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Librarians nationwide have been feeling the heat from their communities. It’s been no different in Wyoming. For the past two years, the Campbell County Public Library has been the center of community outrage. The main issue is relocating or removing books on sex education and LGBTQ+ issues for children and teens. That debate recently escalated.
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Brandy Elder, the county’s human resources director, was unanimously approved on Aug. 8 until a permanent director is hired. Longtime director Terri Lesley was fired over her refusal to remove or relocate books on sex education and LGBTQ issues for youth.
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The board voted 3-2 to revise the job requirements for the library director position and further distance itself from the American Library Association.
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The 4-1 vote was held at a special meeting on July 28. Despite no official reason being given, board chair Charles Butler and member Sage Bear had asked for Lesley’s resignation a day earlier due to her refusal to remove or relocate various titles.
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The 3-2 vote revised the policy to include language proposed by the Liberty Council, a Florida-based nonprofit that advocates and litigates for evangelical Christian values. It also removed mention and content provided by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Wyoming Library Association, with whom ties were formally severed in October 2022.
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The Campbell County Library Board amends mission statement, cuts ties with state library associationThe board has attracted both praise and criticism from members of the community over the past 15 months due to the library including books on sex education and LGBTQ topics in their collection aimed at children and teens. They also voted to cut ties with the Wyoming Library Association, amend the library's mission statement to include language on reflecting community values, and continue with plans on forming a commission to vet books for children and teens for content.
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The county commission appoints the board, whose serve three year terms. This is the first time since earlier this year that there has been a full board after resignations, term limits, and decisions against serving additional terms left several vacancies. The library continues to draw criticism from some in the community about books on sex education and LGBTQ issues aimed at children and teens.
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Campbell County Library Board and Commission meetings have been venues for some members of the Campbell County community to voice their opposition to books in the library that discuss topics on LGBTQ and sex education aimed at children and teens.
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Books on LGBTQ issues, sex education, and gender identity have come under fire by some activists and members of the Gillette community who find them offensive and objectionable. The library says it includes materials to serve a broad set of views, even if some may find them controversial.