Conversations continue among Ozarkdale County Library officials about how to handle book reconsideration requests.

The board has already acted on one of only two known reconsideration requests in its history, but on Wednesday the board asked how it should address such challenges in the future. There was no consensus on the matter.

The agenda included a vote in which the anonymous review committee's decision could be the final say on a book's inclusion.

However, with board member Christina Faulkner absent, Chair Liz Delaney and Vice Chair Michael Cairns asked the board to consider deferring the policy change until its next meeting so that all board members could attend. requested members.

But board member Monica Carroll, who suggested in a written statement that she would “bring a match” to include LGBTQ books in the young adult department, opposed the policy change. She argued that the board answers to the people and should have a say in whether it agrees with the review board's decisions.

Delaney said giving the library board the final say could “negate” the board's work.

“If we ask them to read a book, do all the research on that book, meet as a committee, and they give us the results, we can override them. Then we're basically overriding their decision,” Delaney said.

Carroll told Delaney that she disagreed with that idea.

“I'm the one responsible. The patrons come to me and ask questions. I'm the one who comes to them and we're the same,” Carroll said. “We have to cater to our patrons.”

Ozark's current system is nothing special and is very similar to the process in Prattville, which is at the center of a campaign to challenge book publishing. Gadsden also plans to institute a committee review process, but he is giving the final say to the library board.

However, Ozark does things a little differently, using an anonymous three-person committee of lawyers, professors, and high school teachers.

Carroll said he was concerned that the committee is not only open to the public, but also anonymous to board members.

Delaney said he requested anonymity due to concerns about pressure on the committee by board members.

Mr Cairns argued there was no real point in establishing a separate review committee if the board could intervene and overturn it.

“If we had a committee that would take the time to review these books that are up for review, and they would make a decision, and we would go against that decision, why would we have a committee in the first place? What’s the point of doing that? Why not vote for yourself?”

Meanwhile, Ms. Carroll asked what would happen if the library committee did not agree with the committee's recommendation, expressing dissatisfaction with the committee's initial recommendation to keep “Mirror Season” in the young adult section.

“It's with great regret that we have decided to put 'The Mirror Season' back on the shelves,” Carroll said. “If you think that book is OK, I don't know which book is not OK.”

Cairns also made it clear that he did not like the book.

“But I don't think we should be the judge, jury and executioner and should have the right to take out books we don't agree with,” Cairns said.

Carroll said she was carrying out the wishes of the “silent majority” who did not want the book to be in the adult section.

The board voted 2-1 to keep policy as is. Mr Carroll's motion was voted in favor of by new Dale County Commissioner Larry Maio, appointed by Mr Carroll's husband Chris Carroll, but the City of Cairns voted against the motion. Mr Delaney refused to vote on the motion because not all members were present.

The committee has also reviewed another assigned book, “Only Mostly Devastated,'' so the board will make a new decision at its next meeting.