Dear Editor,
I’m hearing Book Banning is a topic of conversation in the upcoming April 4, 2023 elections for the Barrington School & Library Boards. In my time on the library board, no parent or patron has approached the Barrington Area library to ban a book. Parents with concerns about books in schools view a public library different than a school library.
I ran for the Barrington Area Library Board in 2021 and won a seat on that board. I ran because I am a frequent user of the library and closing it to the public for an extended period of time piqued my interest in library leadership. We have current Library board members who want to do something about misinformation. How exactly is misinformation to be defined? Labeling what one doesn’t want to hear as misinformation is censorship and has no place in a public library. At no time would we want a librarian to claim something is full of misinformation and then deny a book to a patron, or refuse to order a book for the library.
To assure The Barrington Area Library stays relevant, open, and with materials to offend everyone, I recommend voting for Chase Heidner, Kristin Cunningham, and Kelly Dittmann for the Barrington Area Library Board Trustee positions.
Thank you,
Anne Ordway – Elected Barrington Area Library Board Member