LaRocca: ALA training ‘in anticipation of overhauling our library policies’
By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – A public records request to the St. Tammany Library system has uncovered what critics of sexually explicit books available to children say is new, troubling information about the efforts by Library Director Kelly LaRocca to allow the materials to remain unrestricted in the public system.
Connie Phillips, a parish mother who is among the leaders of the newly-formed St. Tammany Library Accountability Project, sent a public records request to the Library Board requesting any e-mails between library officials and the American Library Association (ALA).
It is the ALA that Accountability Project leaders claim is behind the increase nationally in situations similar to St. Tammany, where books and other library materials that have sexually explicit pictures and text are available to children without needing parental approval.
Phillips said the e-mails which were forwarded from the library system revealed the ALA has continually sought copies of “Statements of Concern” from St. Tammany Parish for a national database, which if sent, would contain personal information.
The e-mails also included one from LaRocca to the ALA that stated that from the time of her hiring in 2019 she had taken classes from the national organization, “in anticipation of overhauling our (St. Tammany) library policies.”
In that same e-mail, LaRocca inquired about getting training for as many as 15 of her staff members from the ALA to better equip them to handle complaints about the materials. She also asked if the ALA had a consultant available who could come to St. Tammany to meet with staff members for training.
The public records request confirmed that both LaRocca and Assistant Director of Support Services Tanya DiMaggio had many e-mails with ALA officials, particularly a top official in Deborah Caldwell-Stone. They continually sought guidance and advice dating all the way back to May when the first complaints about the books surfaced, with the ALA offering support in the way of counseling of employees to helping write objection letters to the complaints.
“The ALA wants to keep a database of all the complaints, and the e-mails make it clear they want St. Tammany to send their ‘Statements of Concern’ for each book. If that happens, it would include personal information without the consent of the local residents,” Phillips said. “It’s clear the ALA is 100 percent running our libraries.”
The book controversy blew up last summer when several parish moms saw a PRIDE display at three of the 12 library branches in the parish, including a host of books geared to children on sexual topics ranging from transgender changes, gay and lesbian issues, and sex guides for teens. The materials have graphic pictures of sex acts. Since that initial discovery, the organization has found well over 150 books or other materials with the same topics, all of which are available to children of any age with no parental approval.
Since the Accountability Project first formed they have consistently asked for a restricted area to house the books, and have not asked to ban or censure any books. However, LaRocca has just as consistently refused to give in to the demands, nor has the Library Board reacted in any manner during their monthly meetings to suggest they are willing to change their current policy.
LaRocca and the board did come up with new juvenile library cards that include parental approval, however, that only addresses materials checked out, with all the materials still readily available at all branches for children of any age to access.
Jackie Riecke, Library public relations coordinator, said on Tuesday that to date the library has not forwarded any Statements of Concern to the ALA and “we have no intent to submit these forms to the ALA in the future. No personal information has been submitted to the ALA regarding the Statements of Concern currently under review.”
David Cougle, a local attorney who has also been at the forefront of the fight to create a restricted area in the libraries, said the matter is coming down to the question of why the Library Board can so freely spend taxpayer dollars on materials that he believes the majority of the public does not want available to children.
“From a good governance issue alone, the library should not be spending taxpayer dollars in ways people don’t want. And the community standard in St. Tammany is certainly one that most people would say they don’t want our kids having these materials without parental approval,” he added.
Cougle also previously criticized the fact that the Library Board has already approved spending money for additional legal counsel to fight whatever may come of all this, not to mention the fact LaRocca was seeking classes or a consultant for her staff to fight “what we believe the majority of the citizens do not want.”
Riecke said that to date “Kelly has spoken to ALA about best practices in the past,” and “periodically investigates opportunities for continuing education,” but has not scheduled training for staff in regard to the current situation. She also stated that no ALA consultants have come to St. Tammany to work with library employees.
The Accountability Project continues to be critical of the Parish Council members after Chairman Jake Airey said they looked into the situation and believe they do not have the authority to do anything,