Mohave County board rejects subset of donated library books after heated public comment

The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted 3–2 on March 2 to reject a set of donated titles to the county library system after a contentious public-comment period that drew more than two dozen speakers.

The board took up an item to accept monetary and nonmonetary donations to the Mohave County Library District, including a staff list of titles the director had flagged for review. Library Director (speaker 15) told the board that staff follow a donation-review and cataloging process and described a reconsideration policy for titles challenged by patrons. "We do have children's-area policies about unattended adults ... and the total amount of adult materials checked out by children's cards is very low. I think it's under 2%," the director said.

Supporters of removing some donated titles told the supervisors that parents should not have to discover questionable content in the children’s area. "Don't put them in a public library," Armand Stenger said during public comment, urging removal of gender‑variant books from children’s shelves. Other speakers described specific passages they deemed inappropriate for minors.

Opponents warned against government censorship and urged the board to trust trained library staff and follow the established reconsideration process. "Libraries are a marketplace of ideas," said Jess Hawkins, a retired library administrator. Several speakers noted the library already has a process for patrons to request a review and an appeal path to the board.

Board members debated two competing principles: parental authority and the library’s professional collection-development standards. Supervisors who voted to reject the donations said the county currently lacks sufficient parental-control safeguards and that rejecting the donated items would protect minors while staff reviews procedures. Opponents said the move bypassed established policies and risked viewpoint discrimination.

The board’s motion rejected the specified donated copies on the semiannual donation report and instructed staff to remove the rejected items from shelves and contact donors when identifiable to return the copies or otherwise dispose of them according to existing procedures. For donated copies without identifiable donors, staff were directed to follow standard disposition channels, including book sales or transfers.

The board chair said members intend to return to the issue to examine parental-control options and strengthen public information about the library's reconsideration and appeal process. The board also indicated it will not preclude donors or patrons from using the formal reconsideration process going forward.