Photo by Evan Bevins Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library Executive Director Brian Raitz discusses the library’s policies during the public forum of Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting. A resolution censuring the library related to its display of a graphic novel with some explicit images during Banned Books Week was removed from the agenda after two of the three sponsors withdrew.

PARKERSBURG — Two Parkersburg City Council members withdrew their sponsorship of a resolution to censure the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library over the placement of a book in a Banned Books Week display, but the topic was still the subject of debate among members of the public at Tuesday’s meeting.

Councilwomen Jesse Cottrille and Sharon Kuhl said just before the meeting that they were no longer sponsoring the resolution.

“I pulled my sponsorship because all week I tried to communicate with both sides, trying to come up with a peaceful solution,” Cottrille said. “I don’t condone hate from any group. And I saw hatred being spewed from both sides.”

“It was just sad the amount of hate that came out of this, which was not the sponsors of this resolution’s purpose,” Kuhl said. “It got to the point to where this was not about our children.”

Councilman Bob Mercer said after the meeting he remained a sponsor. However, it takes at least three sponsors to get an item on council’s agenda.

Photo by Evan Bevins Carolann Stevens speaks about her concerns over the display of material with graphic sexual content at the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library during Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting, while an audience member holds up a sign opposing book burning in the background. People protesting the library’s display of the book “Gender Queer” and policy not to prevent cardholders from checking out certain items based on age say they don’t want such books banned, just kept separate from the rest of the collection.

The resolution was placed on the agenda after the Oct. 25 council meeting, in which Parkersburg resident Jessica Rowley spoke during the public forum about the library’s inclusion of “Gender Queer,” an autobiographical graphic novel about author Maia Kobabe’s struggle with sexuality and gender identity, in its September display for Banned Books Week in the main part of the library. Rowley said the book, which contains some graphic sexual images, was accessible to children and she was concerned about the library’s policy of allowing a cardholder, even a minor, to check out any material.

Kuhl said she was sickened by the images and would not vote for the library’s upcoming renewal levy, though she said later in the week that was not the sole reason she opposed the levy.

A protest was organized Tuesday evening along Emerson Avenue in front of the library’s main branch by the Mid-Ohio Valley Citizen Action Coalition. Demonstrators carried signs urging motorists to vote against the library levy, as well as a Wood County Schools renewal levy.

MOVCAC member Sean Keefe said he and others who raised the issue about the book had been defamed and compared to Nazis, with people saying they wanted to ban or burn books. He said they simply want books with graphic content kept separate from general materials.

“All we’re asking for is that age-appropriate measures be taken,” he said. “They have committed felonies. It’s illegal.”

Photo by Evan Bevins A woman walks away from the dais after placing a T-shirt bearing an image from the graphic novel “Gender Queer” in front of Parkersburg City Council Vice President Mike Reynolds during Tuesday’s council meeting.

Keefe and Rowley have said displaying books with images like those found in “Gender Queer” violate local and state obscenity statutes. Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board said Tuesday evening that no one has filed a report with the department.

Asked about the protest, library Executive Director Brian Raitz said, “Freedom of speech is worth defending for every voice. That’s what makes this country awesome.”

Raitz was the first person to speak during council’s public forum, with more than 170 people in the council chambers.

He said the library’s policies regarding its selection of materials and who could check them out have not changed in decades. The only time materials are to be locked away from the rest of the collection is to protect them from theft or damage, he said.

“The decision of what a minor may check out is the responsibility of the parent or guardian,” Raitz said. “The library is about access. We are not here to put up barriers.”

Photo by Evan Bevins Parkersburg resident Barbara Whipkey holds a sign during a protest Tuesday on Emerson Avenue in front of the Parkersburg & Wood County Public Library. Demonstrators are opposing the library’s renewal levy over a policy that allows a library cardholder to check out any material, which they say could expose children to inappropriate material, citing the display of the book “Gender Queer” during Banned Books Week in September.

Raitz said the library will make a change to its child card application form to make clear that a card provides access to all material at the library and staff will call the parent of every child with a card to reiterate that policy.

He also spoke about the struggles he had as a Christian and parent about how to handle potential library material to which he personally objected, referencing a particular book whose content has been objected to just as Council Vice President Mike Reynolds, overseeing the meeting in the absence of Council President Zach Stanley, told him his allotted three minutes were up.

“It’s called the Bible,” Raitz said, followed by loud applause and some boos.

City Clerk Connie Shaffer said about 35 people had signed up to speak during the forum. Council voted 6-2, with Kuhl and Reynolds opposed, to extend the public forum by 30 minutes after the standard half hour period ended.

Parkersburg resident Susan Sharp said removing a book because some people object to its content is a slippery slope.

“It may begin with an LGBTQ book … but it doesn’t stop there,” she said. “Somebody is always going to be offended by some book. And who makes that choice?”

Rowley said it was not just about a single book but an institution that is supposed to protect and support children exposing them to sexually explicit material.

“The only thing that I asked is for the law to be followed,” she said.

Carolann Stevens said she thinks it’s good to ask questions and good for material like “Gender Queer to be available but compared letting children be exposed to it to feeding kids foods that aren’t appropriate for their stage of development.

“I also don’t think we should have detrimental material put in front of children at a young age,” she said.

Anita Uhrhane said she has volunteered with the tax preparation program at the library for 15 years and said failure of the renewal levy, which provides about 30% of the library’s funding would have dire consequences.

“If you cut the funding to the library because of your objection to a book, you are hurting hundreds and hundreds of people,” she said.

Several people in the audience complained that more people got to speak in favor of the library than those challenging the library’s policies. One man asked if the additional 30 minutes was up, and Reynolds said it was and closed the public forum.

A number of people began to complain loudly, with one woman coming up to the council dais and placing a T-shirt that apparently featured explicit images from the book in front of Reynolds. Another woman began shouting, and Reynolds asked police to escort her out. She left before they did.

Mercer attempted to speak during the council forum but was shouted over. Reynolds called for the reading of two resolutions, which both passed on 8-0 votes. One allocated $50,000 to purchase a new pump and motor for the City Park pool and $30,000 primarily for repairs to a fire truck. The other added $134,369.07 to the Community Development Block Grant budget for the Minor Home Repair program.

After the meeting, some people began questioning Shaffer about the order in which speakers were called. She said later that she read the names in the order they appeared in the stack of signup sheets she received.

Mercer said he had wanted to tell people the council was not trying to ban a book or cut funding to the library. He said he just wanted the library to address concerns about explicit material.

“I’m voting for it (the library levy) tomorrow,” he said.

Raitz said he was glad the resolution was pulled and appreciated the turnout for the meeting.

“It shows the community is concerned,” he said.

Raitz added that “Gender Queer” is kept in the adult collection and has never been displayed in the children’s section of the library.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.