VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The book “Let’s Talk About It” (A Teenage Guide To Sex, Relationships and How to be a Human Being) has raised a few eyebrows in Valley City since the first story about it’s existence ran in the Times Record back in September of 2022.
On Friday, December 2nd, Hilde van Gijssel, the president of the board of directors of the Valley City Barnes County Public Library said unauthorized graphic images from the book have been distributed in a flyer claiming that it was created by the library. She said that’s fake news. She said if you have an issue with the book, patrons have to follow their reconsideration policy.
She talked about why the flyer is illegal for public distribution.
She said eight people have submitted requests for reconsideration of the book, but so far, no one has requested a formal hearing. She anticipates that someone will follow the proper procedure and request a hearing for the removal of the book.
Since September, a group of citizens in Valley City, have been asking the library director and the board of directors to remove the book from library circulation due to it’s graphic images and (according to the group) the controversial message it portrays about human sexuality.
The issue will be addressed as an agenda item during the upcoming Barnes County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, December 6th. The meeting will be held in the commission chambers on the second floor of the Barnes County Courthouse. The meeting starts at 8am.
The full interview with Hilde van Gijssel is available below.
The following is a news release from the Valley City Barnes County Public Library. For immediate release Dec 2, 2022
“On Thursday Dec 1, 2022, flyers were maliciously distributed in Valley City about a book in the collection of the Valley City Barnes County (VCBC) Public Library. The Flyer contained the VCBC Public Library contact information. Implying the flyers were created and condoned by the VCBC Public Library is in error. The Staff and Board members of the VCBC Public Library are NOT responsible for the flyers, nor did they give permission for generating or distributing the flyers in the name of the VCBC Public Library. A criminal complaint has been filed with the Valley City Police Department.
Please contact the Valley City Police Department with any information about who created and distributed the flyers.
The Board of Directors and staff of the VCBC Public Library ask people who have an issue with an item in the collection to respect and follow the reconsideration policy and file a request for reconsideration. The policy and procedure can be found on the VCBC Public Library website vcbclibrary.org and copies are available at the front desk in the VCBC Public Library.
Hilde van Gijssel
President Board of Directors