The Camp Verde Town Council held a special session on Wednesday, Aug. 23, to hear a presentation by the Camp Verde Community Library on its operations, policies and procedures.
In June, the Camp Verde Community Library put out a cart with books on topics related to LGBTQ issues and Pride Month. Afterward, according to posts on social media, some Camp Verde residents have attended Town Council meetings demanding that the librarians be fired, that certain books on LGBTQ issues be removed or placed in an adults-only section, accessible only by permission of a librarian. Other residents have allegedly been harassing librarians and checking out books without returning them so that others do not have access.
“The library supports the rights of individuals to privately read, listen to and view a range of published thoughts and ideas,” Hellman said. “No materials should be excluded from the library’s collection because of the race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political or social views of the author.”
Hellman discussed the selection process for library materials, adding that recommendations from the public are always welcome.
When selecting materials, preference is given to those that are relevant and timely rather than archival, enrich resources available in local schools, are donated items, are requested by patrons or are official documents or records of the town. Selection is also made on the basis of total effect in relation of the work to existing collections, popular demand, accuracy, topics of current interests, standard works of permanent value, ease of use, price and basic standard research.
The selection of materials by the library does not constitute endorsement of the content or views expressed in those materials. Materials are removed if there is a lack of demand for them, if they are obsolete or if they are in poor condition from use or abuse. Staff then determines if the item will be replaced.
The Camp Verde Community Library is part of the Yavapai Library Network, so all books in the county are available, either on site in Camp Verde or through an inter-library loan.
“Libraries and librarians make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular or may be considered dangerous,” Hellman said.
“The town takes all allegations regarding violation of state law seriously,” Camp Verde’s legal counsel said in a statement. “The town has reviewed claims Arizona Revised Statute §13-3506 [furnishing harmful items to minors] and §13-3507 [public display of explicit sexual materials] have been violated due to recent library displays. The town has no information at this time to support any violation of these statutes. The town council is reviewing its library catalogs and displays in accordance to policy.”
ARS §13-3507 states that “explicit sexual material does not include any description or depiction which, taken in context, possesses serious education value for minors or which possesses serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
“We will continue to provide materials that meet diverse interests,” library manager Nicole Metz-Andrews said. “Removing materials that do not align with one person’s beliefs is unconstitutional unless the material has been found by a court to be obscenity, child pornography, or, in the case of minors, material deemed harmful to minors.”
Hellman and Metz-Andrews read highlights from the Freedom to Read statement issued by the American Library Association, which begins with the statement, “The freedom to read is essential to our democracy.”
“The suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society,” Hellman added.
Hellman and Metz-Andrews encouraged those who have questions, concerns or comments about library policies and procedures to stop by the library and have a conversation with them.
“We are a community-centric organization that goes above and beyond traditional library services to bring new opportunities to our community,” Metz-Andrews said. “We support the traditional Western values of independence, the right to govern ourselves and to make our own choices. CVCL dedicates its resources to provide library services that are forward thinking while honoring a tradition of warm hospitality and the can-do attitude that built the library and the town of Camp Verde … All are welcome at the library.
“As librarians, we stand for the principles of intellectual freedom, the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction … Intellectual freedom leads to autonomy and the moral capacity to make our own choices. We cannot do this without access to information.”
Approximately 55 residents spoke during the call to the public. Camp Verde Mayor Dee Jenkins had to intervene multiple times to remind the audience to be respectful while others were speaking.
