The decision, made in a heated special meeting, is a change from their previous statement that they would halt purchases of all books for kids.
YORK COUNTY, S.C. — York County Library Board of Trustees has decided to halt purchasing any books for minors that include any sexual content.
The decision, made in a heated special meeting Wednesday night, is a change from their original statement.
Board Chair Anne Witte previously posted that they would halt purchasing all books for children, until “further clarification and guidance is received from the state regarding Proviso 27.1 and until the Attorney General makes a ruling providing libraries with guidance for collection development.”
However, multiple board members said this is not what they intended in their original meeting.
“Where does it say the motion had been seconded? Where is that? And who said it?” said Board Member Timothy Steele.
The Board of Trustees will release a revised statement once all members agree on it, but their concern with Proviso 27.1 still stands.
The new proviso says that in order to receive their funding, public libraries need to “certify to the State Library that their county libraries do not offer any books or materials that appeal to the prurient interest of children under the age of thirteen in children’s book sections of libraries and are only made available with explicit parental consent.”
The proviso does not define what “prurient interest” means.
“The problem with something calling something salacious is that that is going to be a line that is entirely different person to person,” Rayne Rickrode said. “Which parent? How often? And is it a book-by-book? Are they going to have to have a parent sign off on every single book that they bring in?”
Rickrode works for The Liberty Book Company in Rock Hill. She walked WCNC Charlotte through many of the repeatedly challenged books her store carries. Many of them are from popular authors, like John Green, or are focused on LGBTQ+ themes.
“I want to believe that the people who helped pass this measure do have the best of intentions at heart,” Rickrode said. “To see all of these books with previous awards, previous recognitions, then suddenly be put on the chopping block, just really makes me question what it is they think they’re protecting.”
As a local teacher, Tiffany Evans is also concerned. As a grandparent, she’s disappointed to know her 5th-grade granddaughter won’t have access to as many books.
“As parents, grandparents, teachers, then we can monitor what our own children are doing,” Evans said. “I don’t think the library is going to purposely put anything in here to change the opinion of kids and give them things that aren’t appropriate for them, so I think it’s kind of sad that they’re not doing that now.”
WCNC Charlotte approached both Steele and Witte for an interview after the meeting. Both said they had no further comment.
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