrea Manning
Denise McEvily
Sarah Bing Prineas
Jeff Moher
Alyssa Lindquist
Thomas O’Grady
Ellen Madere
Anne Newburg
Hugh Cipparone
Mary Sapka-Sams
Elsbeth Dowd
Rev. Kaleigh Corbett
Rasmussen
Sofie Restrepo
Elizabeth Enders
Lynn Williams
Liz Scott
Melissa Fournier
Gayleen Rand-Plakunov
Riley O’Bryan
Olivia Scott
Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes
Heidi Magro
Christine Penberthy
Mary Childs
Abbie Cox
Marjorie Cohen
Anne Clement
Josephine Heck Elmoznino
Thelma Halloran
Beryl Salinger Schmitt
*Signatures collected as of 8pm on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Additional signatures will be added at a later date.
Please add my name to the ‘letter list’. The names of many people that I respect are already on it.
Ginger, please find the link to add your name here https://forms.gle/wyd5CwWa4o2VuWJU7
Please add my name to the list of those opposing book banning in our towns
Thank you,
Gabrielle Hoffman
Gaby, please find the link to add your signature here https://forms.gle/wyd5CwWa4o2VuWJU7
Please add my name to the list, assuming I’m not too late,
John Golden
John, please find the link to add your signature here: https://forms.gle/wyd5CwWa4o2VuWJU7
Would love to see posted actual images from the books in question, they are foul, disgusting and not in any way appropriate for 11 yr olds – I support freedom too, but you don’t give a Hustler to an 8-yr old, I think we can all agree. If this book were simply in the stacks for sexuality, maybe weird, but fine – this has been a profiled, prominent book by the tween librarian. Just wrong that town leaders on one side have turned a human issue into attacks on town Republicans, but not unexpected.
Subject: Connecting the dots.
How does the Old Lyme Republican effort to promote “parental rights” fit with the national conservative efforts to ban books.Here is a quote from a NYT article on the subject.
“But recently, the issue has been supercharged by a rapidly growing and increasingly influential constellation of conservative groups. The organizations frequently describe themselves as defending parental rights. Some are new and others are longstanding, but with a recent focus on books. Some work at the district and state level, others have national reach. And over the past two years or so, they have grown vastly more organized, interconnected, well funded — and effective.
The groups have pursued their goals by becoming heavily involved in local and state politics, where Republican efforts have largely outmatched liberal organizations in many states for years. They have created political action committees, funded campaigns, endorsed candidates and packed school boards, helping to fuel a surge in challenges to individual books and to drive changes in the rules governing what books are available to children.”
Quoting a newspaper that has a curated “disinformation” section in your purported opposition to censorship – that’s rich.
Well, Old Lyme makes national news once again! — but never for the right reasons. I was at Phoebe yesterday and I told the staff that Christina and I felt that Katie was handling the book banning issue in an appropriate manner. I also said that it’s starting to feel like the South here in town. Mr. Kelsey referred to “Hustler”, and I whole heartedly agree that most children would not appreciate Paul Newman or Jackie Gleason, or even know what pool hustling is. If he is referring to something else, his tastes are much more sophisticated than mine. In closing, I am curious about how these topics are covered in our schools as part of the health education curriculum.
Sounds like snake oil salesmen to me. To paraphrase from the Music Man. “We got Trouble, right here in River City (Old Lyme) with a capital T and that rhymes with B and that stands for Books!” What nonsense.
And just like River City, the snake oil salesmen in Old Lyme are being exposed by the librarian/library. Amazing how life resembles art.
I wonder if the leaders of the book banning really believe that in a well-educated town like Old Lyme, they could pull this off. Pretending they are doing this as the morally right thing to do, saving our dear children from sex education books that they deem inappropriate. Let’s make this perfectly clear, what they are doing is moving forward a conservative agenda based on division instead of inclusion and limiting free-thinking by limiting access books.
Understanding code in this polarized environment is important for everyone in Old Lyme to understand and we are seeing use of code language more and more in our town.
Parental rights. Sounds good on the face of it but it is code for banning books, banning LGBQT, censoring history, and promoting anti-science rhetoric. Attacking education is the first step toward fascism and banning books is the first action taken by fascists.
Here in Old Lyme, the Republican Town Committee recently adopted a platform, that includes the code language “We support parental rights”. This was mailed to every household in Old Lyme. You have to wonder, why would anyone adopt such rhetoric when it is tied to extreme actions like book banning and censorship of the LGBQT community in other States. But now these same leaders that adopted this policy earlier this year are leading the charge on this book banning at the library. This is not a coincidence. This is a planned agenda.
“Parental right” advocates are the same folks that deny election results but only if they don’t win. Who think that teaching black history in America is a theory. And deny climate change as sea level and average yearly temperatures continue to rise..
Reading is essential to our democracy and any nod, no matter how small, to censorship should not be tolerated. Our goal is Liberty and Justice for all and Freedom to Read what you want is important. Really important.
As the author of “the letter” I agree with many aspects of this petition.
Our letter does NOT call for a book ban. Nor are we associated with some national book banning strategy as suggested. I am unaware of the political affiliation of most of the signors.
One of the books in question, (available to 11 year olds) discusses inserting objects in ones “hungry heinie” for pleasure, researching favorite porn stars, paying for porn, and finding online communities for kink and fantasy.
This is not a healthy message for a Tween in any context. Nor is this sex-education. What is the appropriate age for this content certainly is debatable.
Some weeks ago, I met with our middle school principal, CT’s middle school Principal of the year, and was assured that this book is NOT available in our middle school as it is not appropriate. It is not in the high schools collection either. That is NOT book banning. That is assuring age appropriate content is available to our kids.
Across the street, LYSB works tirelessly to warn our kids about the dangers that lurk on the internet. As parents, grandparents and caregivers we do the same.
Regarding the reference to 18/19 year olds, I completely agree. 18+ are adults. However, the library defines the Teen/Tween room as 11-19. Perhaps this age range is too broad for one space? Please read Betsy Groth’s lymeline letter about sex education and development.
I appreciate that a reasoned and thoughtful discussion will be had about the contents of this book as requested. And lastly, I am hopeful, that as difficult topics emerge in our town, our citizenry does not simply run to opposing corners to start firing cannons. Robust, respectful debate and discussions are the hallmark of our functioning democracy.
Please reach out to me directly if you have concerns regarding my letter and message. I look forward to a discussion….and am happy to agree to disagree….respectfully.
The people who are seeking to ban books regarding sexuality are, as per usual, prudish guilt-ridden Republicans. Who are you protecting, the children/tweens/teens or your own sense of what passes for normal? Do you recall your own school experience and the lack of available information and wish to keep that trend of cluelessness going? The PGN Library is providing an amazing informational service. Let’s face it, most parents are unable to discuss and communicate matters of sexuality to their children. Past generations of males used the images contained in Playboy to tune into their Id complex. Rather unhealthy as the photos were airbrushed and digitally manipulated. Certainly not the “girl next door”. Republicans seem to wish to return to 1957 and this idea of innocence which really did not exist. They need to get over themselves and perhaps try reading these books which might make their own sexual experience that much richer. Mr. Spooner wishes to have a discussion. Well, in the broadest sense, it is rather hard to have a discussion with uptight conservatives. Please leave our library alone and keep your conservative thoughts to yourselves.
As an educator, I know you do not introduce calculus and Shakespeare to young children; not because they are not important subjects, but because the young student needs basic education in mathematics and literature before they can understand and appreciated that subject matter. Sex education should be no different.
Along with introducing and illustrating sexual acts that can be physically harmful with long lasting health consequences to youngsters, these books in question state virginity is a scam and having multiple sexual partners is acceptable if not encouraged. This does not educate young people but rather confuses them as it goes against the moral teachings of parents, schools, and churches (at least most churches).
I can understand citizens getting upset over book banning but that is being interpreted rather than stated in the letter to the Library Board. All that is being said is consider taking the books in question out of the teen/pre-teen section and place them in another area of the library.
Another option is to adjust the age restrictions. Age appropriate as supported by the leaders of our wonderful school system is a positive solution to a highly volatile and emotional exchange that sadly favors attacks rather than thoughtful discussions.
Respectfully Submitted,
David H.W. Griswold
“ ….we do not aim to tell other parents what their children can and cannot be exposed to” except for masks and vaccines.
442, even 500, is but a single digit fraction of our community of 7600.