The Bartholomew County Public Library is one of our most cherished and valuable resources, open to all and deeply committed to enabling people of all ages to learn more and explore a boundless array of ideas and interests.
The teenage years are among the most formative of our lives, and lately, a few people in the community have raised quite a ruckus about materials they don’t believe are appropriate for the library’s teen section.
The Republic’s Jana Wiersema has been reporting on this ongoing controversy that’s led to some spirited recent library board meetings.
Mainly that’s due to people who believe that materials with sexual or LGBTQ themes are inappropriate for the teen section. They believe these materials ought to be reclassified, or, some say, banned from the library altogether. As you might expect, this has caused a backlash from others who believe those objections amount to censorship and run counter to the library’s mission.
And then there are those scratch their heads in puzzlement about all of this. They wonder why this is a big deal, especially when any youngster with a smartphone can tap the screen and have easy access to millions of pages of material so offensive that it would never be permitted in the library’s collection.
We understand that sentiment. But we also understand that there is one momentous difference: The library belongs to and serves everyone in this community. Our tax dollars primarily fund its operation and its collection. In that sense, the library and its offerings should be a reflection of the community and its values.
Given that, it was an outstanding development that the library announced last week that it is surveying the public about the teen section.
As Wiersema reported, the survey can be accessed at forms.gle/aC6bww7W12XH3Ptr9. A link is also available on the library’s Facebook page, and hard copies are available at the library’s service desks. The survey will run through Jan. 27.
“We want everybody to take the survey,” said library Director Jason Hatton. “We want to hear from as many voices as we can regarding what people see and what people want from the teen department.”
We commend Hatton and the library staff for asking the community at large for its views on this issue. This is an exemplary approach, and we wish we could say that all of government was this proactive in seeking out public opinion.
Anyone interested in this issue should take the couple of minutes necessary to fill out the survey and share your views with the library. The more responses, the more representative of the community’s views as a whole.
We also specifically urge children, teens, young adults and their parents who use the section to seize this opportunity to express your views. Use the survey to tell the library what you think. This is an opportunity to shape the public library, which, after all, belongs to you. And no one is in a better position to comment on the teen section that those who use it most.
We look forward to seeing the results of this survey. And we praise the library for conducting it. Once again, the library has demonstrated to the community that it is an open book.
