During the last few weeks, we have highlighted the possibility that the Iowa City Public Library and Iowa City School District are skirting Iowa law and offering books through the ICPL bookmobile that are prohibited from being offered inside the schools. The bookmobile makes at least seven stops at Iowa City elementary schools each week.
It turns out there is more than a possibility the inclusion of these sexually explicit materials is intentional. The Iowa Standard filed an open records request with the city of Iowa City and found that the director of the Iowa City Public Library, a person called Elsworth Carman, suggested as much in a May 5, 2023 email.
“I have a lot of concerns about the resource gap that public school students will be facing once new legislation is acted on,” Carman wrote. “It feels like the public library could be part of bridging this gap through strategic collection curation and use of tools like the bookmobile.”
Carman then asked a person called Claire Ritz Matthews if it is “too early to try to bring school librarians in for a conversation” about it.
“We plan things so far ahead, if we wanted to start something new in the fall we would need to be working on it now,” Carman wrote.
Matthews is listed as a teacher librarian now at Lucas Elementary in the Iowa City School District. Matthews responded to Carman’s email that the district’s librarian team is “stressed and worried” about the issue. Matthews said she had been thinking about what kind of partnership would be beneficial to the public library as well as the district.
“The legislation overwhelmingly disadvantages the middle and high schools,” she wrote. “So my first reaction is that those teacher librarians should be part of the conversation.”
Matthews said she would include the district’s Library Curriculum Coordinator, a person called Lisa Petrie. According to Matthews, Petrie is “closely attuned to the type of damage this legislation will cause for our marginalized student population.”
Matthews said the district wasn’t sure of the exact implications until the legislation moves through the Board of Educational Examiners. Matthews also said the district wasn’t sure of “ways we can work through the new laws.”
“I am not sure if there will be legal concerns about the bookmobile coming to schools, or if there will be other issues with school staff and librarians coordinating access to ‘illegal’ books,” Matthews wrote. “I just don’t know.”
Petrie said in her 28 years as a librarian she has “never experienced anything close to this level of state-sanctioned censorship.”
“Our amazing Johnson County Public Libraries will definitely be filling some gaps, and we are grateful for that,” Petrie wrote. “We don’t yet know what the legal implications of partnering with you might be, so it’s likely a bit early to enter into meetings with school librarians.”
Petrie added the pain would be felt mostly in grades 6-12. She acknowledged that any titles including “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act” would need to be removed.
“Books like Sold, by Patricia McCormick, and All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson, will have to be removed, along with hundreds of others,” Petrie wrote. “Just a travesty.”
That communication implies the library and district were looking for ways to get around the law.
In other communications, the Iowa City Library’s Children’s Services Coordinator, a person called Angela Pilkington, emailed district school librarians alerting them to the summer reading program. Pilkington said the library saw a “large decline” in registering and finishing the program at its downtown location and on the bookmobile.
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“We love it when students use their school libraries, so we are proud to be an extension and their summer library when student (sic) are out of school,” Pilkington wrote.
According to the records, there were 750 kids from the district who signed up, which Pilkington called “an absolute shock” because the number is usually closer to 3,000.
In another communication, Petrie wrote to Pilkington and let her know that bookmobile stops at district schools came up earlier in the year due to Senate File 496.
“It was natural for folks to wonder if these relationships would have to be severed,” Petrie wrote. “At this time, I’m not aware of any suggestion from district administrators that we disconnect from AIM or the ICPL programs. Please know that I’m not an official spokesperson for the district, especially when the law is involved, but this is my understanding. Thanks for all you do! We are so fortunate to have such *FABULOUS* public libraries in our community.”
Pilkington wrote in another message that a North Liberty Public librarian told someone at ICPL teachers were worried about the AIM card and there was talk of pulling it.
The AIM card can be used by students to access library materials. The card is given to students by the school and it can be used at the library to check out three items at a time. The AIM card does not carry fines or fees.
Pilkington wrote that she and the library’s Community & Access Services Coordinator, a person called Sam Helmick, “worked hard to make sure none of the bills presented would affect schools, teachers or students who promoted or used their student card at the public library.”
“I think it is important to remind those worried that parents have to choose to let their child receive this card every school year, and that we are separate entities, who both just happen to have books,” Pilkington wrote. “Any thoughts on this and a best path forward? I am relieved that I still have the books that kids can no longer access in the schools, which is maddening, frustrating and heartbreaking.”
Petrie noted that Senate File 496 is “sucking the life out of teacher librarians.”
“Such a dark time,” she wrote. “We’re working through it, though.”
So in one instance, Pilkington was “proud to be an extension” of the school library. But in another was quick to point out they are “separate entities.”
It gets a little more complicated, though, as the library wanted to be a place where kids could get summer snacks through the school district. And they wanted the bookmobile included. Numerous communications between the library and the Nutrition Services Director of the Iowa City School worked to make the program qualify through the Department of Education.
It isn’t just the books, though. Iowa law prohibits materials related to sexual orientation and gender identity for grades K-6. Yet Kathy Hansen, the Library Secretary at Mark Twain Elementary, asked Helmick for LGBTQ+ flag bookmarks.
“I discovered your LGBTQ+ flag bookmark while I was in the library Sunday,” Hansen wrote. “I work at a local elementary school library and would love to get my hands on a lot of these. The kids always want bookmarks and these would be perfect! I am willing to buy them, if possible. Can you help?”
Helmick responded that the ICPL Bookmobile visits Twain every Tuesday.
“I’ll ask my colleague, Heidi, to bring you some as well as a few Kid’s Club handouts,” Helmick wrote.
A teacher librarian at City High, a person called Jenahlee Chamberlain, wrote to Helmick asking for a “libraries are for everyone” larger sign or poster. Chamberlain had noticed the bookmark because it was in with the bookmobile materials.
“I LOVE the libraries are for everyone bookmark that was in with some of the bookmobile stuff that we received,” Chamberlain wrote. “I was wondering if it would be possible to get the design file of that. I would love to print it in large format and put it up in the library.”
Helmick responded:
“Oh, of course! May I please drop off some bookmarks too? I’d love to connect, see your space, promote the ICPL and provide some cute bookmarks to hand out. We have the book flags in individual files too, if you’d like them for representation and advocacy.”
In other communications, Pilkington told Petrie the library would “love to invite more teacher librarians to read during banned books week.”
“I am wishing us all a smooth couple of years with no budget or bill adverse legislation,” Pilkington wrote. “It is time they move on to something else and let us be the professionals we are trained to be.”
In another email, Pilkington sent Petrie information regarding a program the library was hosting on Senate File 496. It was called the “Don’t Say Gay” program to address Iowa’s new “anti-LGBTQ” education law.
The Iowa Standard emailed Carman to ask what he meant by “the public library could be part of bridging this gap through strategic collection curation and use of tools like the bookmobile.”
As of Thursday morning, Carman had not responded. If he does, we’ll publish an update.
Clearly, the records show the library and the district were concerned about how the law would impact getting books that are not allowed in Iowa schools to Iowa students. Clearly, they decided one “tool” to do so was the bookmobile.
So, the ball is now in the court of the Iowa legislature. What will lawmakers who are intent on protecting kids from being exposed to books that visually depict or describe sex acts that it appears librarians are committed to getting to kids?
Read about what books they are using the bookmobile to take to elementary schools in Iowa City:
SKIRTING THE LAW? Iowa City ‘Bookmobile’ holds stops at elementary schools, offers books that likely violate state law if in school
SKIRTING THE LAW? Iowa City Bookmobile offers ‘Drag Queen and You Know It Book’ at elementary school stops
SKIRTING THE LAW: ‘Bookmobile’ stocks ‘Hooray for She, He, Ze and They!’ with seven weekly stops at elementary schools
SKIRTING THE LAW: ‘Bookmobile’ offering at Iowa City elementary schools tells kids they can be boy, girl, both or neither
SKIRTING THE LAW: ‘Bookmobile’ offering book for kids 2-5 years old featuring nude adults at ‘rainbow parade’
SKIRTING THE LAW: Bookmobile offers item aimed at 3-year-olds proclaiming ‘drag queen’ dress is just like lawyers’ suits, doctors’ lab coats
SKIRTING THE LAW: Bookmobile offers 7-year-olds book on transitioning, discrimination, privilege and more
***The Iowa Standard is an independent media voice. We rely on grassroots financial supporters to exist. If you appreciate what we do, please consider a one-time sign of support or becoming a monthly supporter (even just $5/month would go a long way in sustaining us!) We also offer advertising options for advocacy groups, events and businesses! If you’ve ever used the phrase “Fake News Media” — this is YOUR chance to do something about it! You can also support us on PayPal at [email protected] or Venmo at Iowa-Standard-2018 or through the mail at:
PO Box 112
Sioux Center, IA 51250
Thank you so much for your support and please invite your friends and family to like us on Facebook, sign up for our email newsletter and visit our website!***
