CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi Library Board member, Dora Wilburn, is speaking out after a community member met with City Manager Peter Zanoni. That meeting held earlier this week between Zanoni and avid Library Board meeting attendee, Shawn Flanagan, included discussion on proposed revisions to the Corpus Christi Public Library’s Collection Development Policy.
“This is wrong. What’s happening is wrong and that’s it," Wilburn told Neighborhood News Reporter, Alexis Scott, while reading a message sent by Zanoni to the Mayor and City Council members.
That message reads:
Mayor & Council,
Yesterday, I met with Shawn Flanagan to discuss the proposed revisions to the Public Library’s Collection Development Policy recommended by the majority of Library Advisory Board members.
Mr. Flanagan proposed the following amendments to the policy:
-Placing existing and new books that contain sexually explicit material from the minor's section to the adult section of the library.
-Creating a library card system that allows parents to restrict their child from checking out material from the adult section of the library.
I will review Mr. Flanagan's proposed revisions with the Library Advisory Board Chair, Pat Craig, this Thursday.
I am in general support of Mr. Flanagan's changes. He and I both agreed that we need to finalize the parameters of "sexually explicit material" as its interpretation is subjective. An agreed-upon standard of what is deemed "sexually explicit" still needs to be finalized.
I will provide the City Council with an update and next steps following my meeting this Thursday with Ms. Craig.
There is a Library Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday, March 4 where it is expected that the Library’s Collection Development Policy will be discussed and potentially approved.
Wilburn believes the proposed revisions made by Flanagan should have been presented to the entire board, rather than only Zanoni. This process, she added, shows the power that a community member may have when connected to a city leader.
She told Scott the city's Library Director was also unaware of any meetings being held related to Library Policy Revisions. Wilburn wants library staff to also be included.
“When I read it, I thought to myself, 'Okay first of all, why is he meeting with this guy?’ And then this man, all the work that I’ve done to get on this board and he can just go get a meeting with him like that. He should meet with every body. Email the advisors and see if they want to come or whatever," Wilburn mentioned. "Even though I am busy, I would have stopped my life, because books are that important and I respect the staff, to go.”
Flanagan sending this message to community members, following his conversation with Zanoni:
Dear All, After our meeting on 18 February which was dedicated to getting porn out of the children's sections of the library, we asked for your prayers for a meeting I had with our City Manager, Peter Zanoni on Monday. Our prayers were heard and Mr. Zanoni agreed to implement all of our requested changes!!!
Praise the Lord! However, we are not home free yet. We need your prayers for a 10:30am Thursday meeting between Pat Craig, Melinda DelosSantos-both library board members and the City Library Director and city staff to make policy changes to implement the agreed upon changes-If Thursday's meeting is successful, then these changes can be ratified at the 4 March Library board meeting.
- Sexually explicit books out of minor's sections of the library.
- Keeping them out of those sections.
- Allowing parents the ability to choose if their children's library cards would allow them to access adult sections.
Please keep praying and I will keep you informed of the outcome of Thursday's meeting. We are waiting to see the outcome to decide what direction to take our planned 4 March protest.
For any interested, we are meeting at CDF HQ at 4pm this Thursday to discuss next moves on this issue,
God Bless All, Shawn
I reached to Zanoni and Flanagan, however, neither responded. The City of Corpus Christi did issue a statement following KRIS 6 News' questions on how revisions are made.
Community members are welcome to provide policy suggestions during the public comment section of the library advisory board meetings. In addition, public comments can be made at city council meetings.
While community members can meet individually with any city staff member, a meeting involving the entire library advisory board would require a quorum for it to proceed.
The library board chair communicates with city staff at least once a month to review agenda items.
Wilburn said no matter what is discussed with city leaders, the opposing are still outnumbered.
“They’re not thinking about nobody by control," Wilburn said."They want to control what you check out or where it is.”
The next library board meeting is Tuesday, March 4.
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