The Fishers Library board meeting on July 27th was not a quiet affair.
One attendee, who had just spoken during the public comment period, was ordered removed from the meeting room by Board President Laura Alerding for what she described as disruptions.
Alerding then cut off public comments after only four out of 16 registered speakers had their say.
Why it matters
Board members questioned the pace of the ongoing book review process, designed to ensure compliance with the library's collections policy.
The review, which considers content like nudity, substance use, profanity, violence, and sexual activity, has been slow-going, with only about 3% of the collection reviewed every two weeks.
Implementing the policy was estimated to take about 8,000 hours of staff time in May and was expected to cost more than $300,000.
Board member Ray Maddalone suggested paying staff $5 per book to speed up the process, a proposal Library Director Edra Waterman countered, stating the team was already busy with other tasks.
Go Deeper
The meeting also discussed the recent Human Library event at the Fishers branch. Some board members questioned whether the event, which aims to promote understanding and reduce stereotypes, promoted prostitution due to one of the topics offered by the organization focusing on sex workers.
The next HEPL board meeting is scheduled for Aug. 24 at the Noblesville branch.
