Controversial book survives challenge

By Cheryl Allen
Posted 5/17/23

The book divided the community, but it will remain shelved in the adult non-fiction section of the Kalona Public Library.

In a 5-2 vote Tuesday, May 9, the Board of Trustees determined …

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Controversial book survives challenge

Posted

The book divided the community, but it will remain shelved in the adult non-fiction section of the Kalona Public Library.

In a 5-2 vote Tuesday, May 9, the Board of Trustees determined “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe does not violate the library’s policies and therefore will remain in the collection.  

Late February the library received a formal “request for reconsideration” from a patron, requesting that the book be withdrawn from circulation.  The board noted the request at their March meeting and took a month to familiarize themselves with the book.  

Consideration of the request landed on the agenda for their April meeting, but a last-minute flurry of additional reconsideration requests for the same book caused the board to delay their decision.  A 2-hour work session later that month allowed the trustees time to sort through the issues concerning the book, and the topic was again on the agenda for the May meeting.

Although library board meetings are open to the public, folks rarely show up.  The book controversy changed all that; about 20 people attended the April meeting, and around 50 showed up for work session and May meeting.  The library increased security in proportion; one sheriff’s deputy was present at the April meeting, and two sat in on the meeting last week.

Just under half of those present took the final opportunity to voice their views on the autobiographical graphic novel with LGBTQ+ content during the public forum Tuesday.  Both positions were well represented.

Public comments made in favor of withdrawing the book from circulation included claims that the book is “objectively harmful,” “degenerate,” “evil,” and “dangerous.”  It depicts “preteens engaging in acts of sex,” and encourages young people to “hate themselves and their bodies.”  “All of you have a moral responsibility to do what’s right. . . by God,” one told the board.

Others argued against this view; they found the book “interesting” and “entertaining” and thought it worth keeping on the shelves even if one disagreed with it.  “If you don’t want to read the book, don’t read the book,” one person said; “You can ban it at the library, but that’s not going to stop kids from looking at it,” said another.  “The library is supposed to be a sanctuary . . . Art is conflicting, it’s supposed to make you think,” argued a third.

Both sides urged the trustees to listen to the community. 

There “clearly [should be] some aspect of community involvement here,” said one person who wanted the book removed.  “You as a board are chosen to represent Kalona,” another reminded.  “I’m a part of this community . . . this book reflects my values. . . I’m against banning any books, period,” said a third.

The board listened to public comments for more than 30 minutes before moving on to the business portion of the agenda.  

When a motion was finally made to keep “Gender Queer” in the library’s collection of adult nonfiction, Kyle Askling, Christina Grier, Donna Jones, Karen Stalter, and Shirlene Seale voted in favor, and Frank Slabaugh and Jim Miller opposed.  The motion passed, and the book will remain in the library’s collection.

Whether it will ever again be prominently displayed remains an open question.