ASHLAND – Distribution numbers at the Ashland Public Library have increased four months after some patrons began calling a few children’s books pornography.
The period is about 30 percent higher than last summer, librarian Heather Miller said at a board meeting on Thursday.
She said a fairer comparison would be the summer before the pandemic, as circulation increased 11% from 39,775 items in August 2019 to 44,014 items in August 2022.
“That’s all the ingredients,” said Miller. “We don’t just measure books. We also have special items.”
Ashland Public Library receives news coverage
The increase could be attributed to many factors, the director said.
“People are running away,” Miller said. “Maybe so. Press is good press.”
In the spring, some parents began expressing concerns about the new titles in the children’s section of the library.
Their attention was drawn to three books: “Own Your Period: A Fact-filled Guide to Period Positivity” by Chella Quint, “Making A Baby” by Rachel Greener, and “Puberty Is Gross But Also Really Awesome” by Gina Loveless. I was concentrating.
Four Ashland County residents attended the Board’s June meeting. It is estimated that his July board meeting, held at the library, drew 200 people, and another 200 attended the August board meeting, held at the sheriff’s office.
No changes to books, placement at Ashland Public Library
A library board speaker said illustrations depicting genitals belonged to the adult section and that children should only view them with parental permission.
Others said the book was educational and that it was censorship to keep people from learning about their bodies.
At Thursday’s meeting, only six people were present. no one spoke.
The library director told members of the board that the library has received and evaluated many written requests regarding the book in question over the summer.
“It was determined that all the books were in their correct permanent locations,” Miller said.
Board Members Receive Anonymous Letters
The only public comment during Thursday’s meeting came in the form of a handwritten letter, which the library director said was given anonymously to a library employee.
“I would like to clarify that this is not my personal letter.
The author described them as “Ashland youth who have recently come to terms with being queer.”
“I am reluctant to speak to my family and community,” Miller read the letter. “I’m curious about how my life would have been different had I had a book that normalized same-sex relationships.”
The authors wrote that limited access to educational materials on sexuality made them feel “more confused” and “hurt and abandoned”. He said it would have been nice to have access at a younger age.
“I’m not a parent, and I don’t think I have the best solution to this whole problem,” the author wrote.
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