Sumner County library board approves parental-resource shelving rule amid heated public comments

The Sumner County Library Board voted to amend its collection-development policy to authorize library directors to create parental-resource sections in children’s libraries, the board chair announced after a voice vote.

The amendment adds language to Board Policy 2.01 (collection and access) authorizing directors to set up a parental-resource section “to ensure parents and guardians have access to children’s literature that explores potentially sensitive topics.” The board approved further language saying books in question "will be placed on the top shelf of a bookshelf in direct view of a library staff desk when possible, at director’s discretion." The motion to approve the policy as amended was made, withdrawn and re-made to reflect the changes, seconded, and passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.

The vote followed more than an hour of public comment in which residents offered sharply different views on access to materials for children. Gary Floyd, who identified himself as a Gallatin resident, urged the board to “focus on a literary field that build[s] critical thinking, problem solving, and discernment, and not be assertive about gender identity and pronouns.”

Other public commenters warned the board about legal risk from restricting access. A speaker who identified herself as Jessie McKinney and another commenter who identified as a clinical psychologist, Katie, urged caution and said that removing viewpoints could create constitutional exposure; a commenter referenced the U.S. Supreme Court case Miller v. California when discussing legal standards for obscene material.

Several commenters urged preserving access and representation for children from families who include transgender or same‑sex parents. One public speaker said placing material into a parental-resource section could help balance concerns: allowing directors flexibility while maintaining access for patrons who need those titles.

Board members discussed how to make the policy workable across branches with different layouts. Several members and directors raised compliance and accessibility questions: one member noted the Americans with Disabilities Act could require accommodations if material is placed on high shelves; others said some children’s shelving is too short to support a true “top shelf,” so the policy wording was made flexible to reflect architecture differences and director discretion.

Chair (identified only in the transcript by role) said the board will circulate the final, cleaned-up wording to directors and staff. The board also agreed to review any problems directors report in implementing the change.

The board’s formal actions on this item are recorded as an approved amendment to Board Policy 2.01. The meeting transcript does not show a recorded vote count beyond members saying “aye” during the voice vote.

Next steps: the amended wording will be distributed to library directors for implementation and any practical issues will be returned to the board for further direction.