Huntington Beach this month began moving books containing sexual content away from the children’s section shelves at its libraries; one councilmember’s follow-up efforts for a clearer understanding of the criteria that cause a book to be moved was rejected.
Councilmember Natalie Moser asked her colleagues to have staffers prepare a report answering several questions about what is happening related to the city’s new policy to not allow children to have “ready access” to books that contain content of sexual nature. She asked for detailed explanations of the criteria being used by librarians to determine if books contain sexual content, how new materials acquired will be assessed, how the city’s policy affects digital assets and details about new youth library cards.
But her request failed to get enough council approval with a 3-3 vote (Councilmember Casey McKeon was absent). Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark said the ask was premature and all the questions will be answered as the policy is being implemented.
Councilmembers who voted for the request said they were surprised to learn that books had begun being moved.
“Nothing should have happened without a plan; the plan should be public,” Moser said. “This is obviously a polarizing, divisive issue. The people in the community need to know.”
Interim City Manager Eric Parra said the staff was making a good-faith effort to comply with the council’s direction from when the new policy was approved October, so, “That’s why it started.”
Councilmember Tony Strickland said asking for the report from staff was just a means to re-debate a policy that’s already been passed.
Librarians on Feb. 7 began moving some books in the children’s section at the Central Library to a separate area. They pulled books from shelves and took them to a back area to be evaluated if they should be re-cataloged within the library system.
The city’s community and library services director in a January email to…
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