Our George Fletcher county library, a gem in our beautiful county and town, needs a closer look, there is more than meets the eye. The library board and administrative library staff are insisting on putting books that are explicitly sexual in content in the youth (6- to 12-year-old) and teen (13- to 17-year-old) sections of our library. Our concern is that young patrons can inadvertently be exposed to pictures, ideas, and “how to” sexual instructions! This exposure is called “grooming” and defined as “sexual abuse of children.”

Starting in December 2023, groups of Alpena County residents have expressed serious concerns about grooming. Efforts to work with the library board and library administrative staff were disappointing. They offered no solution or suggestions to negotiate, no reply to our expressed concerns, and delaying the issue with each monthly meeting. When it was pointed out that step two of the policy and procedure for addressing public comment issues was skipped, a meeting was scheduled. The outcome was announced at the May library board meeting: The books will remain in the youth and teen sections!

Our vote NO on the library millage is our last desperate effort to prevent these books from being shelved in the youth and teen sections. It is the only leverage we have left! We need to change these policies and procedures that are effectively grooming our children. We must find people in our county who are willing to negotiate and work together, to start fresh and stop the grooming our kids. Our children deserve resources that are age-appropriate, and we need a strong library board and library staff who are capable and willing to find mutually agreed upon solutions for the benefit of all: kids, parents, people serving our county and taxpayers who help pay the bills.

Respectfully submitted,

NONIE I. MULLER,

Alpena