YORK COUNTY, S.C. — A debate is building over where certain children’s books are placed at the York County Library.
The controversy surrounds books addressing topics, such as gender identity and sexuality.
The library director ruled the policy is being followed and those books should stay in the children’s section of the library, not in the adult section.
Parents appealed her decision to the library’s board, but board members sided with the director.
The county council could decide to change that board at a meeting on Monday.
At a meeting in May, Councilman Tom Audette said there are more than 400 children’s books addressing those topics at York County libraries.
“This page says to be a girl, to be a boy, to be both or be neither,” Audette said. “This is the content that’s in these libraries and our kids, our grandchildren, are seeing this content. To me, this is unacceptable. This should not be happening in our libraries.”
When petitioned about the matter, the library’s director and the library board decided to leave the books where they are.
More than 2,000 people have signed a petition asking the county council to stop all efforts to remove or relocate the books.
However, the county council could vote Monday to remove at-large members from the library’s board. That would whittle the board from 10 to seven members.
Leaders have not said if that is in response to the decision about the books.
“My understanding is the reason behind this is, they’re having trouble with attendance, so if they’re having trouble with
attendance they can’t vote because they don’t have a quorum,” said A. Watts Huckabee, a York County councilman.
The library director said Friday that her board meets all attendance requirements.
She said the board has asked for clarification on the motion.
They’re still waiting to hear back, she said.
Melissa Carr has two kids who visit the York County Library.
“I let them pick out whatever books they want to pick out and then I leave it up to me on whether we’re going to check it out or not,” Carr told Channel 9.
Carr said she doesn’t agree with a recent push to move kids’ books, which address gender identity and sexuality, to the adult section.
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