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Residents press borough over library book reviews; committee majority voted to remove some titles but removals not yet implemented
Summary
Multiple residents told the Assembly they were troubled by books reviewed by the Library Citizens Advisory Committee and said committee members had voted to remove certain titles; committee members said their recommendations are not always acted upon by library staff.
Several residents told the Assembly on Feb. 19 they are concerned about materials reviewed by the Library Citizens Advisory Committee (LCAC) and said recent committee votes recommended removal of children’s titles.
Linda Spohn recounted attending an LCAC meeting where two books were read by committee members and the committee voted by majority to remove both titles. Spohn said committee members reported feeling traumatized by the content and argued that taxpayers should not fund "filthy" material in public libraries. She urged elected leaders to act to protect children and expressed moral objections to the books.
Other speakers echoed concerns about the committee process and effectiveness. Mary Ravetta said she had attended LCAC meetings and that the committee’s votes did not appear to result in books being removed from circulation; she said committee votes had not produced results that removed books from “children’s hands.”
Speakers and audience members framed the issue in terms of parental responsibility, community standards and the committee’s role in reviewing materials. At least one speaker asked the Assembly to consider the potential legal risks of removing materials, referencing national lawsuits in other districts.
Assembly members did not take a formal vote on the LCAC recommendations during the Feb. 19 meeting. Staff and assembly members noted the committee’s advisory role and the process by which LCAC recommendations are conveyed to borough library administration.
The public discussion underscores ongoing local debate about library content and the advisory committee’s authority; several speakers requested clearer, faster processes for moving committee recommendations into administrative action.
