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Residents urge county to limit access to explicit library materials; supervisors schedule work session
Summary
Multiple public commenters told the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors that sexually explicit books are available to minors in county libraries and asked for age restrictions; the board said it cannot act on nonagenda items but agreed to schedule a work session to examine library materials and options.
DUBUQUE COUNTY, Iowa — Several residents asked the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors on Monday to restrict access for minors to books they described as sexually explicit and urged the county to set age limits rather than ban titles.
"We need to protect our children and young adults," Linda Kleiner told the board. "I'm not asking for these books to be banned. I'm only asking to have an age limit put on them." Kleiner identified herself and said she had shared an excerpt from the book All Boys Aren't Blue at a recent library board meeting to illustrate her concern.
Jane Schmidt similarly reviewed pages and chapters from titles she said are available in county libraries, including Let's Talk About It, and said some chapters are recommended for readers as young as 12. "Why are our tax dollars supporting this kind of material to underage kids?" Schmidt asked.
The chair responded that the board could not take action during public comments on nonagenda items but said the board would accept the submissions and look into the matter. Supervisors agreed to schedule a work session devoted to the issue so staff and board members can review the materials and options.
Several other residents raised related concerns about sexual content and the potential exposure of children; one commenter offered yellow labels to help parents identify books at a glance.
The board did not adopt any policy or take formal action during the public-comment period; a separate work session will be scheduled to provide staff time and a formal forum for consideration.
