Letter to the editor: Library leans one way

In the June 23 issue, the Pine Knot published an article asserting that the Cloquet library “supports intellectual freedom.” Nevertheless, my family has felt pressured to accept certain agendas every time we visit the library.

In that article, the author states “We believe that parents have the right to guide their children’s reading and education.” As a local parent with school-aged children, I feel as though the Cloquet library unfairly threatens this right. It is very challenging to guide my children when they are forced to encounter the Pride Month displays as soon as we attempt to navigate the building. The display in the children’s section is front and center with bright, colorful signs and shiny new books.

This issue does not only regard Pride Month. The absolute majority of new juvenile books seem to have a distinct political slant towards the left.

The article also states the library’s policy is to “serve the interests of the library users.” Our family’s interests, and many other families that I know of, are certainly not being served. One family that moved to town last year personally expressed their disappointment to me regarding the liberal slant of the juvenile content, and gave the impression they would not return to the library.

To use the author’s words, the library should be striving to represent different viewpoints and moments in history. I cannot remember the last time I have seen a display featuring classical literature, any periods in history before 1960, or “conservative” viewpoints.

I am not asking the library to ban any specific books. My hope is that our freedom to choose does not become so difficult that we are unable to visit the Cloquet Library.

Nicole Barousse,

Cloquet