Recent decisions by library officials to control the type of books patrons see on display are "misguided" and "fail on many fronts," the president of the NAACP said during a press conference Wednesday.
Outside the main Lafayette Parish Library branch, right before the library board met, Ravis K. Martinez addressed the recent interest in banning books, as well as the recent decision by library officials to forbid all displays that might be perceived to single out a certain group.
For instance, that means there are no displays in parish libraries right now about Juneteenth or Pride Month.
"The mission of Lafayette Public Library is to enhance the quality of life of our community by providing free and equal access to high-quality, cost-effective library services that meet the needs and expectations of our diverse community for information, life-long learning, recreation, and cultural enrichment," Martinez said. "By having a policy in place that forbids library staff from creating displays that actually highlight diversity and also encourages inclusion, in our view, runs counter to the spirit and mission of the Library in being a place that meets the needs of a diverse community. Even though we can respect his efforts to protect his staff from what he perceives as the public’s attack on his staff, his solution to the overall problem is misguided and fails on many fronts."
We reached out to the library administration to see if they'd like to make their own statement, but they did not.
What is happening in Lafayette's library and at the board meetings is not isolated, Martinez said. To read our recent stories about what's going on, click here, here and here.
"Countless economic, social, and political strategies and movements have been deployed and are being deployed to attack the various systems that have historically benefited one particular segment of the population over that of others. We see these battles playing out in our national politics, yet it is the local and state battles that are having the greatest impact on equitable access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," he said.
He talked about the state legislature's refusal to create a second majority black district despite a federal court order to do so during last week's special session.
"Today is no different, and the fight for equality and justice has brought us to the doors of the main branch of the Lafayette Public Library as we protest and object to the actions of the Library Director, Danny Gillane, in banning library staff from creating book displays “that single out a portion of the population-any portion of the population," he said.
If Lafayette is to thrive and grow, it needs a functioning library system, he said.
"Libraries no longer are just a warehouse for books. The libraries of today provide space and opportunities to large segments of the population that might not have an opportunity elsewhere to utilize such resources. The role and value of a robust, free and open library system is central to helping a community thrive and grow," he said.
Martinez said that the library's policy on bulletin boards, exhibits and displays says that these spaces are available to people and non-profit groups to use.
"In my meeting with the Library Director – he stated that he would follow the established policy as its outlined and would look at every request in a fair and impartial manner. In that spirit, we would encourage individuals and nonprofit organizations to put up a display in one of our libraries in Lafayette parish to highlight the diversity and inclusion that we all need more of and not less. Here is our opportunity to showcase what makes Lafayette Parish a great place to live and a great place to raise a family," he said.
Martinez added that he doesn't believe the recent actions are in line with how libraries across the country are being run, adding that "...it is our contention that the library should be a safe space for the exchange of information and ideas and that the Library should be engaged in educational, cultural, and intellectual activities for the benefit of the entire community."
That being said, there's nothing new here, he said.
"The nationwide effort to ban books is not a new one, its one that we have seen since the we begin printing books. Our job, as an
organization, as a community, as a people, is to continue to work to highlight, call out, and change the policies that do more harm than good. This display ban policy does no good and only further harms the people its intended to protect," Martinez said.
He said his organization is working to fulfill its role, and invited anyone who is interested in working to find a solution to "this community problem" to come to the NAACP meetings that are held the first Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. or attend them remotely. For more information, click here.
