CAMPBELL COUNTY LIBRARY GIVEN THE FINGER BY ANGRY COMMUNITY MEMBERS
In a shocking turn of events, members of the Campbell County community have given the finger to Chelsea Butler, the chair of the library board. The reason? The firing of longtime library director Terri Lesley.
The controversy began when a parent complained about a graphic novel called Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, which depicts the author's experience of coming out as nonbinary and includes scenes of sex and nudity. The book was in the adult section of the library, but the parent argued that it was inappropriate and should be removed.
The library board decided to keep the book in the collection, but moved it behind the counter, where patrons would have to ask for it. However, this did not satisfy some conservative and far-right activists, who began to target other books with LGBTQ+ themes and accused Lesley of indoctrinating children.
Lesley had been working at the Patmos Library for 15 years and was well-respected by many in the community. She defended the library's mission of providing diverse and inclusive materials for all patrons, and refused to censor or ban any books based on their content. She also received support from the American Library Association, which opposes any form of literary censorship.
In March 2023, an anonymous letter was sent to homes in Jamestown, Michigan, where the library is located. The letter criticized the "pornographic" memoir and the addition of "transgender" and "gay" books to the library, and urged residents to vote against renewing the library's funding in August. The letter also claimed that the library was affiliated with the American Library Association, which it described as a "radical leftist organization" that promotes "social justice indoctrination".
The letter sparked a heated debate in the town, which has a population of about 7,000 people and is mostly conservative. Some residents supported the library and its director, while others agreed with the letter and demanded that the library remove or restrict certain books. The library board meetings became crowded and contentious, with protesters holding signs and chanting slogans.
In July 2023, the library board voted 4-1 to fire Lesley, citing "irreconcilable differences" between her and the board. The board president, Larry Walton, said that Lesley had violated the board's policies and directives, and that her dismissal was not related to the book controversy. However, many people suspected that Lesley was fired because of her stance on intellectual freedom and diversity.
The decision to fire Lesley was met with outrage and disbelief by many library patrons and staff members, who gave her a standing ovation as she left the building. Some people also raised their middle fingers at the board members who voted to fire her. Lesley said that she was shocked and saddened by the board's action, but that she was proud of her work at the library.
On August 3, 2023, residents of Jamestown voted on whether to renew a millage that provides about $270,000 a year for the library's operations. The millage renewal failed by a margin of 52% to 48%, meaning that the library will lose its main source of funding by early 2024. Without the millage, the library will have to rely on a reserve fund that will run out by mid-2024.
The future of the Patmos Library is now uncertain. Walton said that the board will try to find alternative sources of funding or partner with other libraries in the area. However, he also said that he respects the voters' decision and that he hopes that the community can heal from the division caused by the book controversy.
In conclusion, it seems that some members of the Campbell County community have given a whole new meaning to "giving someone the finger". Let's hope that they can find a way to come together and support their local library, which provides essential resources and information for all members of their community. And remember folks, reading is fundamental - even if it involves graphic novels about nonbinary individuals!
Crowd Gives Campbell County Library Board in Wyoming the Finger After Library Director Is Fired https://www.thedailybeast.com/crowd-gives-campbell-county-library-board-in-wyoming-the-finger-after-library-director-is-fired
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BING AI
The Campbell County Library Board in Wyoming fired longtime library director Terri Lesley after months of tension surrounding her refusal to weed out the library’s shelves based on a vague new policy aimed at shielding children and teens from sexual content. This is a summary of what I found out about this topic:
- - The controversy started in November 2022, when a parent complained about a graphic novel called Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, which depicts the author's experience of coming out as nonbinary and includes scenes of sex and nudity³. The book was in the adult section of the library, but the parent argued that it was inappropriate and should be removed³.
- - The library board decided to keep the book in the collection, but moved it behind the counter, where patrons would have to ask for it³. However, this did not satisfy some conservative and far-right activists, who began to target other books with LGBTQ+ themes and accused the library director, Terri Lesley, of indoctrinating children⁹.
- - Lesley had been working at the Patmos Library for 15 years and was well-respected by many in the community⁹. She defended the library's mission of providing diverse and inclusive materials for all patrons, and refused to censor or ban any books based on their content⁹. She also received support from the American Library Association, which opposes any form of literary censorship⁸.
- - In March 2023, an anonymous letter was sent to homes in Jamestown, Michigan, where the library is located. The letter criticized the "pornographic" memoir and the addition of "transgender" and "gay" books to the library, and urged residents to vote against renewing the library's funding in August⁹. The letter also claimed that the library was affiliated with the American Library Association, which it described as a "radical leftist organization" that promotes "social justice indoctrination"⁹.
- - The letter sparked a heated debate in the town, which has a population of about 7,000 people and is mostly conservative⁹. Some residents supported the library and its director, while others agreed with the letter and demanded that the library remove or restrict certain books⁹. The library board meetings became crowded and contentious, with protesters holding signs and chanting slogans⁴.
- - In July 2023, the library board voted 4-1 to fire Lesley, citing "irreconcilable differences" between her and the board⁴. The board president, Larry Walton, said that Lesley had violated the board's policies and directives, and that her dismissal was not related to the book controversy⁴. However, many people suspected that Lesley was fired because of her stance on intellectual freedom and diversity⁹.
- - The decision to fire Lesley was met with outrage and disbelief by many library patrons and staff members, who gave her a standing ovation as she left the building⁴. Some people also raised their middle fingers at the board members who voted to fire her⁵. Lesley said that she was shocked and saddened by the board's action, but that she was proud of her work at the library⁴.
- - On August 3, 2023, residents of Jamestown voted on whether to renew a millage that provides about $270,000 a year for the library's operations⁹. The millage renewal failed by a margin of 52% to 48%, meaning that the library will lose its main source of funding by early 2024⁹. Without the millage, the library will have to rely on a reserve fund that will run out by mid-2024⁹.
- - The future of the Patmos Library is now uncertain. Walton said that the board will try to find alternative sources of funding or partner with other libraries in the area⁹. However, he also said that he respects the voters' decision and that he hopes that the community can heal from the division caused by the book controversy⁹.
- - Mikula, from the Michigan Library Association, said that she was disappointed and saddened by the outcome of the vote. She said that libraries are essential for providing access to information and fostering civic engagement. She also said that libraries should not be pressured to censor or ban books based on their content or popularity⁹.
Bing, 8/1/2023
(1) Terri Lesley Honored for Intellectual Freedom Contributions. https://library.wyo.gov/terri-lesley-honored-for-intellectual-freedom-contributions/.
(2) US library defunded after refusing to censor LGBTQ authors: ‘We will .... https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/05/michigan-library-book-bans-lgbtq-authors.
(3) Libraries oppose censorship. So they’re getting creative when ... - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/us/offensive-childrens-books-librarians-wellness-trnd/index.html.
(4) (PHOTOS) Library board fires library director | County 17. https://county17.com/2023/07/28/photos-library-board-fires-library-director/.
(5) Crowd Gives Campbell County Library Board in Wyoming the Finger After .... https://www.thedailybeast.com/crowd-gives-campbell-county-library-board-in-wyoming-the-finger-after-library-director-is-fired.
(6) Library Board | Campbell County, WY - Official Website. https://www.campbellcountywy.gov/405/Library-Board.
(7) About the Library | Campbell County, WY - Official Website. https://campbellcountywy.gov/386/About-CCPLS.
(8) Conservative activists want to ban 400 books from a library — but they .... https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/conservative-activists-want-ban-400-books-library-arent-even-shelves-rcna44026.
(9) . https://bing.com/search?q=library+censorship+controversy.
(10) How a national debate over book censorship is playing out in ... - WUNC. https://www.wunc.org/2022-02-01/how-a-national-debate-over-book-censorship-is-playing-out-in-north-carolina.
(11) A History of Censorship in the United States | Steele | Journal of .... https://journals.ala.org/index.php/jifp/article/view/7208/10293.
(12) undefined. https://www.sjsu.edu/people/stephen.morewitz/courses/c2/s1/Soc118HumanRightsCensorshipLibraries.PDF.
(13) undefined. https://www.debate.org/opinions/is-censorship-ever-justified.
(14) undefined. https://www.thecollegefix.com/college-hosts-why-ban-books-event-amid-national-debate-over-book-banning/.
(15) undefined. https://www.publiclibrariesnews.com/library-closing/conferences/speak-up-for-libraries-conference-23rd-november/what-are-the-current-issues-in-libraries-speak-up-for-libraries-workshop-23rd-november.
