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Trustees address complaints about summer display; director says library will keep inclusive displays
Summary
A board member reported complaints about a colorful June display that some described as 'woke.' The director said the display was not a dedicated LGBTQ exhibit and that the library will continue inclusive displays while remaining sensitive to community concerns.
During public input at the Aug. 12 meeting the board discussed complaints circulated to the city manager about the library’s June display used to kick off summer reading. Michael Thompson reported that an employee, Katie Witt (city manager), told him some residents had complained the display showed the library was "woke." Thompson said the display was a "color our world" theme and included colorful adult titles that happened to include LGBTQ-themed books; he said staff would not remove those books from monthly displays but would be sensitive to community reactions.
"There are people in the community… who are sensitive to that," Thompson said, and added that the library’s approach is to present a broad range of titles rather than curate displays that exclude particular groups. He encouraged patrons to come to the library director with concerns so staff can respond directly.
Board members acknowledged the complaint and thanked the director for handling it; the city manager and library staff were credited with communicating with complainants so the board would not learn of concerns informally. No policy change or formal removal of materials was proposed or adopted at the meeting.
Trustees noted that collection development and display policies exist to guide responses to challenges and that the trustee manual describes processes for responding to public concerns. The board agreed to be mindful of community sensitivities while preserving access to a broad collection.
