HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-28-2023 Library Board of TrusteesIowa City Public Library Board of Trustees
Meeting Agenda
August 28, 2023
2°d Floor - Boardroom
Regular Meeting - 5:00 PM
Tom Rocklin - President
DJ Johnk - Vice President
Hannah Shultz -Secretary
Lucy Santos Green
Joseph Massa
Claire Matthews
1. Call Meeting to Order.
2. Approval of August 28, 2023 Board Meeting Agenda.
3. Public Discussion.
4. Items to be Discussed.
A. Review and Consider Endorsement of Letter from Iowa City UNESCO City of
Literature.
Comment: Board action required.
5. Adjournment.
Robin Paetzold
John Raeburn
Dan Stevenson
If you will need disability -related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contoctlen Miller, Iowa City
Public Library, at 379-887-6003 orJennifer-miller@icpl.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to
meet your access needs.
Office of the Governor
Iowa State Capitol
1007 East Grand Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
Iowa is home to one of the most literary cities on earth. It is here where the
President
Iowa Writers' Workshop produced some of the greatest voices in American
Nick Kaeding
Literature: Frank Conroy, John Irving, Wallace Stegner, Raymond Carver,
Jane Smiley, Rita Dove, Ayana Mathis, Flannery O'Connor, Ann Patchett,
and so many others. Iowa is also home to contemporary writers producing
Vice President
works of fiction and non-fiction that are both bold in truth -telling and
Judith Leavitt
revolutionary in voice.
Treasurer
It's because of this legacy and the dedication of Iowans to producing great
Kellee Forkenbrock
writing, that Iowa City was declared a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008.
Often called the "Athens of the Midwest," Iowa City has a unique set of
secrets ry
influential literary institutions, which explore new ways to teach and
Maeve Clark
support writers. At the same time, it has long been, quite simply, a place for
writers and for readers: a haven, a destination, a proving ground, and a
Board
nursery. Iowa
Aron Ali
has a history and an identity in which its citizens take enormous pride,
Megan Alter
prizing a role in celebrating and honoring writers and good writing.
Alison Ames Galstad
Venise Berry
On May 26, Iowa's governor signed into law legislation that runs counter to
Anna Barker
that legacy. Senate File 496 prohibits books with written and visual
Ellsworth Carman
LaTasha DeLoach
depictions of sex acts from school libraries. The legislation also bans
Linda Farkas
written materials and instruction on "gender identity" and "sexual
Lisa Gardinier
orientation." This law was passed under the pretense of protecting children,
Jon Green
and yet what this law amounts to is a book ban that limits children's
Lyz Lenz
freedom of expression and access to knowledge about the world around
Karen Miller
them.
Caleb Rainey
Trinity Ray
Jesse Singerman
Laws that ban books run contrary to the history and legacy of Iowa as a
Barb Stein
place of great writing.
Far from corrupting children, books that teach children about sexuality
protect them. The World Health Organization notes that proper sex
education protects children from abuse and delivers positive health
outcomes that equips them to make responsible health choices and respect
others. This recommendation is backed up by three decades of extensive
research that shows unequivocally that sex education is essential for the
health and well-being of children.
Bans such as Iowa's limit children's access to quality health information
and breed a culture of fear for educators, institutions, and families, and
hinders learning for children. Additionally, book bans suppress student's
ability to see themselves in their own life experiences and to build empathy
and understanding for others. At a time when 86% of LGBTQ+ students
report being harassed or assaulted at school, this need for understanding and
empathy is more important than ever.
Iowa city UNESCO city of uterature
123 S. Linn St.
Iowa City, IA 5240
(319)887-6100
www.iowacityofliterature.org
info@iowacityoflitelature.org
Because of laws like Senate File 496 and so many others passed in states across the nation,
book bans are becoming state -sanctioned forms of silencing. According to the American
Library Association, there were "1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in
2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data about
censorship in libraries more than 20 years ago. The unparalleled number of reported book
challenges in 2022 nearly doubles the 729 challenges reported in 2021."
Part of being a UNESCO City of Literature involves the pursuit of freedom of expression.
Were Iowa City to apply for this designation today, the network would have cause to
question the commitment to these ideals given the current laws of our state.
It's ironic that Iowa, the home of The Field of Dreams, a book, movie, and place loved and
cherished by Iowans, written by W.P. Kinsella while he was at the Iowa Writer's Workshop,
also has a storyline that deals with book bans. In one scene in the movie, Sophie Kinsella,
the wife of the main character Ray Kinsella, stands up in a school board meeting to talk
about how the book being described as "smut" and "pornographic," a novel by Terrance
Mann, is actually a book of love and understanding.
Laws like Senate File 496 would ban classic works of literature written in Iowa and are
already having a negative effect on Iowans. In Vinton, two librarians resigned over book
bans. In Logan, a local author's book about her family was challenged. And across the state,
books are being challenged and removed from libraries and classrooms. As the new school
year begins, these efforts at banning will only increase. While individuals and parents of
young children can decide which books they read, it's tyranny to try to remove those books
and narratives from a school or a library and to seek to punish educators and librarians for
providing access to books.
Accordingly, the board of the UNESCO City of Literature along with [XX] institutions across
the state of Iowa strongly condemn any law that bans books and undermines the very heart
of, democracy and freedom — the very founding principles of what it means to be an
American and an Iowan.
Signed By:
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