Library Commission Votes to Post a ‘Book Review Resource’
WARREN COUNTY – Libraries give out information, so what’s the big deal about a library telling patrons where they can find book reviews?
It’s just a “source of knowledge.” So said Jason Sarnoski, a county commissioner who is liaison to the county’s library board.
Not everyone sees it so simply.
The Library Commission in this mostly rural county Thursday night voted 3-2 to post a “book review resource for patrons” in its four branches.
The library system will offer reviews by five sources, one of which generated much criticism and debate at the meeting.
That would be reviews done by BookLooks.org. Its stated mission:
“Find out what objectionable content may be in your child’s book before they do?”
BookLooks rates books according to a formula that takes into account such things as graphic language, violence and “controversial social commentary.”
Strip away the high-minded verbiage and this seems to be a resource that identifies books it considers too liberal or too supportive of gay rights.
BookLooks reviews are online and I found one related to Harvey Milk, a gay public official in San Francisco who became a martyr for the gay rights movement after he was assassinated in 1978.
The review of a book examining Milk’s life said the following:
“This book contains alternate sexualities; hate involving homophobia; controversial social commentary; and mild violence.”
Other reviews I’ve seen describe the book, “The Harvey Milk Story,”
much more favorably. Here is one from the Anti-Defamation League:
“The author (Kari Krakow) sensitively discusses how Milk kept his emerging gay identity a secret through young adulthood until he moved to San Francisco, where he ultimately became a politician and worked toward ‘laws to ensure the quality of life for all people.'”
.A number of speakers told the commission that including BookLooks reviews in this new resource would give publicity to an organization that has no literary credibility and that often takes book material out of context.
In short, critics said BookLooks reviews should not be included with those done by more professional reviewers.
One can not ignore politics.
Warren County is quite a Republican bastian, and generally speaking, the content of books children read is a big deal for some conservatives.
Those on the left see this as censorship and, more or less, believe that libraries, schools and government in general should not try to control what people read.
One of those opposing the move before the commission was Charles Boddy, the county’s Democratic chair.
Guy Citron, the 2023 Democratic Assembly candidate in LD-23, read a letter he sent to TapInto that was headlined – BookLooks is for Book Haters.”
In it, he said that “BookLooks is crowd sourced,” and that, “its reviews typically come from the most sensitive, skeptical, and easily offended people rather than professional reviewers.”
Responding to the public comments. Commissioner Elizabeth Thomas said she understood the “angst” of some.
But prior to voting “yes” on the resolution, Thomas said no one is forced to heed any of the book reviews, nor even read them.
Sarnoski previously had said the critics were, ironically, against the distribution of information.
Those explanations did not satisfy opponents, some of whom said they feared Thursday’s move was merely the first step to something more onerous.
That would be using the BookLooks reviews to label books and then remove them.
That’s conjecture to be sure, but the concern seems real.
It is clear this action by the WC Library Commission is politically motivated and most likely the first step towards the drive for censorship they started earlier this year. They came to the meeting with their vote well planned and disregarded the outcry from the community. I worry it is only a matter of time when BookLooks is forced as the base for book selection or rejection. Our kids will suffer in the long run.
Just gutting to see that our county library board is promoting the use of a non-authoritative or non-professionally recognized review site. Plus this particular site of concern, Booklooks, was created and is maintained by a former member of a far right political group that is labeled as extremist by our federal government. Such a move as this diminishes the integrity of our government and the library science profession. Knowing that so many people raised comcerns regarding the use of this site and the public comment was not given any true thought by the Board or elected County Commissioner is disheartening. Our elected leaders should always be listening to the concerns of their constituents and finding ways to make sure the right decisions include that consensus. Athe Board should also be leaning on the profssuonals they have hired, the librarians, as education resources who know the profession and the community; not volunteers uneducated in the profession who serve on a Board a few hours a month. I find this move by our government to be an overreach of our constitutional rights, bordering on infringing on first amendment rights, violating the American Library Association Bill of Rights, and bordering on violating the public trust of the office that our elected leaders are sworn in to.
I watched the meeting via Zoom. Commissioner Sarnoski’s contempt for the community was palpable, especially when he called those at the meeting hypocrites during the first public comments period and then resorted to smirking at them and dismissively scrolling on his phone during the second.
Sarnoski and Thomas engaged in a disgusting display of political partisanship that has no place in overseeing the financial operations of a public library, which is their role on a library board. Citizens of Warren County need to demand the ouster of Sarnoski and Thomas, and take action toward that goal when Sarnoski’s name appears on the ballot in 2025.
I find it curious, too, that the library board rejected a similar proposal supported by Commissioner Thomas earlier this year to adopt Screen It First, another crowd-sourced site, similar to BookLooks, that aims to compile objections to books rather than to objectively evaluate them. What is the difference now? County Commissioner Sarnoski was not present at the June meeting when the board declined to adopt Screen It First. Did his thumb on the scale at this November meeting result in the board’s endorsement of BookLooks, despite the site’s trampling of the principles of professional librarianship and the resulting damage to the credibility of the Warren County Library?
I was at the meeting and it was shocking to see the Commission completely disregard the concerns of community members who shared their thoughts. Persona after person expressed their concerns. The only people who spoke in favor of this proposal were Sarnoski, Thomas, Thomas’ husband and some outside agitator that doesn’t even live in the county.
And then Thomas has the gall to say they have to consider the “entire community” when making decisions. Who is she talking about? The community was there at the meeting saying they do not support this proposal. As I asked at the meeting, what problem does this list solve? Who is this list for? It seems clear that this list is nothing more than a way for Sarnoski and his buddies on the Commission to play partisan politics and signal their support of culture war talking points. It has nothing to do with the needs of community they say they serve.
The reporting here is biased. The reality is American Library Association has worked for over half a century to keep parents in the dark about books. It censored from its own website, for example, Common Sense Media ratings precisely because CSM rated explicitness of books. Then it blacklisted CSM at library schools and state library associations. The people who opposed Book Looks were organized by ALA to bully the board. The board simply refused to cave. That’s the story. Expect a lot more libraries to be diverse and inclusive by including Book Looks ratings. They are the only source that gives excerpts and graphics so parents can make up their own minds. Even CSM just gave a number. All other book review sources say almost nothing about a book’s potential for unsuitable or vulgar content of which parents might want to be aware. And yes, I was at the meeting, even spoke twice, though you wouldn’t know from the one-sided reporting. I saw the ALA’s community organization in action. I’ll be writing about this soon on my SafeLibraries news site.
No one who loves reading, or cares about literacy, could support the value of BookLooks. It is obviously for people who hate books, and not a single parent showed up to support it. Sarnoski and Thomas, by completely ignoring the community they serve, have made it abundantly clear that this is for their private, special, and political interests. It’s time to end one-party rule in Warren County.
As a retired reading specialist, I am deeply concerned that the Warren County Public Library Commission would offer booklooks.org as a reliable rating system for concerns about books for children. It is clearly not since there is no explanation given for how the books are selected for review and no reliable sources given as references for development of the rating system. From my comments at the meeting: “In reviewing the site, I opened many of the book ratings and read through the comments. The selected quotes all taken out of context often included statements that referred to experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals and often about black children’s thoughts and experiences in realistic fiction and nonfiction. For example,…for the book Magnolia Flower by Zora Neale Hurston, adapted by Ibram K. Kendi, a historical fiction book, the Summary of Concerns states: “Slavery & oppression commentary.” And in one among five quoted sections that are given to support their concern, it states: “Since the arrival of European settlers Native peoples have been fighting for the lands of their ancestors and enslaved Africans have been fighting to be free…” The only reason I can determine that this book is on this list is to block children from learning of Native American and Black people’s histories of oppression and resistance.” This list openly says to parents that these books are bad or of “Concern” meaning that sharing the history and recent experiences of particular groups of people in our country-mostly blacks and LGBTQIA+ individuals-should be prohibited. In other words, this list encourages parents to hide the truth about America’s discriminatory history from their children.
As a user of the Warren County Library I have to say I have never been more disappointed. Book looks is crowd sourced, it is 100% political. It is the first step to banning books. If there are books you don’t want your children to read then read them yourself and decide. I trust my educated librarians and teachers to make sure the libraries are places where kids can go to learn things they are curious about and maybe afraid to ask their parents or teachers. The libraries need to be a safe place for exploration and learning. The issues in the books on the BookLooks list are everyday issues that our kids face day in and day out. Don’t you think it it is better to be educated and prepared?
This whole thing is ridiculous. If you teach your kids your values you shouldn’t be worried about what they read as they have a strong belief system.
On another note if you do not live in Warren County and use the Warren County Library System go complain in your own town. The commission needs to listen to the people who showed up at the meeting, zoomed in and are actually engaged in living in Warren County. This is not over.
As usual, Roxbury author, Fred SnowFlake, once again paints a narrative with a doppelganger paintbrush disparaging Jason Sarnoski & this common sense initiative . As usual LD-23 alt-left Assembly candidate Guy “Absolute Marxist” Citron chimes in with ludicrous rhetoric. Dan Kleinman’s comment above nails it, spot on. I will challenge Fred SnowFlake, Guy Citron & North Hunterdon librarian Martha Hickson, for a storytelling hour to 14yr old minor children, their parents & grandparents, in reading the egregious book “Let’s Talk About It” that received actual awards & is defended, lauded & touted by Marxist maniacs, like Citron. It is offered with unfettered access to minor children in LD-23 Guy Citron’s favorite school library, complete with a how to manual for sexting (illegal), watching porn (addictive), seeking sex online (dangerous exposure to pedophiles & sexual predators) & let’s not forget how to shove a butt plug and other sex toy instruction (seriously?). Martha Hickson received a librarian award just like this book did. Remember when the Nobel Prize was given to the lunatic that invented the brutal, barbaric lobotomy that was discontinued? Insight + Foresight > Hindsight. Have some common sense people. If your argument in govt run taxpayer funded public school libraries is tell your minor children not to read these filthy books with no educational merit then I say don’t read the BookLooks reviews, otherwise get on your soapbox & look in your mirror at the hypocrite in you. There’s a reason anyone under 17 can’t get tickets to an R rated movie. It’s called common sense.
I find it interesting the Dan Kleinman is so interested in the Warren County Library system as he does not live in our community and his business is registered in Texas. It’s not even a nonprofit, does not report where its funding comes from, and has only existed for about a year. It seems very shady to me that an outside agitator who profits off of defaming people and organizations like the ALA believes he has a right to tell taxpayers in Warren County what to do. What expertise, education, or experience does Dan have in law, childhood development, children’s media, library science, or education? He makes a lot of claims, but they seem to be based on his personal opinions and vibes. What is his actual motivation here? I suspect he’s just here for the clicks. Parents in Warren County have the right to choose what their children read. If I don’t want my kid to read a book, I don’t let them check it out. We don’t need a culture warrior and influencer from Texas telling us how to raise our kids!
Kleinman’s not from Texas. He said as much at the Warren County meeting, where he claimed to be from Chatham. Regardless, he’s not a Warren County taxpayer and really doesn’t have a dog in this fight.
In my opinion, booklooks.org is less strict than many parents. For example, books with references to gender fluidity often are rated 1 – which loosely equates to parental guidance suggested. Stricter reviews can be found at the download button here: WETHEPEOPLE2.US/inappropriate-books-in-school
None of these reviews would be needed if the ALA had not violated parent’s trust and polluted libraries with age-inappropriate materials.
Ps. Harvey Milk was a pedophile. Plant better seeds!
As a Warren County resident, taxpayer and mother of 4 children who all use the library I was extremely disappointed in the commissioners decision to add yet another layer of cost and bureaucracy to something that should be idiot-proof – looking at your kids books when they check them out (that have already been vetted by the ALA). The message the commissioners gave is clear – they do not trust us parents to make decisions for our kids. They want to be the ALA! We are now becoming a “Nanny County,” something I never thought I would see in Warren. Parents do not need the county suggesting what THEY consider to be appropriate – that is OUR job as parents. And I was at the meeting and heard the commissioner say that if you don’t like it – don’t use it – but it is sending a very clear message. First it will be adding BookLooks and then who knows- banning books? The commissioners being too intrusive in how we parents raise our kids is like a backseat driver constantly giving directions to a seasoned driver who knows the route by heart. Our commissioners do not trust us to make our own decisions for our kids.
Oh, great. Hot on the heels of carpet bagger Dan Kleinman, now we have his Florida counterpart, Bruce Friedman, weighing in. If you needed any proof that BookLooks is trash, Friedman’s endorsement here, complete with a homophobic slur against slain LGBTQ+ icon Harvey Milk, seals the deal.
Who’s Friedman? He’s a Florida man who has single-handedly challenged hundreds of books and has threatened to challenge thousands more, vowing to “run over like a dead body” anyone who gets in his way.
Why is he inserting himself into a dispute in Warren County, NJ? Who the heck knows, but it’s likely he shares Kleinman’s thirst for a spotlight, any spotlight, no matter how dim. Swat these pests away.
Learn more here:
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/clay-county-parent-responsible-more-than-one-third-all-florida-book-challenges