MASON CITY – The Mason City library board of directors will consider a request to ban two books at their meeting today.
According to director Mary Markwalter, “the library received two requests for reconsideration to remove the following books from the library collection: Let’s Talk About It by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan and
Sex is a Funny Word by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth.
“The requests came to me and I denied them,” the first time.
However, the book banners didn’t give up, and a request to reconsider the ban was submitted by the parties, allegedly two local women.
“The next step is for the request to be reviewed by the Library Board. The decision of the library board is final.”
An agenda item for today’s meeting says “book challenges” and public input is allowed. UPDATE: NIT confirmed “the books were challenged by Connie Dianda and Kathleen Easley,” and their requests are public record.
The board meets today at 4 PM at the library’s second floor board room.
UPDATE: No Board member made a motion to approve the book challenges, so the agenda item died and there was no debate.
5 thoughts on “Mason City library board to consider banning books tonight”
It is telling that Dianda and Easley didn’t show up for this meeting to defend their request.
They never do. They write stupid letters with demands, then when they actually have an opportunity to defend their ridiculous positions, they chicken out Every time.
Here are two reviews of both books that someone wants banned from our library. Seems to me if you don’t want your kids reading these books, don’t let them but that is no reason why another parent shouldn’t be able to allow their kids to read them. Maybe those parents want to talk with their kids about sex and these books give them an opening to do so. Find something else to complain about.
https://www.slj.com/review/lets-talk-about-it-the-teens-guide-to-sex-relationships-and-being-a-human
https://www.slj.com/story/sex-is-a-funny-word-a-book-about-bodies-feelings-and-you-by-cory-silverberg-slj-review
usual suspects
I am surprised you aren’t defending them.