Telford Borough Council denies motion to defund the Indian Valley Public Library over what one council member calls inappropriate library materials

Motion failed 2-5 after tense debate on age-appropriate library content

The Telford Borough Council Monday evening denied a motion to suspend borough funding for the Indian Valley Public Library, but not before hearing heated debate on library content.

The motion was made by council member Bob Jacobus, who in March unveiled a report he had compiled accusing the library of providing pornographic material to children. The report featured excerpts from a handful of books depicting gay sex, which Jacobus contended could inflict psychological and physical harm on children, including “anal tearing” and “AIDS.”

The report ignited a firestorm in the community over library content, with supporters demanding the removal of sexually explicit books and opponents alleging a false hysteria rooted in prejudice toward the LGBTQ+ community. At the March borough council meeting, Library Director Margie Stern stated that the books cited in Jacobus’s report are exclusively shelved in the library’s adult and young adult sections and are not accessible to children.

“Government money is to be neutral in the battle of ideas. If we don’t maintain neutrality, we are setting the community one against another,” said Jacobus. “So I’m filing a motion to suspend funding on a month-to-month basis until the library changes their philosophy and takes protecting children as the primary principle that they follow. That’s what I’m looking for.”

In response, Wendy Leshinskie, a member of the library’s board of trustees, reiterated that the books cited in Jacobus’s report are not shelved in the children’s section. She said that concerned parents can purchase a family card that enables them to oversee their children’s library selections. She stressed that the library stands for “quality materials” that encourage independent thought and represent the diversity of the community.

“We are not a church; we are a library for everybody,” said Leshinskie. “I am proud to stand for something that promotes open minds and open hearts. And I’m assuming parents have given their children a grounding in values and morals and trust their children to make these decisions.”

Leshinskie added that the library is a critical resource for low-income residents who cannot afford $30 books and do not own personal computers to update their resumes and submit job applications.

Council president William Ashley echoed Leshinskie’s remarks, noting that 72% of Telford residents are library members, the highest percentage out of all contributing municipalities.

Jacobus cited his “landslide” 71% primary election victory as evidence of community support for the motion and urged the council to “reflect the will of the people and do the moral and right thing.” Council member John Taylor quickly countered by noting the low primary election turnout at 28%.

Council member Eric Kratz, however, expressed support for Jacobus’s motion, urging the council to not shy away from conflict.

“I cannot prove this, but I believe that many of us hold the same beliefs that Bob holds. I don’t believe for a second that most of us would want any kind of harmful material to get into our children’s bodies or minds,” said Kratz. “I stand with Bob on this.”

Members of the public also weighed in on the motion.

“I think that there is a mission of the library to indoctrinate our children into these ideologies at young ages,” said Kaitlin Derstine. ” At the beginning of June, there was a table outside with the pride flag raised and all the materials. Children shouldn’t have to be exposed to this if parents don’t want them to be.”

“We have both LGBTQ+ and Black members in our family. It kind of pains me to hear that literature about their existence is indoctrination,” said Meredith Torres. “I feel very proud that my children can go to a place and see literature that represents people that they know and love.”

“I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. I am not trying to indoctrinate anybody, and to have people tell me that I’m doing something I’m not is kind of outrageous,” said Katherine Farina. “I appreciate our library. We’re only paying $20 per family for the library. We’re arguing about $20, and I think this is a little ridiculous.”

In the end, Jacobus’s motion failed by a vote of 2-5, with Jacobus and Kratz voting in the minority and Ashley and council members Emiline Weiss, Carolyn Crouthamel, Spencer Kulhanjian and John Taylor voting in the majority. Following the vote, the motion for the payment of the borough’s June bills promptly passed along the same lines.

As the meeting concluded, Ashley mentioned that the discussion is bound to continue next month as budget season begins.

“We’ll certainly have a lot of things to consider when looking at the budget,” said Ashley.

Originally Published: July 12, 2023 at 12:08 PM EDT

By John Worthington | jworthington@montgomerynews.com | The Reporter

Indian Valley Public Library