Parents’ group presses Victoria council to move certain children’s books; opponents present petitions

Several members of a local parents’ group used the meeting’s public‑comment period to urge the Victoria Public Library to relocate certain titles from the children’s section to adult stacks, and opponents in the audience presented petitions and public testimony pushing back.

Steven Baca told council he and other parents are not seeking a full ban but want books they consider inappropriate moved out of the children’s area. "We're not trying to ban these books... we're trying to move them from the children's section a few feet down the hall to the adult section," he said, adding that taxpayers should not fund what he called "nonsense" on public shelves.

Mackenzie Buckett read examples and described content she said was unsuitable for children, naming the picture book "Auntie Uncle" and contrasting materials related to puberty and LGBTQ topics. Buckett asserted some items contravene the library’s own policy for youth sections and described an illustrated animal book she characterized as containing explicit sexual imagery.

Cindy Zeppelin told council she submitted a petition with more than 500 signatures opposing the parents’ effort and cautioned against replacing professional collection decisions with a small group. "This is a matter of respecting educated, experienced city and county employees over an individual or group without the required relevant education or experience to make decisions for our community," Zeppelin said.

Council members did not act on library policy at the meeting. Staff and council members acknowledged the comments and noted that collection management and policies are handled by library professionals; the issue may return for additional public dialogue or administrative review depending on next steps by staff or community groups.