Sarasota County Commission votes to end memberships in state, national library groups

VENICE − The Sarasota County Commission voted to stop funding the county public library system’s membership in the American Library Association and Florida Library Association Tuesday, despite the urging of almost 60 speakers who spoke for roughly two hours Tuesday morning.

In doing so, board members decried public comments that linked the prospect of book banning to the decision and side-stepped social justice issues related to ALA President Emily Drabinski while keying in on her self-professed Marxist leanings.

After  Drabinski was elected as ALA president in June 2022, she described herself as a “Marxist lesbian” in a Tweet that she later deleted but, according to NBC News, that tweet became fodder for conservative Republican legislators to call for defunding the American Library Association – specifically because of her Marxist leanings.

Sarasota County Commission Vice Chairman Mike Moran said his concern was that the American Library Association and its leadership is following a political agenda "in the words of these associations (backing) ‘social justice initiatives.’”

At the same time board members did not address the misconception that the associations influence whether children have access to inappropriate materials, since all access choices are made on the local level.

Commissioner Joe Neunder also cited what he called the book-banning misinformation and referenced concerns about Marxism influence “whether it’s Marxism or fascism they try to infiltrate.”

But he then equated the vote to protecting children when it came to reading materials.

“This has everything to do with keeping books in age-appropriate sections for our children,” he added.

Sarasota County Commission vote turned on library association politics

In making his motion to end spending for memberships in the state and national associations, Moran said that for all associations, “Sticking to their core trade is important to me.

“We’re drifting into areas where these associations are acting like political action committees.

“My fingerprints will not be on a penny that goes to them, if I have a say in the matter,” Moran later added. “I'm very open to revisiting membership … if they are willing to stay focused.”

Commissioner Neil Rainford, who seconded the motion, said when he read the association's website, “Their first point on the web site is advocacy … I think their first point should be literacy.”

Commissioner Mark Smith, the only no vote in a 4-1 decision, said he was concerned about the potential impact on continuing education for Sarasota County library professionals and asked Renee Di Pilato, director of libraries and historical resources for Sarasota County to weigh in.

“We are members of ALA but we don't march in lockstep with any organization,” Di Pilato said, then noted that, in addition to professional accreditation, the association provides professional training and discounts.

“Many of us are personal members of ALA but a lot of our staff cannot afford that membership on their salary as a new librarian,” she added.

Sarasota County pays annual dues of $1,300 to the American Library Association and $2,673 to the Florida Library Association.

Ann Hardy, a retired Sarasota County librarian, had noted that she relied heavily on the American Library Association in devising how to implement a mobile library system.

“Who else could I have reached out to for this information?” she added.

Commission Chairman Ron Cutsinger, a former president of the Friends of the Elsie Quirk Library, said the decision for him was personal and noted that he, too, would be in favor of rejoining the ALA if it dropped its politics.

In reference to Drabinski, Cutsinger said, “This was an elected position and the directors at this point have not pushed back on that.

“My love and support for the libraries has nothing to do with our concern for this organization,” he added.

Public comment favored retaining membership

Several conservative speakers addressed the commission Oct. 24 asking that the county end its membership in the two library associations.

Many of those individuals were politically active in the 2022 campaign that flipped the Sarasota County School Board majority conservative, raised concerns over how Sarasota Memorial Hospital treated patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed for the County Commission’s recent vote to adopt resolutions backing “medical freedoms” and declaring Sarasota County a Bill of Rights sanctuary.

Conni Brunni, president of the Sarasota County Republican Assembly Chapter, as well as leader of Sarasota's Moms for Liberty chapter, had previously said that the push for the commission to defund the two library associations is part of an effort supported by the Christian Family Coalition through the Sarasota County Republican Assembly Chapter.

A majority of the residents who spoke in favor of maintaining membership in both professional development organizations linked the issue to book banning and a rise of authoritarian government.

Several drew parallels to the thought police in George Orwell’s “1984,” and the book burners in Ray Bradburry’s “Fahrenheit 451.”

Speaker Donna Cubit-Swoyer noted that, “When children come to the library they should be supervised by their parents at the library,” and presented the board with a petition signed by more than 400 residents in support of the libraries and association membership.

Robin Taub Williams later presented the board with petitions containing more than 600 signatures.

Neal Draznin stressed that the American Library Association is a professional association and a vital link for Sarasota County librarians to keep abreast of professional development learning opportunities.

“We need librarians able to function as technology changes,” he added.

Sarasota County resident Kelly Lavin, a member of the Library Foundation of Sarasota County, noted that all decisions on the content of county libraries are made on the local level and equated a library card with a card for freedom.

Fear of 'Marxist ideals'

During more than an hour, speakers shared similar viewpoints, until speaker Barbara Vaughn said that the effort to end financial support for the library associations is not about banning books but is a reaction to what she claims is the agenda of ALA president Emily Drabinski, a self-proclaimed “Marxist-Lesbian.”

“Nobody that I know, except people on the liberal left, are talking about banning books – that's not what this meeting is about,” Vaughn said. “This meeting is about whether to pay for membership in a group that claims libraries need to be a site of socialist organizing.”

Clayton Taylor called the current leadership of ALA a travesty and called for Sarasota County to follow suit with Citrus, Lee and Collier counties in ending financial support for the ALA and the Florida Department of State, which will not accept grant applications from the association.

“Our money needs to go to a new library association in Florida,” he added. “If f the ALA ever fixes its board and changes its ideology issues to other than Marxist, perhaps we can rejoin at that point.”

In an email statement sent to local media Wednesday, Sarasota County Democratic Party Chair Daniel Kuether condemned the vote.

"Commissioners Mike Moran, Neil Rainford, Joe Neunder, and Ron Cutsinger – none of whom is a librarian or educator – have decided these two century-old non-profit and non-partisan organizations threaten our outstanding public libraries,” Kuether said. He later urged county residents, regardless of political party to call or remind the four board members, “ that our libraries' longstanding memberships in the ALA and FLA are not one of the urgent issues facing county residents."

Instead he urged the board to concentrate on the lack of affordable housing, the impact of development on the quality of life in Sarasota County, and two areas that are out of commission control, “skyrocketing home and auto insurance rates.”

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota County to cut ties with state, national library associations