If you have been following the Pride vs Library story, you may be interested in the letter below which I sent to Halifax Pride this afternoon, and also, at Dan's suggestion, to the Chief Librarian.
You would not believe how many hours it took me to research and write this letter! No wonder I never finished my novel ....
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Halifax Pride and the Library
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2021 16:28:12 -0300
From: Lynn Murphy <lynn.murphy46@eastlink.ca>
To: adam@halifaxpride.com, Lynn Murphy <lynn.murphy46@eastlink.ca>
I am concerned about Halifax Pride's support for a petition requesting the removal of a book from the Halifax Public Library : and after the library's refusal, the decision to end Pride's partnership with the Library. I have read the statement on this topic that appears on your website.
I am concerned that any LGBTQ organization should call for censorship of materials, especially in light of the frequency with which LGBTQ materials have been challenged at the behest of special interest groups. In a list of the most challenged books of 2019 published by the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom, eight of the top ten were attacked for LGBTQ content.
The title in question, Irreversible damage : the transgender craze seducing our daughters, by Abigail Shrier, appears to fall squarely within the Collections Policy of Halifax Public Libraries. Judging from reviews, not all positive by any means, Shrier's focus is a parent's guide to Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, itself a controversial topic, widely discussed although not officially recognized as a mental health diagnosis. The Library's policy states that it aims to "make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which may be regarded as unorthodox or unpopular with the majority" and to "ensure public access to all sides of an issue." Irreversible damage seems to fit the description of an unorthodox work on a topic of wide interest (as evinced by the more than one hundred holds on the library's two copies).
A more positive way to complain about library materials is to suggest the addition of one or more titles representing a different viewpoint. A search for Irreversible damage brings up not only that item, but also a resource list of other library materials on parenting a trans child, thus ensuring access to many different sides of trans youth issues. The Library would no doubt be open to suggestions of additional titles.
Finally, I am disappointed by the ease with which Halifax Pride has cut off the long and positive partnership with the public library, bearing in mind that the library :
- has been a bastion of support for intellectual freedom, including providing materials from a variety of viewpoints
- has long supported the informational and recreational needs of the community through the purchase of LGBTQ-related fiction and non-fiction
- hosted a week-long series of noon-time programs during successive Pride Celebrations
I hope Halifax Pride will find a way to mend fences with the library - and will renew its dedication to intellectual freedom for the future.
Lynn Murphy
Former Chair of the Pride Week Committee (in the 1980s)
Former Adult Services Librarian with Halifax Public Libraries (Retired)
