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OLD LYME — UPDATED 6/25: On Friday, June 23, Katie Huffman, who serves as the Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Director, released a statement regarding concerns raised by “a group of community members” about some specific books in the library’s collection.
The statement concludes that during the period when, “the Library’s Collection Development Policy and established process” is being pursued, the books in question, “will remain in circulation and are available to request via the Library’s catalog.”
We are publishing the statement in its entirety at this time for the benefit of our readers. We will follow up in more detail on this matter next week.
The statement reads:
“It may have come to your attention that a group of community members are (sic ) concerned about several books in the Library’s collection.
We have received requests to review You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth and Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan.
[Members of t]he Board of Trustees are currently reviewing these titles per the Library’s Collection Development Policy and established process.
In the meantime, these titles will remain in circulation and are available to request via the Library’s catalog.”
Please do not allow a few people to have such power in banning books from the library. Thank goodness there are such books for kids to get the correct information on sex to keep them safe and informed. Banning books on sex won’t keep kids from exploring the topic. Ignorance is dangerous.
Please don’t post banal judgments without reviewing the shocking material – pretty sure whatever goal is hoped to be achieved could be pursued more appropriately. Not sure you have seen the absolutely disgusting, graphic material charading as information for 11 year olds and up. If you need images, including sage advice on butt plugs with how-to directions (no joke, that is the term used) happy to share with you.
If you are ok after actually seeing the material, then we can have legitimate conversation. A few people is not 135 signatories from all parts of life.
Given that the discussion of how to keep our kids stay healthy by providing sex education at different developmental levels requires thoughtful, respectful discourse, Mr Kelsey’s rude response to Ms Magnussen certainly does not advance that discussion.
I have seen the book, and the choice pages those objecting have chosen to highlight. However I think the actual book is of little importance. If children have questions about these topics they are going to find answers one way or another, either via the google machines they and their friends all carry around (who knows what they may find there), or through an accurate and informative book they find in the safety of the library. I agree with you that this book may not be suitable for all children, but that is my right as a parent to go to the library with my children and monitor what books they check out, maybe I don’t want my daughters reading too many books that reinforce gender stereotypes that can certainly be found in the kids and teen sections. What is not my right is to control what other children and parents think is appropriate for their homes and children. Those seeking to remove these books are denying all children in the community access. If they don’t approve of certain books, they should accompany their children to the library to monitor them. The library and its staff are not babysitters. These books were written for middle and high school aged kids and belong in that section. They have valuable information about consent and how to engage in healthy and safe sexual relationships, and plenty of research shows that teens and tweens who are uninformed are more likely to engage in unsafe sexual practices.
Remember back to this spring when the Republican town committee said that, despite their platform, they really, really, really weren’t into banning books?
How surprising now to see them actively banning books.
Given that the signatories to the letter requesting these book bans also include school board members, I wonder how much pressure has been put on school staff to censor book selections, and how transparent the school district will be about these pressures.
Worth noting: when we study history, the people banning books are never the good guys.
(and yes, I am familiar with the material, and yes, if you think that kids aren’t curious about sex, exposed to misinformation about sex, and in need of scientifically accurate information about sex and identity, you are delusional)
Most kids over the age of 11 have seen porn on the internet. They also know about the LBGTQ situation and have probably heard of butt plugs.. I doubt there is anything new for them in the two books.
I find it ironic that the Day, Lyme Line and the Htfd Courant have not published the pictures and words that were highlighted in the letter. If these pictures are ok for 11 year olds in a public library, why aren’t they suitable to be published in the Htfd Courant, NL Day or Lyme line? Not many 9 and 10 year olds read the papers. Plus people thought it was horrendous to not teach about sex in K-Grade 3 in Florida so it should be no problem to publish these pictures for all to see. Why ban the pictures from being shown so an informed decision can be made? Kindergarten kids are around 5 years old. Grade 3 kids are around 8 years old. You really want them taught about Butt Plugs? Since when is pointing out offensive material and asking for a review not allowed in this country?