Books in Mason City library that offer children lessons on sexuality divide citizens, could be “banned” at Tuesday meeting

MASON CITY – The Mason City library board is meeting Tuesday afternoon, and things could get weird when the agenda reaches the “Book challenge” item, as some citizens are furious that certain books available to kids offer startling images of human genitalia, naked lessons on how to get wild pleasure, or even transmit po r no graphic material.  Meanwhile, other citizens who want kids to have access to these books are equally disturbed that they could get banned altogether or moved farther away from the “children’s” area.

Apparently, there are some books in the Mason City library that are of questionable nature and are easy for kids to pick up, open, look at, and even checkout. These books offer appalling images of human genitals and lessons and stories on giving and receiving pleasure of a sexual nature.  The following are example pages from a book in question, Let’s Talk About It.  There are pages with much more illicit images, but not suitable for publication in NIT.  This book is freely available in the MCPL in the “young adult” section:

NIT asked Library Director Mary Markwalter exactly where some or all of these books are located: “Where exactly in the library are these books placed? Are they in the children’s section, near the children’s section or not anywhere near the children’s section?”

Mrs. Markwalter offered the following information is response:

At the request of anonymous people, Supervisor Chris Watts wants the library to remove or change the location of several books. You can get the list from Supervisor Watts. Although the list is not correct. Rockwell Public Library does not have any of the books, the person who informed Mr. Watts about this, “Jason” no last name given, was looking at the wrong website while gathering information for Mr. Watts. The Rockwell Public Library has none of the books in the library catalog nor on the shelves. THE ROCKWELL CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY has the books listed on “Jason’s” no last name given, report to Supervisor Chris Watts.  Supervisor Watts has contacted many people about this to no avail, including hours on the phone with me. Supervisor Watts says that he wants to handle this privately and does not want to have the “shitstorm” that happened a few years ago with the Mason City School District book ban requests.  It has been explained on several occasions by me and others that the Mason City Public Library has a formal process in place to challenge books in the collection and that said process needs to be followed by anyone who wants to challenge a book. In fact, some of the books mentioned were challenged at the Mason City Public Library in the summer of 2025. The “challengers” did not attend the library board meeting. Tim Stumo completed and submitted the challenge forms for Connie Dianda and Kathleen Easley, who signed the forms. Mr. Stumo informed me earlier in 2025 that before I could meet with Representative Christian Hermanson about another statewide library issue, I would have to remove these books from the collection and/or move them to a different section in the library. Needless to say, I never got to have a meeting with Representative Hermanson. Supervisor Chris Watts has said that he has the votes on the Board of Supervisors to withhold County funding from any Cerro Gordo County Libraries who have the books listed and will not remove the books and/or move the books to a different section of the library.

In a follow-up email, Mrs. Markwalter offered more details:

The following books were given to me by Chris Watts
Sex is a Funny Work (is in Young Adult)
Let’s Talk About It (is in Young Adult)
Tricks (is in Lost Status and is not in the library)
All Boys Aren’t Blue (is in Young Adult)
Looking for Alaska (no detail given)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (is in Adult section)
The Bluest Eye (is in Lost Status and is not in the library)

The Young adult section is in a separate room from the Children’s books as are adult fiction and nonfiction.
There is also a Middle Grade Collection that is not in the Children’s room but is in between the Children’s books and the Young Adult Books

NIT did follow up with Cerro Gordo Supervisor Chris Watts, who has taken a role in investigating this dilemma. He told NIT that the above book images are just a sampling of what is available … “And a whole lot more than that.”  Mr. Watts affirmed that citizens had approached him about certain books offered in the Mason City library and other libraries in the county. He told NIT that he represents all citizens and “it’s my duty to follow up and see what the issue is, if it’s actually an issue, and what can be done to placate everyone… We have no intention of banning books.”  He also told NIT that state law mandates that county funds be allocated to the libraries and that the board cannot cut the funds.  He plans to attend Tuesday’s meeting.

NOTE: There is a bill in the Iowa Legislature right now, that might address adult materials in libraries.  HF 2309 This bill would create a definition of “harmful to minors” relating to content. It would require that libraries get affirmative written consent from parents for minors to access library materials with varying levels of access. It would create civil and criminal penalties for libraries, library trustees, and library employees personally.

Mason City library board members, according to MasonCity.net:

Carrie Berg
Darshini Jayawardena
Jennifer Lee
Erick Nganyange
Judy Pedalty
Dennis Reidel

Meeting agenda: