1 Moore, Tania
From: Lynn Unger <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 3:23 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Pornograohic library book
I support our Mayor Pro‐tem and our newly elected City Council in removing pornograohic material and books from our public libraries. Parents not liberal librarians should have the final say in protecting our children from inappropriate materials.
Regards,
Lynn Unger
7871 Shell Cir, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
10/17/2023
20 (23-879)
1 Moore, Tania
From: Lindsay Klick <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2023 9:28 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: No Book Bans at HBPL
My name is Lindsay. I am a mother of two school‐aged children, an HB resident for 20 years and a Children’s Librarian in Orange County. I am extremely troubled by a development that is threatening our beloved public library system.
The Huntington Beach Public Library (HBPL) is under pressure by politicians to re strict and remove materials currently available to all. These attacks are led by Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark and supported by Mayor Strickland and councilmembers Burns and McKeon.
Proposed book bans = government overreach
On October 17, the Huntington Beach City Council will review and debate meas ures that would “prevent minor access to age‐inappropriate, obscene, pornographic and/or sexually explicit materials in City libraries.” But who determines what falls into these categories? “Pornographic” and “obscene” are legal terms—none of the books in HBPL qualify as such. “Age‐appropriate,” however, is subjective. Under the current system, parents det ermine what is appropriate for their families. Parents who are concerned about specific content are already VERY involved in their children’s selections.
Parents who prefer to give their children “free rein” currently have that option. Neither approach is wrong! What is wrong is Mrs. Van Der Mark’s proposal to form a board of parents who subscribe to her own pers onal beliefs to determine what is right for everyone else. She has proposed removing materials with “sexual content” from the children’s area. Her definition most certainly includes materials even mentioning the existence of members of the LGBTQ+ as well as books about reproduction, bo th of which are popular and circulate well currently. This is true government overreach. Plus, it’s a waste of the council’s time—we already have a functioning system of safeguards in place.
Current common‐sense library standards
The following policies and practices are standard for all public libraries:
● Children need a parent or guardian’s permission to get a library card. ● Minors und
er 11 must be accompanied by an adult in the library.
● Materials are arranged in secƟons: children’s, tee
n and adult areas.
● Using th
e library’s website, parents can access the list of materials their children have checked out at any ti
me.
● Library staff can assist fa
milies with personal book selecƟon based on family needs and concerns. (This is called “readers advisory”—librarians are happy to help!) ● Public websites like “co
mmonsensemedia.org" are also useful tools to guide parents in helping their childre n select books.
● Library use
rs may iniƟate the formal review of any item in the collecƟon by compleƟng a Library Materials Evaluation form.
Our library works for our community
The Huntington Beach Public Library is well used and much loved. Each year thousands of satisfied families use the library to access over a qu
arter of a million books or printed materials. Given these numbers, it’s impressive that there 2 were only five book challenges in the last five years. Gracey Van Der Mark herself has successfully used the current re‐ evaluation process resulting in a book being moved from Teen to Adult.
The truth is that many who are working to restrict materials do not actually use the library. They are acting on the unfounded fear that libraries and reading are dangerous, a fear the Mayor Pro Tem is fueling. Forming a group of very conservative parents to “pre‐select” materials for library purchase IS book banning. We as library users need to stand up to those who would set limits on our children’s reading. Deciding what our kids can read is our job, not theirs.
Free people read freely. Period. The time for library whispers is over. It’s time to shout!
—Lindsay Klick ‐ Mother, HB Resident, Librarian
1 Moore, Tania
From: David Rynerson <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2023 12:11 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Agenda Item 23-879
Council Members –
I will not be able to attend next Tuesday’s City Council meeting due to a prior commitment. As a consequence, I am writing to you instead.
Members of the council majority seem to have quite selective hearing when soliciting public feedback. We saw that demonstrated in full
force at the last charter amendment hearing when, despite evidence from both written and oral communications that approximately 90‐95% of citizens were opposed to the voter ID amendment, the majority voted to proceed.
Now we have on the current council agenda, another item with a similarly unfavorable citizen response – Councilwoman
Van Der Mark’s proposal to involve the City Council in determining what books can be in the children’s section of our library. The Councilwoman’s contention is that there are “pornographic” books in the children’s section of the library. One has to wonder exactly what is her definition of pornography. One of the books targeted in he presentation is “Grandad’s Pride”, a story about a girl who finds a Pride flag in het grandfather’s attic, leading the two of them to organize a Pride parade in their town. Please explain what is pornographic about this book.
Rather, it look like another
attempt by the council majority to impose their values, ethics, and morals on the entire community, regardless of what the community thinks. It’s quite clear that those who endorse this proposal are homophobic. That has already been demonstrated by your revision of the Declaration on Human Rights and the proposed charter amendment on flags. No one is asking you to embrace alternate sexual choices – simply not to ostracize them and treat them as non‐citizens. Whether you like it or not, they are members of this community and they are also your constituents.
Do not think for a single minute that the mechanism of having each councilmember appoint three citizens to the review board gives the proposal any cloak of decency or democratic process. We know exactly the kind of person the council majority will appoint. This is a transparent fig leaf to try to give the proposal an aire of democratic process. We see through your obfuscation.
You heard person after person tell you in both council meetings and in charter amendment feedback sessions to leave the curation of library books, and what sections they belong in, to the librarians, who are trained in this endeavor.
Stop wasting our
time and money with your divisive culture war issues and spend your time on the real issues that this city faces: infrastructure, homelessness, housing affordability, etc.
Best regards,
David Rynerson
6272 Newbury Drive, HB
Sent from Mail for Windows
1 Moore, Tania
From: Estanislau, Robin
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2023 3:05 PM
To: Moore, Tania
Subject: FW: Support of agenda item 20 - Correct classification of books SC
From: Victor & Alice Kornahrens <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2023 2:19 PM
To: Estanislau, Robin <Robin.Estanislau@surfcity‐hb.org> Subject: Support of agenda item 20 ‐ Correct classification of books
Dear Ms. Estanislau,
Please note I am in favor of removing sexually suggestive books from the children's and young adult sections at HB public library. (Listed as agenda item 20).
As there is NO adult porn section at HBPL, so there are apparently already "book bans" enacted at our library.
Filth is filth and should be removed. Our children should be free to read books without smut.
Sincerely,
Alice Kornahrens
Resident of Huntington Beach