The Lafayette Public Library Board of Control in Louisiana has been the subject of national headlines in the past year for its continued assault on the principles of library stewardship and First Amendment Rights. The rejection of a voting rights grant funded by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities silenced an important conversation about the history of fair elections in our country. Claiming the university professors set to moderate the discussion were “left-leaning” and insisting they wanted to improve the image of the library by offering “both sides,” the rejection of the grant was the first volley in the board’s assault on the First Amendment rights of its own patrons.
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Recently, the library has been the target of several challenges to materials in line with a national trend toward limiting access to anything deemed “offensive.” In particular, materials which feature LGBTQ characters or topics have been targeted. After several challenges failed to have books and materials removed from the library, the board voted to change the makeup of these Reconsideration Committees, giving themselves the majority vote and ensuring that any future challenges succeed.
These board members have also shown a complete disregard for public input, often ignoring public comment during board meetings and letting questions and emails go unanswered. This is a public library, a place that should offer programming and services to everyone in the community, not the few who share the viewpoints of appointed board members.
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We ask that you join Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship in demanding that the Board of Control introduce an agenda item at their next board meeting to reverse the recent change to Reconsideration Committee make-up. Returning the Reconsideration process to professional librarians, and ending their agenda-driven micromanagement of the library should be the board’s top priority. We also ask the elected officials responsible for board appointments to take the candidates’ support of public service in general and libraries in particular under consideration before making decisions about who will affect the future of our library.