Library board takes action to address national, state policies
Clinton resident Dr. Darryl Taylor advocates for age-appropriate materials to be available in the children’s section of the public libraries, during the Feb. 12 Anderson County Library Board meeting. (photo:Courtesy ACTV )
The new policies, approved Feb. 12, are separate from policies adopted in previous years regarding how individuals may challenge books, how parents may limit their children’s library cards, and which books may be placed behind the counter with only their covers displayed.
Those earlier measures preceded recent state and federal actions that prompted the latest votes.
One new policy calls for books in juvenile sections “to be reviewed to be in compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order, Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s directive and the age-appropriateness law.” The directives are linked to library funding.
Jess Ann Cole, who made the motion, said librarians had already begun the review. However, she said she made the motion “so that we can really define what I thought was really clear in Hargett and Trump’s orders.”
“I think we can be thorough,” she said, encouraging librarians, community members and board members to help with the process.
She said she wanted the books pulled from libraries until the board could review them.
The measure passed with six votes out of nine members present. It was unclear how many members abstained or voted against the measure.
Another measure by Cole, which also passed, requires posting online the books purchased by libraries in the system so residents can view them before they are placed on shelves. That measure passed 5-4.
In a separate 5-4 vote, the board approved removing books that include “gender ideology” from all sections of the library, not just the children’s section, even though that action is not part of the federal or state grant requirements.
The measures are related to an executive order signed by Trump on Jan. 20, 2025. While the order addresses multiple issues, one section states that “federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology,” which could affect some library funding.
Board members discussed which books might fall under that definition. The executive order includes language defining the term.
“‘Gender ideology’ replaces the biological category of sex with an ever-shifting concept of self-assessed gender identity, permitting the false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa, and requiring all institutions of society to regard this false claim as true,” the order states. “Gender ideology includes the idea that there is a vast spectrum of genders that are disconnected from one’s sex.”
Hargett sent a letter to library boards and directors statewide outlining steps to ensure receipt of state and local funding. He requested an “age-appropriate review” of all materials in juvenile and children’s sections, but not adult sections, with library directors providing reports on their reviews. The letter had requested a final report by Jan. 19.
At the Feb. 12 meeting, Library Board Chairman Shain Vowell said the county received an extension from the state after getting the letter late.
Hargett’s letter referenced not only Trump’s executive order but also “any other applicable state or federal laws” as standards for evaluating materials.
During the meeting, Clinton Public Library Director Miria Webb said her library considers the young adult section part of the adult section for purposes of policy.
In another measure, the board unanimously approved asking libraries in Norris, Clinton and Rocky Top to draft memorandums of understanding with their respective cities.
The agreements will be returned to the Library Board for review.
The Briceville Library already has an agreement with Anderson County. The Oak Ridge Public Library is not affiliated with the Anderson County Library system.
