Drag Queen story hour is actually not the worst part about public libraries these days. The worst part is that these days you can’t actually take your kids to the library and simply let them check out books on their own. So what to do?
The intra-conservative battle over liberal institutions and their relation to liberalism, classical and otherwise, got a little hotter when Sohrab Ahmari tweeted about a drag queen story hour in Sacramento: “If you can’t see why children belong nowhere near drag, with its currents of transvestic fetishism, we have nothing to say to each other. We are irreconcilably opposed. There’s no polite, David French-ian third way around the cultural civil war. The only way is through.” Dr. French was somewhat surprised that in a debate at Catholic University Dr. Ahmari kept returning to this phenomenon of drag queens at the library in a later debate at the Catholic University of America, suggesting that the answer might be local bans on the practice. Dr. French’s argument was that to instantiate this kind of ban is not only unlikely, but could lead to a further evisceration of free speech that would eliminate the access of religious groups to public libraries and schools.[1]
I can’t adjudicate the questions about how to get rid of drag queen story hour, but I will say that it is actually not the worst part about public libraries these days. The worst part is that these days you can’t actually take your kids to the library and simply let them check out books on their own. What we’ve found over the last few years is that the number of books, videos, and other kinds of material that are promoting the view of the human person and sexuality represented by drag queen story hour has grown quite a bit. And it’s not simply material in the YA or Young Adult section—it’s the kids’ section. Some of them are quite explicit about what they’re going for, but many of them bury their themes more than half-way through the books, such that one has to read through almost the whole book to find out whether they are going to be dealing with bisexuality, as one recent book one of our children checked out did.
Sure, one can complain, as my wife did about that book. But it sometimes seems to do no good at all. The librarian assured her that the children’s specialist carefully selects books according to rigorous criteria. Oh, good, said my wife. What are those? The librarian still hasn’t gotten back to us. We and some of our friends have taken to going to the library a lot less often since it takes longer to figure out what’s acceptable for our kids to check out.
So what to do? We want our children to love books and libraries, but we do not want a library attempting to convert our children to the gods, usually sexual, of this age. A number of people have noted that creating a new library takes a lot of infrastructure and investment. How can we recreate this structure in any feasible way?
This is what some friends and I were pondering a couple weeks ago. I mentioned reading a blog post by Rod Dreher in which he commented that it is difficult to set up an alternative library system. Was he right? Wouldn’t this involve buying a building, renovating the space, and getting shelves and all new books? Such a procedure would be feasible but quite expensive and time-consuming. Then we realized that there is a way around this that might take advantage of one of the depressing aspects of our age: the closing of Catholic elementary schools. Those elementary schools have the right kind of space and, if they have closed recently, they usually have book shelves and often a decent collection of books already in place. (Though given the fetish for following their secular betters so evident in too many parochial schools, it’s probably a good idea to go through any collection.)
What we propose to do is raise a bit of money to clean up the space, add some books (via donations and purchases), and pay for maintenance of the facility. Our idea is that perhaps we could get volunteers to staff the library at first, paying some experts who might be able to advise us on the best way to operate and set up such an institution. And then when we open, our library—which one gentleman suggested should be called the Twin Cities Library Guild—would charge a membership fee. We thought that perhaps one hundred dollars per family per year for membership would work, though that could be waived in cases of need. After all, if you want people to invest in a place, they are more likely to do it if they have financially invested in it. Though our ad hoc committee is Catholic and is thinking about using Catholic resources right now, we know that many Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and people of other faiths and perhaps none may have an interest in having a space that both protects and feeds the imaginations and hearts of their children.
That’s the plan as it came about over coffee and donuts. Our goal, then, is to draw it up a bit more formally and then approach the pastors of some local closed Catholic schools. My question for you, dear readers, is what you think of such an idea. The benefit of writing for a publication such as The Imaginative Conservative is that the readers are interested in both sides of the title. Many of you have experience in your own institutions. Lend us your experience and your imaginations. Have you tried this? What does my ad hoc committee have wrong? What are we not thinking about? What might help us in setting up such an institution?
It is said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. But the hand that stocks the library shelves has a powerful role as well. While we may not be able to solve the problems of the public library system, we may be able to provide an alternative.
So what do you think?
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[1] French, David. “Viewpoint Neutrality Protects Both Drag Queens and Millions of American Christians.” National Review, 9 September, 2019.
The featured image is “Bookshelves” (c. 1725) by Giuseppe Crespi (1665-1747), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
I would be interested in an alternative library, especially considering how much I rely on the public library right now for my sanity. They host events, have play areas, and stock more books than my child can read. But as you mention, I must watch what my kid chooses, and be discriminate before checking items out. At this point I have one child and she is young enough that her books are relatively easy to vet, but that won’t be the case for long. I have spoken to other parents who have the same concerns. Occasionally a book makes it through our safety net and we have to deal with the consequences. An alternative library would be welcomed, wholeheartedly. I just don’t know how feasible a project of that nature would be.
We utilize interlibrary loan like crazy. I even order books that I don’t mean to read; I just keep them in circulation. I’m not going to let them stop me from getting the good books to my kids.
Thank you for putting this idea out there!
My goal for collecting books has been to have what someone would need in order to homeschool a child from kindergarten through high school. I may now be thinking about that in another direction.
I would certainly pay $100 a year for the ability to take my children to a library where I knew every book would be safe. There are a smattering of “living book libraries” around the country with similar goals, although none near me I’m afraid.
It’s doable and I’ve done it for 4 Christian schools and a small town public library. I’d be glad to advise.
Pamela: Could you send me an email? dpdeavel@stthomas.edu.
It’s probably more realistic to just put together an online list of vetted books that parents can order and share through their school networks.
Sounds like part of the Benedict Option! I tend to just buy books for my son. He’s ten years old. But that is more out of convenience than what might be at the library. I think setting up a private library is a good idea and I would use it if it were in the neighborhood, but I can imagine the logistics and cost to be excessive. I’ll be glad to donate books to it.
Another way through the library muddle is to have a “canon” of books the child can get automatic approval on if he chooses one on the list… otherwise it has to go to mom and dad for vetting. Cuts down on total vet time.
I have such a list of thousands of good books at 6 levels that I have used for homeschool and book clubs. Saves a lot of argument and motivates them to read the classics.
I’d love to see your list, Susan. Is it posted anywhere?
I would also love to see this list.
Susan: please send me a message at dpdeavel@stthomas.edu
As a librarian, I wish you the very best of luck, and would consider making a donation to such a project if it were to begin organizing. Fortunately, everyone on staff, including myself, are sticks in the mud as far as what passes for ‘modern’ morality goes, and our collection has remained fairly clean.
Great idea. Many churches [have] their own small libraries, maybe several could band together?
I would also be interested in a book list or book review site if you know of any.
The other problem with some libraries is that people openly view porn on the computers
Mind if I make a suggestion for a place to start?
http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/celoop/1000.html
That’s my biggest concern…all the pervs who come in to view porno on the computers in plain sight that children, and more often than not, the moral degenerate librarians do nothing about it. Only in small, conservative towns do you not see this happening.
Interesting. Create an alternative and let parents vote with their feet and their votes at the millage request!
The answer is for you and your wife to check out as many of the degenerate, Cultural Marxist books as you can find and then hold them for as long as you can so that they become ineligible to wreak their damage on children, yours or others. When you check them out, put them in a box and leave them there till them must be brought back and then see if you can’t check them out for longer. Tell the librarian that you find them SOOOO edifying that you just want to read them every day and night to your little ones. If it weren’t for late fees, you could burn them and help society, but that would be illegal and therefore wrong. But, does the end justify the means? It’s a valid question.
I see this turning into a big financial loss (even as a non-profit) if not enough due diligence is taken before spending money on it. I would hire a professional to do a feasibility study, whereby they would survey all those communities of faith you mention to determine if people would indeed invest $100/yr. etc. and if enough would invest, along with one-time philanthropy to keep the doors open with the requisite labor required to “man” the place. A non-profit fundraising consultant could do a feasibility study as I describe which is what my father used to do before he retired. This is what dioceses do when considering opening a new high school, for example which is what Dad did for the diocese of Burlington, VT back in the ’80s when they were considering opening a new high school to serve Lamoille county which they ultimately did. If you don’t do this, then you’re just rolling the dice and may have to shut the doors after a few months.
The library in Crofton, Maryland is holding 2 of drag-queen story hours on Saturday, 10/26. After complaining by e-mail to the management, they sent me an application to host whatever I want to host. Why not host Theology of the Body, Theology of the Body for Teens, The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? I heard that a local group is gathering to protest. Protest should be followed with an alternative. Who will do it is the question. It takes planning and perseverance. We do all of our teaching in churches and schools. Perhaps it’s time to take them to the libraries.
Tangent – yesterday I popped in to a sticks and bricks bookstore seeking a last minute gift for a little 10 month old. Discouraged by the shallow, vapid subject matter in board and cloth books, is putting it mildly. I was not seeking religious books, although surprisingly, there were a smattering of those. No. However the books’ topics were about loving, how great baby is, some silly animal things, some leftist celebrities, bodily functions, and even, oddly, some hard science board books.
Nary a nursery rhyme, children’s poetry, or quiet little story book to be found.
Cultivating self obsessed shallow thinking if this is what children are reading.
Good luck with your venture it is sorely needed if the library is like this bookstore.
Would there be anything morally wrong with hiding offensive books elsewhere in the public library in places people won’t look? (This doesn’t solve the drag queen issue, but could perhaps help with some of the library content issue.) None of the books leave the premises nor get destroyed–they’re just made harder to find.
How about focusing some effort into preventing Catholic schools from closing in the first place? Our school has partnered with the Healey Education Foundation in a fight to remain viable; I’m sure you could visit our library if you ask.
Is your goal getting people access to content? Or is it having a communal place outside of the church building itself (even if it is the next building over)?
It’s worth looking at https://formed.org/ . They provide a site that lets you access books, movies, etc. – if the primary goal is how to get people access to content, it’s a good alternative.
In the case that content is your primary concern, have you ever thought about having more of a Netflix DVD model where there is a central warehouse for the books and you share books by shipping?
One common tactic to judge interest in something like this is getting people to sign up for a newsletter about the plan and its development. The thinking is: if you can’t get people to give you their email address, they probably won’t give you their money when the time comes. It’s pretty easy to set up a website that has a “Contact Us” form that captures emails to judge interest.
What about just taking the books off the library shelves? Our local library allows unlimited automatic renewals as long as someone else hasn’t requested the item. Maybe instead of a brick and mortar presence this guild could ‘help maintain’ the stock at the local library. Membership dues could help offset costs by individuals who might have misplaced some of those books.
My wife and I are heavy library users, and now we increasingly rely on the Cleveland network library system to reserve books on-line for our six homeschooled children. But taking them to our actual inner-city library is quite an adventure and I feel at times like I am constantly on guard, both for their physical safety and for their souls. I lament that I can’t freely let them find a book without my approval, but it’s becoming harder and harder to not be fooled. I’m realizing that it’s just not worth checking out new books. Sticking to the classics has also revealed that many excellent books are no longer available on the shelves. I like the idea of an alternative library, but until then what is needed is an on-line resource like what Decent Films, or Common Sense Media provides for films. A website that can quickly give me a summary of content specifically for books would be great. My wife and I have various blogs we refer to that recommend reading lists, but it’s no help when my kids find a book that’s not on that list. I can’t pre-read everything.
I haven’t read all the comments so this may have already been mentioned. The people at A Delectable Education podcast (and website) also have a private library largely catering to homeschool families following a literature based curriculum (like Charlotte Mason). They could probably help with advice.
This has actually been done in the Charlotte Mason homeschooling community. This library is in Virginia, and she offers a list of other private libraries, as well as a conference and resources for private librarians.
https://www.livingbookslibrary.com/the-library/
To me this seems like a lot of effort. What if instead of making a new library system, more Catholics try to become librarians and work on making libraries better from the inside? Get the master’s degree and start influencing.
Another thing is that as a citizen, you have a right to provide feedback and suggestions, including voting for library trustees in many cities. Generally, you can also host a program at the library yourself, just as most DQSH’s are organized by third parties and not affiliated with the library. You can also request specific literature be added and if enough people ask, generally materials are then added.
Finally, checking out and holding material for extended periods can have the opposite effect than that desired. If a book is checked out a lot or for long periods, the library may take that as a sign that the book is in high demand and may order additional copies.
So, I think the best options are to continue using the library but vetting your childrens’ books against a list, be involved in the library by requesting specific materials you want/organizing programs/voting in elections, and possibly become a librarian to have a stronger say in a library. This is what my wife has done and she has been successful in our community at promoting positive literature.
Generally, libraries measure their circulation in terms of new check-outs by patrons. Renewals do not add to the number of check-outs.
I would be willing to donate both books and dollars to such a “Library Guild.” Many years ago I was a librarian, and know well the pitfalls of trying to provide literature that the broader community believes is “fit” to select from.
I’m going to go outside the box here for my opinion on this idea and say this notion of an “alternative library” will do more harm than good. Establishing an “alternative” will imply that the actions of today’s inner-city library is both normal and acceptable. It conveys the defeat of civility. Building a new one is the equivalent of running away.
Consider the drag queen story hour. How could it continue if it was so unacceptable to the community? I submit your fight is not with *any* library but with the people who allow it to be drowned in a pool of pop-culture experimentation such as this.
But what’s more, is the parallel this Library Guild idea has with life itself. It’s no mystery that proper parenting means constant guidance. Whether it’s reviewing a book before your child reads it or doing a quick walk-through of a public restroom before your child uses it, you’re always going to have to look out for them.
My advice is to take the library back. Actually take your child to story hour with a drag queen, but be a proper parent about it. Teach your child that the bearded lady is sick and needs help. Or if you don’t want to get too heavy, just teach the child that the male reader is being silly by dressing up as a woman and that it’s OK to laugh over doing such a goofy thing – because the intentionally absurd should be laughed at.
I love this idea. I help run my church’s library and it is one of the best-used I have ever seen. We have around 11,000 items and typically at any time there are between 300 and 400 items out. I know for a fact that a lot of people love to use it because they are so tired of sifting through the garbage at the public library.
To quote JFK “If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas for more wise men reading more good books in more public libraries. These libraries should be open to all—except the censor. We must know all the facts and hear all the alternatives and listen to all the criticisms. Let us welcome controversial books and controversial authors. For the Bill of Rights is the guardian of our security as well as our liberty.”
There are already effective teams taking down drag queen story hour. You go after their funding, complain to boards of directors and trustees. If your community doesn’t want drag queens reading propaganda, don’t fund the library.
You can also bury them in FOIA requests, use phone campaigns, etc. These events ARE getting successfully stopped.
This is a wonderful idea!! May God bless you and provide you with the wisdom, knowledge, and energy to make this happen!!
It is entirely possible! I am a retired library director who has created school and public libraries from the ground up. Library automation software with the essential features is available free or at reasonable cost. With training, and occasional oversight by a librarian to answer questions and give advice, volunteers can easily create and maintain a collection. You’ve already identified the biggest problem, that of a facility. The rent and utilities would have to be underwritten by some entity, probably for quite a long time. It was done in America’s past and can be again. I’d be happy to help. For an example, the electronic catalog of my own home library can be found at MogenLibrary.librarika.com