
Maricopa County has come under scrutiny in recent years due to sexually explicit books displayed in the youth sections of the Maricopa County Library District (MCLD). Groups like AZ Women of Action (AZWOA) and EZAZ, along with several citizens, have drawn increased attention to this issue in recent months. The Board of Supervisors is finally taking note.
The Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) oversees 15 libraries, serving the 4.5 million residents of the fourth most populous county in the country. The district’s Collection Development Policy states:
“The Maricopa County Library District selects materials based on community demand. The District recognizes that the communities we serve are diverse. Responsibility for materials chosen and borrowed by children and adolescents rests with their parents or legal guardians. Materials are not labeled to show approval or disapproval or to indicate certain philosophies.” (https://mcldaz.org/about-us/policies/)
This policy is not unique to Maricopa County, but it has prompted citizens to call for changes to better protect children and increase transparency, enabling parents to exercise their parental rights, including directing the upbringing of their children.
In March of this year, several residents attended a BOS meeting to voice their concerns. Subsequently, Supervisors Debbie Lesko and Mark Stewart met with the grassroots advocacy group AZWOA to discuss the issue. These steps, combined with social media efforts, appear to be having an effect. Posts on X and Instagram from AZWOA have urged residents to encourage the MCLD to relocate inappropriate books from children’s sections to adult sections. These posts also highlight the detrimental effects of sexually explicit books on children and encourage residents to sign a statement demanding action and to respectfully email the MCLD manager to address the issue.
Specific books have been brought to the BOS’s attention, though the full list of inappropriate books is extensive. AZWOA has referred to a book rating site, ratedbooks.org, and a book list on Scottsdaleunites.com. Merissa Hamilton of EZAZ has posted a list of egregious books found on MCLD shelves. Highlighted titles include “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” by Robie H. Harris, which features cartoon-like drawings with sexually graphic information. “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson is also in question because it instructs children on how to engage in meetups for casual sexual encounters. Novels by Ellen Hopkins graphically depict sex, human trafficking, and abuse. These books may violate state statutes, including ARS 13-3506:
“It is unlawful for any person, with knowledge of the character of the item involved, to recklessly furnish, present, provide, make available, give, lend, show, advertise, or distribute to minors any item that is harmful to minors. C. A violation of this section is a Class 4 felony.”
These library books may also violate ARS 13-3507:
A. It is unlawful for any person knowingly to place explicit sexual material upon public display or knowingly to fail to take prompt action to remove such a display from property in his possession or under his control after learning of its existence. B. A person who violates any provision of this section is a Class 6 felony.
These potential violations have prompted citizens to consider bringing these books to the attention of the county’s sheriff and attorney’s offices.
Dozens of Maricopa County residents support an AZWOA petition calling for the BOS to take action. The petition requests that sexually explicit books be moved from youth sections to adult sections, enabling parents to have more control over the materials their children access. Ultimately, a rating system requiring parental approval for books rated 3 out of 5 or higher would be ideal, as it would better protect children from accessing harmful books.
The BOS has responded to public pressure by instituting a pilot program at the Queen Creek branch. Parents can fill out a form in person to list books their children cannot borrow. However, this system has been underutilized and is considered cumbersome, leading some to question whether the county is committed to taking effective action. Some are calling for the board to utilize their ability to move the books and promptly relocate highlighted books to the adult section swiftly. While the BOS may also be exploring ways to adjust policies to improve children’s safety while upholding free speech and their commitment to serving the diverse county population, the watchful public grows discontent.
Public and school libraries across the nation are facing controversy over sexually explicit materials displayed for minors. Those who advocate for removing or restricting access to these books are often accused of book banning. The American Library Association has pushed back against actions that could be construed as banning, but concerned citizens argue that parents would still have the right and ability to obtain these books and provide them to their children. The BOS and MCLD have not provided further public updates on their actions as they await the results of the Queen Creek pilot program, leaving residents to continue their advocacy work on behalf of all children.
While a candidate for MCBOS in 2024, one of my missions was to get these types of books out of reach of our youth. Not necessarily to ban these types of books, but make them only accessible by creating an adult only section in our libraries which can only be accessed by using a adult aged library card. These books would be the same level as purchasing alcohol or cigarettes, etc, only being able to do so by a adult. If a parent wants their child to read these types of books, they MUST be forced to check them out themselves for their children
Dems are trying to normalize pedophilia for a reason, and there is no moral argument for it. These people are evil and the fools who support them, either through blind allegiance, team loyalty, or TDS are evil-adjacent. I’m a pretty tolerant person – hey, if you are an adult and you are with another consenting adult or adults, get your freak on man, that’s got nothing to do with me – but there’s no way I’m willing to tolerate child abusers.
Why do leftists in government have to be such sickos. Sexually preying on other people’s children.
Lowlifes.