Although the Irving City Council won’t meet this week, they’ll soon have something new on their plate: a new proposal to alter language in the city library system’s collection development policy.
The move comes after weeks of back-and-forth over how the current development policy should be changed, if at all.
At their April 6 meeting, the Irving Public Library Board discussed, modified and then submitted a slate of proposed changes to the framework guiding acquisition and maintenance of library materials. They were making changes to a set of potential revisions presented at their last meeting in March.
While the board went into the meeting with the policy’s original Diversity and Inclusion section struck through, their submitted proposal included a new version of the section, authored primarily by board member Christopher Wolfe.
KERA has requested a copy of the proposal with this week’s changes.
The public comment period took place before the potential revisions were modified. More than 20 speakers voiced their opinions on the changes, with most opposed to altering the current policy.
Resident Kim Black said she was “not sure why we’re here tonight,” as the library system has a current collection development policy in place.
“The library staff have instituted so many safeguards and changes recently to appease the Families For Irving PAC,” she said. “The newly worded book collection policy contains vague descriptions and relies heavily upon subjective content definitions.”
Families For Irving is a political action committee with a significant presence in Irving municipal affairs. On the group’s website, the first point in its Principles section reads, “Ensure Irving’s cultural services – including its libraries and arts – reflect the traditional family values of our community.”
Others endorsed the changes.
Resident Timothy Norman said the push for changes is “about protecting kids” from materials some consider “sexually explicit.”
Some board members objected to changing the policy at all. It was most recently updated in January, per the current document.
While discussing the changes, board member Gopinath Mavankal pointed to how recently the policy had been updated, and to the city's lack of a permanent library director.
“This has been approved very recently and what we are currently throwing out, or being considered here, is different from what the [Irving City Council] has already considered,” Mavankal said.
Assistant City Manager Rachel Wood explained that the proposed revisions to the collection development policy will be reviewed by city staff for “operational and legal concerns.” She said city officials are looking at a potential May 7 work session discussion on the topic.
After staff weigh in, the Irving City Council will work with the proposed revisions.
The board also received an update from the city on the library’s ongoing search for a permanent director, following the resignation of its previous head, Lynette Roberson. An interim director, Randy Robertson, has been in the role since late March.
Wood confirmed the city is finalizing its job posting for the library director role. She said staff hope to have the posting go live by the end of this week.
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
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