'It’s not your responsibility. It’s mine.' Wasilla library, city council, community members discuss selection of library books, material for children and young adults

During the latest Wasilla City Council meeting on Monday evening, members of the community came out to listen to the Director of the Wasilla Public Library (WPL), Zane Treesh, speak on the library’s book selection process and to address community concerns over the sexualized books in the teen section of the library.

Treesh was asked to speak to the council after council comments made during the November 13 meeting, asking for more information about how books are chosen for the library. This comes after a nearly year-long crusade by a small group of community members to remove books from school libraries who have now shifted their focus to removing books from public libraries.

Treesh began with a presentation to the council and Mayor regarding the Collection Development policy and how the library determines where a book is placed within the walls of the library.

“Our collection development policy gives us the criteria, the scope of the collection, the responsibility for the collection,” Treesh told the mayor, adding that the policy is available on the WPL website and is open to changes as the need arises.

Treesh also said that there are three people responsible for the selections in the library, so that many biases may be taken out of the overall decision-making process, but that ultimately, the choice is left up to the individual library user.

He also went over the different criteria he and the staff use when determining what books come into the library and where they should be placed.

“So, using this collection development criteria, some factors-the author’s reputation, significance as a writer, the importance of the subject matter to the collection, the availability of the material and other libraries…are some of the factors.” Treesh went on to say that also the state of the book-the quality of the binding, the publishing house responsible for producing the book, the circulation of the books (how many times has the book been checked out)-also are items the library considers.

“Are they (the book) requested, is it a popular item? Is it a book that the author has a following? Is the author an expert in the field? If so, it helps us. We can get that book so our patrons can have it.”

Treesh also reiterated the WPL stance on censorship:

“The Wasilla Public Library recognizes the right of every citizen to read and gather information and his or her right to freedom from censorship by other persons,” he read, adding, “many books are controversial, and any given item may offend some persons. However, selection for this library will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the merits of the material and relation to the building, the collection, and serving the interests of all readers.”

He then reiterated that censorship of library material is purely an individual matter, saying that anyone is free to reject for themselves any book or other materials in which they don’t approve.

“We cannot allow the right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others.”

Treesh also said that with regard to what library materials a child may use, that decision reverts back to the parents or guardians.

“The decision as to what a minor may read is the responsibility of his or her parent or guardian. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that books may inadvertently come into the possession of minors.”

With respect to the use of the library and access of materials to younger readers, Treesh reminded the council and members of the audience that there are rules already in place that state unaccompanied minors are not allowed into the library, unless permission and signature has been granted by the parent with understanding of the acceptance of that responsibility, something Mayor Ledford had touched on during the previous meeting.

“With what we’ve got over there to safeguard these kids, I think we’ve done a great job. Let the parents come with the child. We’ve got to get back to parenting these kids…and part of that is going to the library with them.”

A similar policy has long been in place when children sign up for a library card-a parent or guardian is required to sign, again accepting responsibility for fees, but also for any materials they may take from the library.

Conversation then shifted to the Young Adult section of books that seems to be the center of much controversy. Treesh said that when determining where in the WPL a kid’s book should go, that books introduced for addition to the library catalogue are subjected to a technical process that follows similar worldwide processes used in libraries all over the country.

“The local cataloguer reviews the records, in addition to basic information of the item, such as title, publication date, and physical description and intended audience.”

He said that cataloguers use their best judgement to make a determination based on the information available.

“Reconsideration materials policy has 11 steps and has been in place since 2005. I’ve talked to the city attorney and there’s nothing in it that is contrary to the law,” he said, but conceded that the law is 18 years old and if the city council desires, they can revisit the policy.

Treesh said that while he is awaiting the outcomes of the lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the Mat-Su Borough school board, along with letters sent out by Alaksa Attorney General Treg Taylor last week, both centering around children’s materials in school libraries, and after conversations with Mayor Ledford and the city attorney, he is recommending that to avoid being on the wrong side of federal law, to temporarily remove everything in the Young Adult section to the Adult section of the library.

“There are over 2000 items there and over 100 shelves. We’ll put signs up on the shelving saying that this is now an ‘Adult’ area, and we will wait to see what happens around the state and guidance there with the city council, and the state attorney’s letter that went out, and the ACLU case.”

In a previous meeting, Mayor Ledford said that while she personally might not want her child to read a particular book, she believes that parents should have the opportunity to let their children read books that others may question.

“If you can’t trust your kid, then why do they have a cell phone? With what they can see on the cellphones, is the next thing-to try and take the cell phone? It’s like a snowball starting downhill, it will just keep growing and growing and growing.”

She reiterated that the decisions about what a child can and cannot read should be left to the parents themselves, rebuking Jackie Goforth and others who’ve been leading the charge to remove books from public libraries.

“It’s not your responsibility. It’s mine. And it’s not my responsibility to tell Ian (Crafton) what his kid can and can’t read. Where does it end?”

During the Monday evening meeting, Mayor Ledford called the library reconsideration debate a ‘fiasco’ and said that the library should move books from ‘Young Adult’ to “Adult’ until it can get sorted legally. She also said that the move needs to be labeled as a temporary move, otherwise the city runs the risk of violating federal law.

“We have to be very careful and concise about what we do.”

The Mayor and City Council went into executive session with the city attorney Holly Wells, who said during the meeting that issues with acquiring new material are an “excellent example of why Council may want to update your policies and procedures and create a different mechanism for approval or consideration. That’s entirely appropriate and within council’s role.” Currently, the city council does not have a role to play in the selection process for books and materials at WPL.

Last year, the WPL circulated 241,000 physical items, an increase of 50,000 items from the previous year. Treesh said that 105,000 patrons came through the doors, also an increase from 2021. Approximately 5700 books have been added to the WPL.