Review of Councilmember
Item 23-532 – Selection,
Display, and Circulation of
Library Books and Other
Materials within Huntington
Beach Public Libraries
October 17, 2023
Table of Contents
• Review of Councilmember Item 23-532
• Research Conducted
• Research Findings
• Data Analysis
• Library Policies
• Supporting Parents & Caregivers at Huntington
Beach Public Library (HBPL)
• Summary of Final Options
Review of Councilmember
Item 2023-532
On June 20, 2023, City Council directed the City
Manager to work with the City Attorney to return to the City Council at a Study Session in September of this year with options to establish safeguards that would prevent minor access to age-inappropriate, obscene,
pornographic and/or sexually explicit materials in City libraries.
Review of Councilmember
Item 2023-532
On September 4, 2023, City Council redirected staff to
return to City Council on October 17, 2023, with
actionable policy options regarding City library materials and safeguards.
Research Conducted
• Meeting with California State Librarian
• Meeting with Penguin Random House (Publisher)
• Meeting with Brodart Company (Book Distributor)
• Collaboration with other City Managers and library
systems on best practices and resources
• Review of case studies, court cases and legislation
• Participation in online webinars
• Meetings with interested members of the public
• Meetings with City Manager and City Attorney,
as directed
Research Findings:
Publisher
Penguin Random House (Publisher)
• Nothing is published that will raise red flags on the Miller Test
• Rigid requirements on how books are published
• Typically, will not publish material from authors who are not represented by an agent
• Review Process
o Multi-level to include the editor, publicist, legal,
subject matter experts, and review of illustrations
• Children’s Books
o Third party companies are used to identify content levels based on child development phases
o Pre-publication reviews conducted by teachers, librarians, and subject matter experts
o Comprehension vs. Content
• Publisher has the right to postpone, reject or decline to publish the book at any time during the process, even
after publishing is complete
Research Findings:
Publisher
• Ratio of manuscripts published as books: about 1-2%
• The low rate of manuscript acceptance acts as a
quality control: publishers select only the best
materials for publication and perform the necessary
fact-checking, verification, and legal evaluation for
each title published
Research Findings:
Publisher
Research Findings:
Book Distributor
Brodart (Book Distributor)
• Data is developed and accompanies each book, including recommended age categories, which are provided by the
publisher
• Brodart curates their data, constantly reviewing for
accuracy, and identifying additional data points to help libraries and readers make informed decisions
• Brodart aims for each book to have a minimum of ten
subject headings/data points
Research Finding:
Book Distributor
• Library Card Account Types
• Adult cards: 82,813
• Teen cards: 2,434
• Minor cards: 17,976
• Materials Checked Out
• Adult: 285,427 (FY 22/23)
• Young Adult: 36,203 (FY 22/23)
• Children's: 459,779 (FY 22/23)
• Library Collection
• Total items: 290,189
• Books: 134,620
• Materials Procured Annually: Approximately 20,000
Data Analysis
• Book Challenges
• 5 Challenges in last 5 years
• 0 Challenges in 2023
Data Analysis: Minor Cards
Adult Print
Children
Teen Print
Sep 2022 Nov 2022 Jan 2023 Mar 2023 May 2023 Jul 2023
Data Analysis: Teen Cards
Adult Print
Children
Teen Print
Sep 2022 Nov 2022 Jan 2023 Mar 2023 May 2023 Jul 2023
• Collection Development Policy
o Materials Reconsideration Process
• Computer Lab Use Agreement
• Internet Safety/Child Information Protection Act (CIPA) • Library Card Policy
• Rules of Conduct
• Unaccompanied Minors Policy
Library Policies
• Specificity added to inform decision making on which
items are considered for addition to the collection
• Materials Reconsideration Process
• Council Request: Form a committee to monitor
library collections
Library Policies:
Collection Development
• Minor Card
o Require parental permission
o May only check out printed materials
• Teen Card
o Does not require parental permission
o May only check out printed materials
• Adult Card
o Full access to the collection and all materials
• Council Request: Parental Control Card
o Require parental permission
o May only check out Children's Library printed materials Library Policies:
Library Card Types
Updates to Include
• Current process for suspension of privileges and
appeals process
• Added behaviors not allowed include
o Damaging, defacing, or altering library material or
property
o Harassment of other patrons or staff or impeding one's use of the library or staff's ability to do their work
• To be reviewed and updated as needed every two
years
Library Policies:
Rules of Conduct
• Current policy reflects minors 10 and younger
• Update would require a responsible adult to
accompany minors 12 years old and younger at all
times while in the library
• Supports direct parent/caregiver involvement in the
choices children are making while at the library, as
well as the materials they select
Library Policies:
Unaccompanied Minors
• Updated new cardholder brochures
• Updated process for providing book recommendations
for young readers and families
• Updated book lists, informational flyers, & reading guides Supporting Parents
& Caregivers at HBPL
Supporting Parents & Caregivers:
New Cardholder Brochure
• Information about the Children's collection
• Library hours & locations
• Card usage restrictions
• Unaccompanied Minors Policy statement
• Purchase suggestion information
• Library policy information
• Children's program information
Supporting Parents & Caregivers:
Book Lists & Content Advisory
• "Picture books to read aloud" book lists by subject
• Grade level book lists for grades 1-8
o Titles selected based on content & comprehension
• What's in this book? guide for parents
o Online resources to learn more about book content
and make informed decisions
• Book recommendations for children
o Conducted by professional librarians
o Incorporate parent input & family values
▪ "Are there any topics you would like to avoid
when finding new books for your family?"
• Policy Updates
o Creation of a Parental Control Library Card Type
o Adjustment to Unaccompanied Minors Policy Age Limit
• Support for Parents & Caregivers
o Updated informational materials
o Updated grade level & subject book lists
o Updated process for making book recommendations
for children and families
• Additional Research Required
o Creation of a Collection Development Review Committee Summary of Final Options
Questions?
References and Links:
Definitions and Sources for Additional Information
• Brodart Books & Library Services: HBPL's primary book vendor (LINK) • Case law & legislation: UConn Meskill Law Library (LINK); Middle Tennessee State University Free Speech Center (LINK); American Library Association Notable First Amendment Court Cases (LINK) • Miller Test: the test by which materials are evaluated for obscenity. Involves a tripartite standard, evaluating materials on the basis of three criteria:
• (1) whether 'the average person, applying contemporary standards' would find the work 'taken as a whole' appeals to 'prurient interest;'
• (2) whether the work depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct specifically defined by the applicable state law;
• and (3) whether the work, 'taken as a whole,' lacks series literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. (LINK) • Obscenity: defined under the law using the Miller Test; "a work will be found to be obscene if 'taken as a whole, (it) lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.'" (LINK) (LINK) (LINK) • Pornography: "material that depicts nudity or sexual acts for the purpose of sexual stimulation... the presence of nudity or sexual acts in a piece of media does not necessarily make that media pornographic if the purpose of that media form is something other than sexual stimulation." (LINK) • CA State Librarian: Greg Lucas, (LINK)
• Collection Development: the process by which libraries select and acquire materials. (LINK) • Penguin Random House Publishing: the world's largest book publishing company, (LINK) • LC: Library of Congress
• ISBN: International Standard Book Number
• LCCN: Library of Congress Control Number
• Publisher: A company that sells and distributes books • Imprint: A brand name under the umbrella of a larger publisher • LC Series: A series of books as recognized by the Library of Congress • TIPS Subjects: A Brodart-specific subject heading, Title Information Preview Service • BISAC Subjects: Book Industry Standards and Communications subject headings • LC Subjects: Library of Congress subject headings
• SEARS Subjects: A standard authority list for subject cataloging in small and medium-sized libraries Learn more about cataloging and description terminology on the Cataloging Tools and Resources LibGuide from the American Library Association, HERE.
Glossary of Terms:
Brodart Bibz