Ginny Maziarka Continues Scare Tactics; Should Focus on Child Literacy Instead

Pointing to this stale coverage of the West Bend library controversy by a conservative Christian news site, Ginny Maziarka repeats her claims that the library is unsafe for children and young adults.

Recall after the library board refused to move books or change their procedures, Ginny declared the library x-rated. Now, she's saying the library is "sexualizing" children, merely because it shelves the same few young adult books dealing with sexuality (both hetero- and homo-) in the same ways the vast majority of other area libraries do.

I tire of trying to retort all of Ginny's ignorant rhetoric (and I've been banished from commenting on her site anyway). However, I strongly urge everyone to read the comments of "Local MLIS Student", who calls on Ginny to stop being so negative and confrontation, and instead focus on youth literacy:

Honestly, you should really stop and consider the fact that so many other area libraries shelve the books you question in Young Adult sections. You should stop and consider the fact that the books you question are written, promoted, and shelved for young adult audiences, not children. You shoudl stop and consider that numerous professional and academic publications and experts view these materials as appropriate for young adults.

You should stop and consider that nearly everyone can find books in a library they don't agree with. That's the nature of a free society with freedom of expression. This isn't some kind of liberal agenda, nor some kind of conspiracy by the ALA to run local libraries. It merely is nature of the kind of society we enjoy.

If I were you, I'd focus my energies on teaching kids how to judge sources of information, how to make informed decisions about all the media content they encounter, how to reconcile the information they confront with their personal beliefs (and belief systems), and how to get along with people whose belief systems might differ from their own.

This is how we protect children; not by putting certain information out of reach.

Well spoken. Will Ginny listen?