Rogers Public Library Declines to Remove Sexual Content From Children’s Section Despite Objections

Last week Family Council wrote about sexual material and pro-LGBT books in the children’s section of the Rogers Public Library.

Family Council has obtained a copy of a letter from the Rogers Public Library rejecting a patron’s request to remove one of the books — Sex Is A Funny Word — from the library.

As we have written before, library patrons typically can use a Material Reconsideration Form to ask a library to remove inappropriate material from circulation.

According to the rejection letter, the patron asked the Rogers Public Library to remove Sex Is A Funny Word because the book promotes gender dysphoria and child sexuality — particularly masturbation.

The letter notes that the library opted to keep the book, because it “is a uniquely inclusive and diverse resource on the topic of sex education.”

Below is a copy of the library’s letter opting to keep the book.

According to the American Library Association, Sex Is A Funny Word was frequently challenged at libraries nationwide in 2017 and 2019 because of its LGBT content and sexual material and because of concerns that the book would lead children to “want to have sex or ask questions about sex.”

Libraries don’t have to put books like this one in the middle of their children’s sections.

There is only so much shelf space available in a library. That’s part of the reason why library boards and librarians have leeway to establish selection criteria and make decisions about the kinds of material available in a library.

With that in mind, it would be entirely appropriate for a library to remove a book like Sex Is A Funny Word from circulation — or at least separate it from other children’s books.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.