A public commenter told the Elgin City Council on June 17, 2025, that the Elgin Public Library denied his request to list a “Caucasian book club” on the city’s calendar while a BIPOC book club has a listing, and he asked the council to clarify the process for calendar recognition.

“A BIPOC book club. For those of you who do not know, BIPOC refers to black, indigenous, and people of color,” Aaron Deak said during the public-comment period. “However, the term BIPOC is an exclusionary, racist, and dehumanizing phrase.”

Deak said he called the library seeking the same calendar recognition and was told the library was “just full on book clubs at this time” and that the listing for the BIPOC book club reflected that group’s focus on BIPOC authors and experiences. He said his request for equal listing was denied and that the book club he proposed would not use city resources and would meet at a private business or volunteer-hosted venue.

Deak asked the city to “please indicate to me and the rest of the city, its citizens, the process by which we are able to get an acknowledgment for this book club on the city calendar.” The council did not take action on his request during the meeting; the item was raised during public comment and not on the formal agenda.

Why this matters: Public-calendar listings can affect how community groups are seen and how residents find local activities. The commenter described an interaction with library staff and sought clarity on the listing process.

The council did not respond with a procedural ruling on the record during the meeting; staff follow-up would be needed to provide the library’s formal policy and any steps for calendar inclusion.