Pella community to vote on governance of public library

Oct. 21—Next month, Pella voters will decide whether the city council will have a role in deciding what books can and cannot be offered in the public library.

A ballot proposition will allow residents to vote on changing the structure of the Pella Public Library Board of Trustees. Resolution 6442 would limit the board's authority over the library and give power to the Pella City Council to revise library policies, rules and regulations. The ordinance would also give the city administrator the authority to supervise library staff, including the library director.

The proposition comes after community members attempted to remove or restrict access to Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir" at the library. An award-winning graphic novel, "Gender Queer" is described by its publisher, Simon & Schuster, as an autobiography that serves as a guide on gender identity. The book was first challenged by community members in November and December of 2021, prompting a review by the board. The board unanimously voted to keep the book in the adult section of the library.

Currently, the board independently controls how money is spent, the library's book selection, who is hired as the director and other functions. The board also reviews book challenges and decides whether or not to keep them on the shelves. The city council approves the library budget ($729,000 for fiscal year 2022-23) and appointments board members.

Most public libraries in Iowa adhere to this structure, with the exception of North Liberty and Clive, who are exclusively controlled by their respective cities.

In April 2022, the Pella City Council informally rejected a rough draft and early version of Resolution 6442 when councilwoman Lynn Branderhorst brought it to council. A petition was then brought to council with 700 eligible signatures requesting a referendum to vote on the ordinance.

Community members who oppose the referendum say the library should be a resource that serves the entire community, offering diverse materials free from political interference.

"We're very concerned about the potential of library policy swinging according to the political views of the city council members, so we're trying to get the word out that our current system is the norm in the State of Iowa," said Anne Petrie of Vote No to Save Our Library. "Libraries are different from other city departments because they deal with freedom of information and freedom of speech. This really is the right form of governance to keep free access to information for everybody in Pella."

Without the "insulating layer" of the board, they say an intrusion of political influence is likely, particularly ones that target LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.

"There is no pornography in the library," said Anne McCullough Kelly of Vote No to Save Our Library. "It's illegal to distribute pornography, so if the library is actively doing that, legal resources would've been involved long ago.

"When we look at the list of books that have been shared, it's obvious that the majority of the books are targeting communities of people in our state and in our country who have been marginalized and underrepresented for a very long time. A library as a public resource is there to provide literary material that shows a diverse representation of lived experience."

Supporters of the referendum say the changes would protect children by keeping material they view as harmful and pornographic from being easily accessible.

"Pornography is harmful, period," said Iowa Rep. Helena Hayes, a Republican who chairs Protect My Innocence, a group that led the charge on the petition and supports the referendum. "Not just to children, but to adults, and we all know how it damages men and women and marriages. It does not encourage safe, whole environments."

Hayes says it would also give citizens more say in how their taxpayer dollars are spent.

"The resolution would simply bring the library under the oversight of the city council just like other city departments," she said. "It's an equal representation of taxpayer dollars and also community voices."

Emily Hawk is the associate editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. She can be reached at ehawk@oskyherald.com.