LAB fails the test

By John Labriola - The Citrus County Library Advisory Board (LAB) on Tuesday voted to keep the sexually vulgar LGBT novel "Here's to Us" in the Young Adult section of the Central Ridge Library in Beverly Hills, rejecting a resident's request to reconsider the book's placement. 

Earlier this year, Mike O'Connell of Floral City challenged 26 library books, including one that was removed from circulation by Library Director Adam Chang after Commissioner Diana Finegan called it pornographic and shared excerpts with her commission colleagues. 

Following weeks of review, Chang decided to keep the other 25 books in the system, but O'Connell appealed the decision on "Here's to Us" to the LAB.

During about an hour of public input, O'Connell and others mostly argued against the book, one resident calling it "degrading" and "shameful." But the LAB rejected a motion by Vice Chairwoman Edith Ramlow to move the book to the adult section. Only Chairman Justin Strickland and member Elaine Kleid backed the move. Members Mari-Elain Ebitz, Burke Reagan, Robert Bramlette, Lorraine Benefield and Ken Jones were for keeping it where it is. Lenora Nelson was absent.

Benefield said the book was an "exceedingly shallow...very immature harlequin romance for the gay community," but she wanted to let it stay in the Young Adult section because of Chang's decision to redesignate that section to ages 15 to 18, up from ages 12 to 18. (It's unclear if the new designation is anything other than academic, as no signage has changed in the libraries.)

Several LAB members said they were OK with the vulgar language in the book because it's commonly used by minors, but Margaret Peary of Crystal River, who works as a substitute teacher, condemned that attitude.   

"For us as adults to lower our standards because that's the common thing today, that is wrong," she said. "That is the biggest problem in the classroom. When there is no respect, there's not a lot of learning. I'm asking you as adults to raise your standards, not us to come down to theirs."

The County Commission will have the opportunity to change the LAB's membership before Jan. 31, when four members' current terms expire.

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