Several residents call for removal of books from county libraries

Robert Perea, The Fernley Reporter

Several Lyon County residents are asking the Lyon County Library Board to remove books they believe expose children to harmful and sexually explicit material, make it easier for residents to remove books and other materials and sever ties with the American Library Association.

Four residents submitted letters to the Library Board for its Sept. 24 meeting, and six spoke during the public participation agenda item. Each of them said they were responding because of agenda items in which the board was considering updates to several policies, including the Reconsideration of Library Materials Policy and Reconsideration of Library Material Form.

In response, the Board removed those items from the agenda due to incorrect wording and voted to form a subcommittee to come up with some additional policy changes in response to the public comments. Board members Deanne Davis and Jan Schardt were named to the subcommittee. (See editor’s note below.)

The Library’s Reconsideration of Materials Policy acknowledges the right of patrons to object to the presence or absence of any library material and lays out the process for someone to make a complaint or file a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form.

A patron who is dissatisfied with the Library Director’s decision can then appeal the decision to the Library Board.

Some of the speakers and writers asked that inappropriate materials be put in a different section away from children’s books or in a place not easily accessible by children.

Others said the process to remove materials should be easier.

“I think that tax payers in Lyon County should have an easier time controlling what is available for our youth,” wrote Charlotte Stewart, who identified herself as a mom of two children who are homeschooled. “If a book is not appropriate it should not be hard to remove it.”

Only one of the commenters, Debbie Mason, named a specific book or author they objected to.

“I know this is happening because I have personally gone to the Dayton Library and read the books and I have pictures of the pages of vivid description of sexual scenes and rape descriptions shelved in the young readers section,” Mason wrote, citing “Court of Wings” by Sara Maas.

“Any of her books are extremely graphic,” Mason wrote.

Another letter requested the library have labels to help identify what type of content is in the book.

“As a mom, I would find a labeling system extremely helpful in deciding which books I let my children consume,” wrote Michelle Merritt. “Labeling would help me steer away from, or steer towards, books for my children.”

Several of the speakers and letters also urged the Library to sever any connection to the American Library Association.

Fred Schroeder, a resident of Dayton, said he believes local governing policies should reflect the will of the people of the community.

“This is not Clark County, this is not Washoe County. This is Lyon County,” Schroeder wrote. “We are not a big city, we are rural. We are not woke, we are not leftist. We want our libraries to reflect who we are and protect our children and provide rights to our parents.”

Some residents have reported that certain books have disappeared from library shelves, but Lyon County Library Director Wynne Prindle said that isn’t uncommon.

“There’s certain books that always go missing, that doesn’t mean they were taken off because someone wanted them gone,” she said.

The Library Board again had several policy revisions on its agenda for the October meeting, and Prindle said those were mainly to clean up wording. The Board will continue considering policy revisions at its next meeting Nov. 19 at the Yerington branch library.

Editors Note: At the September 2024 meeting, the Lyon County Library Board took action between item #4 and #5 to form a subcommittee that was not properly agendized. That action is therefore null and void.

The forming of a subcommittee was not agendized, and it never met. The Board is issuing a correction on the amended agenda for its Nov. 19 meeting. The agenda is posted at the Lyon County Agenda Center at lyon-county.org.