Marathon County Retains Challenged Books in Juvenile Collection

According to the Wausau Pilot and Review in a November 28, 2022 article, the Marathon County Board "voted unanimously to endorse recommendations of a book review committee that will keep two challenged books in its juvenile nonfiction section.

This is pretty big news. There was a concerted effort by both a number of citizens AND county supervisors to have the books removed.  There was real pressure on the library when some of those county board supervisors appeared to support a retaliatory budget cut to the library. 

The article is fascinating - and hopeful - from a number of key points:

• the library has a collection development policy that they used in defending the books
• the library had a clear policy on addressing challenges
• the book review committee used the ALA Library Bill of Rights to emphasize that "parents - and only parents- have the right and responsibility to restrict access of their children - and only their children- to library resources. as well as other ALA docs to bolster their case.
• the committee dis their homework, citing the presence of the challenged titles in other WI libraries.
• library card applications signed by the parent acknowledge the parent is responsible for determining what resources are appropriate for their child.
• the library's corporation counsel did an overview on legal definitions/statutes in WI and stated that the library board has control of all library material and these materials have statutory protection. 

It also underscores the real importance of elections and consequences when a community elects representatives who are willing to put their personal views ahead of representing all the people in the community.

We applaud Marathon Co Library and its board for the successful defense of intellectual freedom.