The Dec. 15 decision by the Victoria Public Library advisory board not to ban 21 books decried by a group of residents was the right one.
A public library should be a safe place for learning. Anyone in our community curious enough can pick up a book and read about different perspectives, places in the world, trades and life experiences.
Whether it is something you personally disagree with or not, access to knowledge should be as unabated as possible. We commend the advisory board for recognizing that.
In September, a group of 12 residents requested the library advisory board to review the books after a request to the library director to have the books removed or moved to a designated area in the library was denied. Most of the 21 books belong in the children’s or young adult’s sections of the library and touch on topics of same-sex relationships, sexuality and race.
The library advisory board handled this process fairly from the start.
On Nov. 17, the issue was brought before the advisory board, which was correct in not taking action on the requests. It is clear they did this to give the proposals by concerned residents ample consideration.
On Dec. 15, the board voted to keep the books on the shelves.
We encourage residents with concerns about books to continue submitting formal complaints. While the concerned residents did not get the outcome they may have wanted this time, it is clear the advisory board took this matter seriously.
For those still concerned about the books remaining on the shelves, know that you can supervise what your young children check out of the library. Parents concerned about their children reading these materials should better oversee their children reading habits.
As described by the library services director Dayna Williams-Capone in a Texas Tribune article, the library should retain these books because they are written for often-marginalized communities in our city.
She told the Texas Tribune, “I think that the danger is when we lose that big-picture view of who all is a part of our community, and that the needs of some members of our community might be very different than what we think our own personal needs are or our own family needs.”
Wendy Woodland, the Texas Library Association’s director of advocacy and communication, echoed this in her statement to the Tribune.
“No book is right for everyone, but one book can make a big difference in one person’s life,” she said. “That’s what libraries are about — providing those windows and doors and mirrors to the community.”
We agree. These books may not be for everyone, but they may be very important to those who need them.
Banning books is the slipperiest of slopes. One could easily imagine how this practice, unfettered, could snowball into widespread censorship of certain perspectives.
We herald our library advisory board for recognizing this and doing the right thing.
Victoria Advocate
