Friends and neighbors,
The year-end purchasing report from our library is attached. I now have these reports for the last two years. Their topic tracking software, Collection HQ shows many diversity topics by which books are categorized. I encourage you to print out and look over these two reports. The first one is 2022, then 2023.
Here are some trends I observed:
The teen section (which is broken down into teen fiction and teen nonfiction) appears highest in all diversity codes, especially Equity/ Social Issues and LGBTQIA/Gender. (The LGBT/Gender category was renamed Sexuality/Gender in the 2023 report, but it is the same category.)
Some stats-
2023 LGBTQ purchases for teen fiction comprise 14.7% of teen fiction. In 2022, it was 9%.
Social issues/Equity for teen nonfiction comprise 21%, up from 20% in 2022. If you look over all DEI categories, the teen categories are soaring high above all others, with 42.7% for teen fiction and 50.5% for teen nonfiction, up from 36.1 and 47.7% in 2022. The targeting of our young people is apparent.
The June celebrations may have been downsized in 2023 compared to their 2022 bursting-with-pride displays, but the money spent on pride and liberal agendas is increasing, not decreasing. I am informing you of these trends, so that we can continue to pay attention to how our tax dollars are being spent.
We have a new library director, Jessica Breslin. Thoughtful, respectful civic communication may be in order. Her email is J.breslin@rrpl.org.
We have learned that many individual voices of rational, respectful citizens are effective. When we turn out at board meetings, our presence is also noticed. If we give angry speeches, it does bring out opposing views to counter us in less helpful ways. Some day, they will want to pass a library levy, and then we can all privately speak with our ballots, but that day won’t come very soon.
Thank you for your time. Please stay engaged. It’s our town, and our children ought to have a decent library.
Sincerely, Anne Douglas
The library collection should serve the interests of the community
The librarians at RRPL are clearly flooding the collection with LGBTQ+ titles (for children and adults), leftist social commentary, etc. etc., hoping to promote their interests rather than reflecting the interests of the community they serve. Meanwhile the Christian collection is old and limited and conservative, traditional material is sparse.
We can request that the library carry materials of interest to Rocky River, and we can also donate books to the collection! BUT do not simply drop off donations. These books go straight to the book sale. To ensure that your donated book goes to the collection, you have to follow a procedure.
The library buys "library bound" or "library edition" books from publishers. They suggest users request a subject area but you can also request a specific title!
Please see below from the website:
"You can honor the memory of a loved one, or recognize a birthday, anniversary, graduation, retirement, or other special occasion and help build the library’s book collection. Select the subject area of the book you would like to purchase and our staff will help select materials to enhance our collection. Items purchased with donated funds must meet the gift provisions of the Rocky River Public Library Collection Development Policy. Inside each donated book, Rocky River Public Library places a commemorative bookplate in the name of the person honored and the donor. For additional information or to obtain a book donation form, please contact the Adult Services Department at 440-333-7610 x 5501 or stop at the Reference Desk in the Library."
Here is a link to the form:
https://rrpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/bk_donate_frm.pdf
Let's help build the collection!
Make this the last Drag Queen Storytime in our library.
Click on the photo for news about our peaceful protest of June 2021.
What You Can Do
Contact:
Jessica Breslin, Library Director at director@rrpl.org 440-895-3716
Trent Ross, Deputy Director, at t.ross@rrpl.org 440-895-3727
Make your opinions known.
Request that the library purchase conservative and/or religious books and materials and check them out! The library should build its collection around the interests of the community. (See above for instructions on how to assist in this; a procedure must be followed to get a book in the permanent collection.)
Contact the library board of trustees or attend a board of trustees meeting to suggest appropriate programming for children and adults.