ST. CHARLES COUNTY — The library system here is keeping on its shelves almost all of the books challenged by residents after a statewide rule aimed at protecting minors from explicit content went into effect a year ago.
St. Charles City-County Library review committees are still reviewing one, officials said Thursday, but have only ruled against one, “Bang Like a Porn Star: Sex Tips from the Pros.”
“Some libraries across the state did see more requests,” Jason Kuhl, the library system CEO, said on Thursday. “But we haven’t seen as many as we thought we might.”
A year ago, some parents and library patrons pledged to go through the entirety of the library’s collection of nearly one million books and file dozens of challenges along the way. But in the end, the district said only eight requests for removal have been filed since August 2023 — a slight increase for a district that previously saw between three and seven book challenges per year since 2020.
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Books with LGBTQ-related themes and characters available in the library’s collection have been the target of public criticism from library patrons and county residents who consider them pornographic or obscene.
On Thursday, the system released the names of the seven books reviewed and retained: “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, Gender and Sexual Health,” “Where Do Babies Come From?” “Krampus Baby!” “What’s Happening to My Body? A Book for Boys,” “Everybody Counts: A Counting Book from 0 to 7.5 Billion,” and “The Little Coven.”
The book “Humble and Kind,” by Lori McKenna, is under review, officials said.
“We take every one of these very seriously, and we go through the due diligence of reviewing the items,” Kuhl said.
In addition, the district in December removed 10 books that contained “explicit photographs of sexual intercourse or sexual acts.” Those books, which were not identified by title, are still available to patrons but must be picked up from the circulation desk at branches.
Kuhl said the state rules had minimal impact on how the St. Charles library district handles book challenges.
“We have always had a reconsideration request form, that’s nothing new. There were some things that we had to do a little big differently, like putting the results online, but it didn’t really change much in terms of what we do each time we get a request,” Kuhl said.
The three-page challenge form asks the complainant about 10 questions and then it is submitted to the library administration. The library forms a committee of staff members from different branches and departments to read the book and provide a written response to the person who filed the challenge.
The committee makeup is changed each time a challenge is filed to allow for a variety of opinions to be heard, according to library officials.
The complaints against the books ranged from vocabulary to illustrations and concerns about a book’s subject matter.
“What’s Happening to My Body? A Book for Boys” was challenged by a patron who said they could only read 75% of the 233-page book and stopped because they were “disgusted” by the content and illustrations, according to documents obtained through an open records request. The district did not disclose the name of the patrons who filed the book challenges.
The book, which is intended for children 10 and older, was originally published in 2007 and address how a person’s body changes size and shape as they age, the importance of diet and exercise, the growth of body hair, romantic and sexual feelings and puberty in the opposite sex.
The book for boys also provides information on steroid abuse, acne treatment and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV-AIDS. Both books provide detailed illustrations and real-life stories throughout the book, according to HarperCollins, the books’ publisher.
The library district has six copies of the book and also carries the book in its e-book catalog. The book has been checked out 379 times since 2007, according to online records.
Another challenged book, “Everybody Counts: A Counting Book from 0 to 7.5 Billion,” is by Kristin Roskifte and was published in 2020. The library district has three copies of the book, which offers readers a “multi-cultural mash-up of seek-and-find puzzles and counting exercises” that features crowd scenes in locations including a public library, airport terminal, supermarket and a marathon. It’s intended for kids 4 to 6.
The book was challenged on the grounds that it was not appropriate and was “a strange guessing game.” The library’s copies have been checked out 136 times since 2020.
“The Little Coven” was challenged because it “makes witchcraft, which can be very dangerous, look light, fluffy and super friendly.” They also criticized the book for its depiction of astrology and fortune telling, both things the patron said can be “very addicting.”
The 32-page book details the childhood adventures of three female friends as they grow older and embrace the magic of their own personalities and gifts. “The Little Coven” is available at three branches and is intended for readers between 3 and 5 years old.
Another challenged book, “Krampus Baby,” is a 10-page children’s picture book takes readers to an Alpine village filled with European winter folklore, including Santa Claus. Krampus is a popular figure in central and eastern European yuletide traditions and festivals.
Editor’s note: The headline of this story has been updated to reflect the number of books removed by the library system.
Former library employee Lauramarie Olesnicki was among those people protesting ahead of Tuesday night’s St. Charles City-County Library Board meeting. She carried with her a sign that advocated for firing St. Charles City-County Library CEO Jason Kuhl. Video by Ethan Colbert, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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