LGBTQ+ books could be harder to access under proposed York County library policy
York County Library is considering a book collection policy that triggered a discrimination lawsuit in another county.
During the library board’s policy committee meeting last week, chairperson Dennis Getter suggested removing any book that references transgender identity from the young adult and children’s sections and placing them in the adult section.
Getter said York County could “copy and paste” portions of the Greenville County Library System’s policy dealing with gender identity. The American Civil Liberties Union and its South Carolina affiliate filed a lawsuit against that policy in March, saying it creates obstacles for patrons who seek library materials portraying LGBTQ+ people in a positive light.
Getter read a section aloud while making his proposal.
“The Library System recognizes that parents/legal guardians have a fundamental right to be involved in all aspects of their minor children’s lives, especially in matters as life changing as gender identification,” the policy states in part. “Therefore, materials targeting audiences aged 13-17 with characters who have transitioned or are in the process of transitioning from a gender that corresponds to their biological sex to a different gender will be located in the Adult Collection.”
That includes stories that “celebrate, portray, or affirm gender transitioning.”
In the children’s section for ages 0-12, any book that discusses a minor’s appearance in a way inconsistent with their biological sex would be relocated to the parenting and early childhood collection.
“I really think that this is wonderful,” Getter said.
Getter also suggested the library use ratedbooks.org to help review and select books. The website assigns ratings from 0 to 5 based on how objectionable a book’s content is “for the sole purpose of alerting parents of the dangers available to children in public and government school libraries,” according to its website.
The current book selection process involves a team of librarians who scour professional journals, book reviews and bestseller lists to see what might be a good fit for their community.
The policy committee will meet every other week to discuss the new proposal until it is ready to bring its findings to the board, Getter said. He did not provide a timeline for when that might be.
ACLU sues Greenville over library policy
Under the collection policy, Greenville libraries removed critically acclaimed titles from children’s shelves and created access barriers, according to the ACLU. Books about LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately impacted.
Removed titles include “Julian is a Mermaid” by Jessica Love, which is about a young boy who dresses like a mermaid, and “Ana on the Edge” by A.J. Sass, which follows a non-binary 12-year-old figure skater. Greenville has not moved books that advocate against gender transition, the ACLU said.
The ACLU is representing multiple families whose kids don’t have access to LGBTQ+ material because they lack adult library cards. The lawsuit filed in federal court claims Greenville County is violating the First Amendment because it uses policy to enforce moral agendas.
One family said they want their child, who is transgender, to have privacy over the books he reads without having to ask his parents for their card. He cannot access books with transgender characters on his own even if they are geared toward his age range, the lawsuit said.
“By design, the exclusion also inflicts a dignitary injury on LGBTQ individuals by treating identities and experiences of LGBTQ children and their parents as unacceptable and unworthy of inclusion in public space,” the lawsuit states.
Community, library leaders at odds over potential policy change
Getter’s proposal garnered the ire of Support York County Libraries, a community group focused on challenges facing local libraries. The advocacy group regularly attends library meetings to keep tabs on board actions.
Emails obtained by The Herald show several parents messaged the board in protest. They characterized the policy as censorship of a marginalized community and a potential waste of taxpayer money should York County face a similar suit.
Founding member Laura Catto said Support York County Libraries is disappointed by the policy committee discussion. Adopting the Greenville County policy would be “irresponsible and costly,” she said.
“Our libraries should reflect the full diversity of York County, and that includes offering books that represent all of our community’s families and identities,” Catto told The Herald. “This proposal is not only discriminatory, but it also puts our county at serious legal and financial risk.”
Getter declined a request for comment and directed questions to library director Julie Ward.
Ward, who neither is a policy committee member nor attended the meeting, said she cannot comment on a policy that has not yet been changed. She’d like to see where the discussions go before weighing in.
If the board faced a legal challenge over one of its policies, the public library system’s insurance would cover the expense, Ward said. Insurance is paid using the library budget, which is largely funded through taxes.
