OREM, Utah, June 18, 2022 (Gephardt Day by day) — The Utah Library Affiliation is defending its letter charging censorship after the Orem Library didn’t place a Satisfaction Month show within the youngsters’s part, because it had final 12 months.

The ULA’s unique assertion, issued Monday, attributed the shortage of the library youngsters’s part show to directions from the Orem Metropolis Council.

“The Utah Library Affiliation turned conscious of a censorship concern at Orem Public Library by way of social media posts on Might 29 which acknowledged that the Orem Metropolis Council is forbidding the library from doing any shows within the youngsters’s space associated to Satisfaction Month in Utah,” the preliminary USA assertion says. Learn the complete assertion right here.

“The library director has indicated that regardless of the optimistic reception and grateful feedback from dad and mom final 12 months, there won’t be a Satisfaction show within the Youngsters’s wing this 12 months, and as an alternative there will probably be a single show in one other location within the Library away from the kids’s space.

“Within the curiosity of serving all members of the neighborhood, library workers have vast latitude to create or not create shows, and to determine the place to find them. Nevertheless, it’s unacceptable, and a potential infringement of citizen’s First Modification rights, when politicians intervene and direct workers to eradicate deliberate shows or have them moved to a much less frequented space of the library as a result of these politicians don’t like the subject or viewpoint being expressed. 

“Shifting a youngsters’s ebook show to the grownup part the place supplies is probably not age applicable for youngsters is problematic as a result of it really will increase the chance of exposing youngsters to materials that’s unsuitable for his or her age and makes the supplies much less accessible for households and tougher to find.”

The ULA letter charging censorship was additionally signed by Equality Utah, PFLAG Provo/Utah County, and the Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.

Orem Library director response

Gephardt Day by day contacted Orem Metropolis Council’s six members for response and didn’t hear again from any of them.

Gephardt Day by day did get an e-mail from Orem Library Director Charlene Crozier.

“I want the ULA management who drafted the assertion would have reached out to me for clarification, as a result of it accommodates false info,” Crozier wrote.

“It isn’t an correct assertion to say the Orem Metropolis Council has forbidden the Library to have shows within the Youngsters’s space. Orem residents have entry to high-quality amenities, an intensive assortment, and appreciable assets from the numerous ongoing help from the Metropolis of Orem.

“The Orem Public Library is a corporation that serves a big neighborhood, and a part of that service requires mindfulness of each neighborhood wants and considerations. To help members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and supply info and assets throughout Satisfaction month, a centralized show of supplies is obtainable.”

Crozier wrote that booklists for all ages may be discovered within the library and on-line, “and objects with a large illustration of LGBTQ+ matters and themes can be found for checkout.

“We’ve got a powerful assortment designed to assist any of our patrons discover info that they want and wish. We even have a superb and easy-to-use catalog and a pleasant and superb workers who’re able to serve anybody in our neighborhood.”

ULA response

Gephardt Day by day supplied the Utah Library Affiliation an opportunity to react to Crozier’s letter, and ULA despatched the next response:

“Listed here are the details:

• In 2021, in response to Satisfaction shows within the youngsters and teenage areas of the library, Metropolis Councilmember Terry Peterson mentioned, “I couldn’t be extra disgusted or outraged,” and recommended that “we have to shield our kids from such supplies.” [QSalt Lake article July 21, 2021]
• This 12 months, there are not any shows of age-appropriate supplies within the youngsters or teen sections.
• There was robust public help for the shows. (see change.org petition)
• On Might 29, 2022, workers members reported on Twitter that “The Orem Metropolis Council has forbidden the library from doing any Satisfaction or rainbow shows within the youngsters’s space”  [source]
• Within the 2021 QSaltLake article, Ms. Crozier made a lot of feedback relating to the appropriateness of the shows, and the appreciation she obtained from neighborhood members. Particularly, she commented:
  • ‘Highlighting LGBTQ+ objects throughout Satisfaction Month was additionally reflective of the spirit of inclusion town not too long ago promoted in its annual Summerfest celebration with the theme, ‘That is The place You Belong”‘
  • ‘Regardless that some have been involved concerning the shows, the general response to them was optimistic. Some dad and mom thanked library workers for providing the collection of supplies.’
  • ‘The objective of the Orem Public Library is to serve all of our numerous neighborhood’
• The article additionally reported that, ‘The Library Advisory Fee was conscious of the shows and helps the library’s efforts to serve a historically underserved inhabitants locally.

“These are the details as we all know them. We stand by our assertion, and we encourage the Orem Metropolis Council to publicly state that no member of the Council or Metropolis authorities expressed to the Director, whether or not immediately or not directly, any ideas concerning the appropriateness of any library shows associated to LGBTQ+ supplies or different observance of Utah LGBTQ+ Satisfaction Month.”

Gephardt Day by day will report new developments on this ongoing story.