Lewis County Commissioner Swope has alleged in vague terms, lacking any concrete examples, that the Timberland Regional Library system (TRL) and its librarians are “grooming” children, offering pornographic materials to them, distributing pamphlets advising children to keep their library cards secret from their parents as well as promoting monthly events that are unfitting in a library system.
He supports the idea that libraries should be a neutral place — no rainbows — just beige, for all patrons.
The library monthly calendar of events compiled by administrative staff includes multiple nationally recognized celebrations: Black and Women’s History months, National Poverty Awareness month, Universal Human Rights Month, as well as autism and mental health awareness and Native American Heritage month and more.
Perhaps Commissioner Swope is against Senior Citizens Day or Disability Pride Month? No, it seems abundantly clear that June is Pride Month and Immigrant Heritage Month — both classes of Americans who Swope and others would apparently like to have disappear from awareness or conversation.
Regarding grooming and pamphlets, librarians refer users to specific sections of their libraries; they do not advocate agendas. They are, in fact, tracked as to the amount of time spent with patrons. Having requested this “secretive” pamphlet at several branches, I know that it does not exist.
Perhaps Commissioner Swope would prefer children undergo lifelong trauma: if the hundreds of children abused by Catholic priests had had an idea of good and bad touching, they may have been able to say no or talk to other adults. No one should exist in a vacuum about their body until they reach adulthood.
Note: There is no pornography in the children’s section: just books on families, growing up, health and changing bodies.
Has Commissioner Swope forgotten that Centralia was founded and laid out as a town by a Black man? I doubt he was beige. A measure of a strong democracy is the value it places on all its citizens.
The TRL system is in a world of hurt — a $3.8 million-plus deficit, a resigned chief administrator, looming layoffs, and no levy lid lift for decades. Friends of the Library have been sidelined, suggestions on how to raise funds ignored, local history collections divested and outrageous expenditures commonplace.
Serviceable blue recycling containers were replaced with gleaming containers costing $200 apiece; nearly $400,000 in vehicles were purchased without going out to bid.
The overriding issue is not the unwinnable culture war proposed by Swope and Brian Mittge but the pressing need for extremely serious and timely changes that must take place in order to have a well-funded, reliable, respected, community-oriented library system serving everyone in five counties.
The American Library Association sums this up: “It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular or considered dangerous by the majority.”
Adrienne Touart
Olympia
