Book banning among issues discussed at St. Charles candidates forum

Candidates running for the St. Charles Public Library Board and St. Charles School District 303 Board tackled the issue of book banning March 5 at a candidates forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County at the St. Charles Public Library.

Incumbent library board Trustee Karen Kaluzsa along with Bonnie Dauer, Allison Lanthrum and Anthony Catella are running for the two six-year terms open on the board. Catella attended the forum but did not participate because he did not respond to the league’s invitation by its deadline, according to league officials.

Library board candidates were asked by moderator Susan Russo if they supported banning books from public libraries, and if they do, what criteria would they use to determine whether a particular book should be banned. All of the library board candidates said they do not support banning books from public libraries.

“That is something that we are seeing a great increase of across the nation and around the world,” Lanthrum, who is the events and program coordinator with the Aurora Public Library District, said. “In general, I do not support banning books. I support the freedom to read and the access of information. What I would really like to communicate is that a library’s materials are carefully, thoughtfully and intentionally added to the collections. So if anyone would like to submit a reconsideration of any material, they are invited to submit a form. And then it goes to the director and then it goes to the board. But, of course, if you’re not interested in any specific kind of material, you have many, many other options.”

Dauer, who is a member of the American Library Association, also said she is not for banning books.

“The library hires librarians on purpose because they are professionals,” she said. “And they will select materials that are reflective of the community and they are materials that are circulated. So it is very important to have materials that reflect the entire community. There should be some things in the library that offend everyone. That is one way to expand your mind and you’re able to broaden your vision and broaden your opinions.”

Kaluzsa also said she doesn’t support book banning.

“The library collection does need to reflect the wants and needs of everyone in the community,” she said. “We have professional selectors on staff who very carefully and thoughtfully choose the collection. And we’ve got a great collection here that is well-balanced. And the collection management policy is on the library’s website for anybody to read how things are selected.”

Three four-year terms are open on the St. Charles school board along with an unexpired two-year term.

Incumbents Becky McCabe, Joseph Lackner and Matthew Kuschert along with Dolores Van Hiel, Lauren Duddles, Elias Palacios and Barbara Diepenbrock are running for the four-year terms.

Thomas Lentz, Mike Backer and Richard Rivard are running for the two-year term.

Similar to the questions asked of library board candidates, school board candidates were asked the question if they supported banning books from public schools, and if they do, what criteria would they use to determine whether a particular book should be banned.

Lentz said he has three children who attend St. Charles schools.

“I’m not a fan of banning books,” he said. “I’m also not a fan of having explicit materials in the elementary schools. So at the board table, I would want to look to protect our students that are in the elementary schools from being exposed to this type of material.”

McCabe said she is against banning books, period.

“I think that folks who know the school districts know there is a process for selecting curricular material,” she said. “It is done very carefully with great expertise. We have processes in place for families who are uncomfortable with certain materials. Families can opt out.”

Palacios said in general, banning books is not the solution.

“However, parents need to have the right to decide which book, which materials their sons and daughters can read or receive,” he said. “They are ultimately responsible for how they raise their children.”

Rivard said he will not accept banning books at any school in the district.

“Of course there is an age appropriateness to all of this,” he said. “But the curriculum does need to reflect the fact this is a public service. The public is diverse. There are two-mom families. There are single-parent families. There are black and brown people in this community. And they need to be represented in the curriculum. And just because your kid comes up with a book with two dads in it, that doesn’t make it offensive or something that shouldn’t be taught in public schools because that is a reflection of reality.”

Van Hiel said she doesn’t believe in book banning, but the material “has to represent the core curriculum.”

She said objectionable material should not be put in front of 9- or 10-year-old children.

Backer said the public needs to trust the professionals who are “making choices that are in the best interests of our students.”

“We have to trust our educators that we all believe in,” he said.

Diepenbrock said there is a difference between “having a book that you must read in class for curriculum and books that are available for you to seek out to read.”

Like other candidates, she said the public needs to trust those in charge to determine what is age appropriate for their comprehension.

Duddles, a former teacher, said she also is against banning books.

“I think that not only should we not ban books, but we also should be very mindful when we’re developing the curriculum and trust teachers, No. 1,” she said. “And No. 2, make sure that we are providing diverse experiences because that’s how children learn – when you learn about people who are not like yourself and about different situations that you would not otherwise know about besides reading a book in school and having that class discussion led by a teacher.”

Kuschert said the St. Charles school district is not in the business of banning books.

“There is a thorough review process for the age-appropriate nature of any of the materials that we are giving the children,” he said. “I don’t think that it’s a secret that a second grader is probably not fit to be reading the same material as a 10th grader. So there is a very careful review process that the district already does to assure that the appropriate materials are in the appropriate place.”

At the same time, he said parental involvement is important.

“Their parents should have some say and do have some say in this district regarding materials that they read and review,” Kuschert said.

Lackner said he also is against the idea of banning books.

“I think the level of availability of concepts and content at the public library is a different perspective than that which needs to be taken account in the schools,” he said.