| Agenda: | Pelham Free Public Library
Board of Trustees Meeting Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 7:30 p.m., by Zoom Join Zoom Meeting
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Topic: Library Trustees
1). Announcements, changes to the agenda:
welcome Maia our new trustee
2). Approval of previous minutes
3). Budget—Jodi
a). Warrant
b). Budget Report
4). Director’s Report—Jodi
5). Old Business
a). Professional Development policy
revision completion.
b). Library Website discussion- Diane and
Abbie
6). New Business
a)Discussion of bill S.2447, “An Act
protecting against attempts to ban, remove, or
restrict library access to materials”. Discuss submitting letter of support. See sample letter below written by Montague Library Trustees:
Dear Senator Comerford and Representative Blais,
Montague’s Library Trustees are charged with establishing policies for our town’s public library system that reflect community needs and interests, and with supporting our Library Director and staff in their work. We support bill S.2447, “An Act protecting against attempts to ban, remove, or restrict library access to materials,” first introduced in July 2023 by Sen. Jake Oliveira (Ludlow) and Rep. Aaron Saunders (Belchertown), and we urge you to co-sponsor it.
Challenges against books are on the rise nationwide, targeting particularly materials relevant to and supportive of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC youth. We have a sound policy for evaluating any patron complaint challenging a book in Montague’s collection, but we seek stronger protection for our community’s needs and interests that could be enacted at the state level.
This summer, Sen. Oliveira and Rep. Saunders introduced state legislation to “blunt book bans by putting up new requirements for libraries to receive state funds,” as reported by public radio station WAMC. Bill S.2447 would require public libraries to adopt the American Library Association (ALA)’s Library Bill of Rights, including its statement that “materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” to be eligible for State Aid from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. State Aid augments most public libraries’ budgets, supplementing the funding received from their municipalities.
This summer numerous states have experienced calls for book bans or threats against libraries and librarians. Moreover, according to the Washington Post, state governments in Montana, Missouri, and Texas announced that they are severing ties with the ALA, imperiling their libraries’ access to funding and training. This can happen here: WAMC reported that “what spurred the two western Massachusetts legislators to act was a proposal before the Ludlow School Committee earlier this year that would have removed several titles from the schools’ libraries. It ultimately failed without a vote. The sponsor admitted the proposal had been copied directly off the internet.”
Other states have recently taken action similar to what Sen. Oliveira and Rep. Saunders have proposed in Massachusetts: Illinois became the first state to outlaw book bans in its public libraries and public schools, and New Jersey is considering similar state-level legislation. Both these bills work the same way: requiring libraries to adopt the ALA Library Bill of Rights in order to receive state funding.
Sen. Oliveira and Rep. Saunders are seeking additional co-sponsors for their proposed legislation regarding public libraries. There are currently seven co-sponsors.
(We note there is a recent related bill regarding school libraries, currently still in committee as SD.2673; we appreciate that our Sen. Joanne Comerford is already a co-sponsor of this bill.)
By co-sponsoring S.2447 you will help protect Massachusetts library patrons’ access to the widest range of materials (especially those relevant to and supportive of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities), support our state’s librarians and library trustees, and continue our Commonwealth’s tradition of acting as a leader in embracing progressive values.
7). Confirm next meeting date: Wednesday,
November 8, 2023 at 7:30 pm |