Mat-Su advisory committee and staff keep Colleen Hoover’s Verity in adult shelves after review

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Library Advisory Committee met Aug. 18 and reviewed the adult novel Verity by Colleen Hoover following a staff memo and public comment. Jillian Morrissey, the borough’s community development director, said the borough’s administrative policy and a recent patron survey informed the staff decision to keep the title in the adult collection.

"These factors and our administrative policy determine my decision that the book ... will remain in the adult collection at the library of its origin," Morrissey said during her report. Morrissey told the committee the memo, dated May 15, also noted a spring 2025 online survey in which 57% of responding parents and guardians were interested in receiving a notification when a minor checks out material.

The meeting drew several public comments both for and against removing the book from borough shelves. "Libraries are there for choice. For people to choose what they want to read," said Jeanne Trusinski, who spoke during the public-comment portion. Kathy Keiser, another commenter, urged the committee not to remove adult books, saying, "Removing adult books from a public library is not a neutral act. It's an erosion of intellectual freedom."

Several speakers argued the work belongs in adult stacks but raised concerns about parental controls and how minors might access mature material. Bonnie Kavanaugh, who described herself as having more than 40 years in public and school libraries, told the committee, "This is the borough. This is the public. This is not the school," stressing the difference between public and school library selection and access.

One public commenter, Jackie Go forth, cited Alaska statutory law during her remarks, referencing what she identified as a criminal statute related to distributing obscene material to minors. Committee members discussed legal standing as the principal basis for any removal, with one member saying, "I think the only standing we have is if it actually violates the law of Alaska. If it doesn't, I don't know what more we can do."

The advisory committee proceeded through its library-material scorecard for Verity. On criteria that included condition and format, members generally marked the book as acceptable for adult-collection placement. On suitability questions focused on minors, several members answered affirmatively to items that would indicate the material contains explicit sexual conduct and could be found patently offensive to community standards for persons 16 and under; nonetheless, the committee's suggested disposition—expressed during the scorecard discussion—was to keep the title in the adult section. Committee members and staff repeatedly noted the committee's role is advisory and that librarians and borough administrative policy determine final placement.

In other business, the committee voted unanimously to delay selection of the next book under review until staff confirm which next title in the packet is shelved in the young-adult section; staff offered to mail or make the book available. The committee chair made the motion and it was seconded and adopted without opposition.

The meeting record shows no books were removed during the session; Morrissey and staff said the borough had not imposed additional access restrictions for minors beyond existing account controls and that parents may view a child's checked-out items online or at the library. Morrissey said staff had begun exploratory work with the joint library network, Alaska Library Collection, on a potential email notification when a minor checks out material, and that this work was in early stages.

The committee recorded the scorecard results and closed the item. The group scheduled its next meeting for Sept. 15, 2025.