Please click on the Blog tab to the left and read the post about this event at Fireside Books in West Bend on Saturday, August 1st. I encourage everyone in the community that is interested and available to attend to do so and to show their support to Fireside Books.
Many of the followers of this site and other members of the community (as well as citizens from outside the city and county) came together on Tuesday, June 2nd at McLane Elementary to share their views at the Library Board meeting.
After hearing public input (for about 2.5 hours), a motion was made to keep the Young Adult materials in place in the YA section, and not to move, label or otherwise restrict them. Each library board member had the opportunity to speak about the issues/complaint brought by WBCFSL. There are 9 board members, and 8 chose to speak. Each of those 8 spoke about the importance of a public library's role of serving the entire community and providing an atmosphere and collection that is unrestricted. Many also spoke of the importance of parents maintaining the right and responsibility to oversee their childrens' reading choices.
After the comments by the board members, they voted on the motion and it was unanimously approved to keep the YA materials where they are, unlabeled and unrestricted.
West Bend Parents For Free Speech is proud of the Library Board and thanks each of the members for their invaluble service to the community and for their support of intellectual freedom, free speech, and library patrons' right to read the materials of their choice.
West Bend Parents For Free Speech will continue to support the library, the staff and board as they deal with any continuing or future efforts to restrict access of materials.
A note about the name (3-19-09)
I have had a few discussions with local residents about the name of this website. Unfortunately, I am unable to change the URL or heading on this free website at this time. I wish I would have thought about the name a little more as I was creating this page. Instead of the heading you see, please think of this as West Bend Residents for Free Speech or Community Library Advocates for Free Speech or whatever term you prefer. This page does not mean to be unwelcoming to individuals in our community that are not parents or that live outside the city of West Bend, as this issue effects many other communities because of the library's inter-library loan program. Also, it is only intended to address this current issue of the recent complaint to the West Bend Library board about Young Adult materials. To me, this is a free speech/censorship issue, which is why I came up with the website name. The name is my doing alone.
This website was created to provide BALANCE to a current controversial issue facing West Bend, WI......a complaint made by local residents concerning some materials in the Young Adult Zone section of the West Bend Community Memorial Library.
This complaint was made by West Bend residents Ginny and Jim Maziarka and will be addressed at the next library board meeting.
I find the complaint to be ridiculous and a thinly veiled attempt at censorship. I am seeking like-minded parents and community members to discuss this issue and publicly present an alternate viewpoint on this matter. So much of the media attention to this issue has presented the Maziarkas' side, but there has been little representation (or balance, if you will) of other viewpoints and opinions.
This site offers the viewpoints of the site's creator and does not represent the viewpoint of any group. The Guestbook, Forums, and Blog comments allow visitors to share their views and opinions. The posts made there are by individuals, and do not represent the ideas of anyone other than the person who posts them.
I invite you to share your thoughts on this subject and forward the URL for this site to community residents that would be interested in discussing this issue
Radio Interview Link
I was on WBKV (1470 AM) on Monday 3/23/09 to discuss my views on the issue with Bob Bonenfant. Check out the station's website WBKV AM Radio.
