The South Central Regional Library (SCRL) has dispatched its own delegation in response to a group of concerned citizens asking member municipal councils to withhold funding to the organization until, what they describe as sexually explicit material, is removed from library shelves.
SCRL Head Librarian, Cathy Ching, along with SCRL Board representative, Laverne Siemens, spoke in front of the Municipality of Rhineland Council at its regular meeting on Wednesday, two weeks after the citizen group presented there.
"I believe our voice has not been heard," said Ching when asked why they wanted to make the presentation. "The delegation has had many opportunities to present, starting with the (SCRL) board meeting in September in Winkler. We did not release any information except for some press releases, but now things are getting a little more agitated and we just feel we need to speak out and support our collection development policies, the people who want these books, the intellectual freedom/right to read whatever you want."
For Siemens, he felt Council needed to hear a balanced view on the situation. He outlined a few key points in the presentation.
"One is, legal counsel has told South Central Regional Library that the books in question do not break the Criminal Code of Canada, that they are legitimate, educational resources and as such, do not deserve to be pulled off our shelves," explained Siemens. "We also made clear about one of the books in particular that is being questioned, that indeed is not on our shelves but is an eBook available for downloading. So, that's not something the South Central Regional Library, on its own, has jurisdiction in. It's available through other libraries as well. So, the onus is on the parents there, as it is with them walking into the (library) doors, the primary responsibility is on the parents to watch what their children are taking out and reading."
Siemens also offered this point for consideration.
"We have whole sections (of books) that cater to our demographic here in Southern Manitoba. So, there's unique books on the shelf here that have been requested by people, that are checked out a lot by some people, you wouldn't even find those books - the inspirational books, the ethnic books - in other libraries. Some people may take objection to the fact that we have a whole shelf full of those kinds of books here, but that is catering to a group. No different than these other books that are being objected to, there's a clientele there as well. People need to remember that this picture is bigger than just that one narrow focus of those books they think are objectionable."
Both Ching and Siemens also took the time during their presentation to thank member councils for their ongoing support, noting it's the reason they can staff the branches and grow the collections.
"If our funding gets cut, that really puts us behind the 8-ball," said Siemens.
"To lose funding, what do we cut?" asked Ching. "Do we cut staff? Do we cut collections? They want funding cuts, but they don't get to say what we have to cut. We have to make hard choices, and if its reduced hours do residents really want to see that? I don't think they know what they're asking or what the ramifications are."
According to Ching, of the over 5,000 residents in the Municipality of Rhineland, 54 per cent have active library cards with SCRL and have checked out over 33,000 books in 2022 alone.
She noted, SCRL is well known throughout Manitoba for being a very successful and vibrant library system with a great board of directors.
"They support us, and I feel really supported by everyone. We will move through this, a little tougher maybe, but we'll be okay."
Ching will be taking her presentation to the RM of Thompson Council on Thursday, and to the City of Morden Council next week Wednesday.
Meantime, the Town of Altona Council has issued its decision on the matter, following a citizen delegation at the end of November.
"The South Central Regional Library is an essential service in our community, and we support our library board and staff, their knowledge and expertise, and the decision they’ve made on this request," said Mayor Harv Schroeder. The decision has also been posted to the Town's social media pages. "While we recognize that the library may provide materials that do not appeal to each and every patron, it is important that all legal reading materials remain available so that each patron is free to make their own choice. For these reasons, we do not support the delegation’s request to cease funding the library."