Library officials see very little to keep from kids

Even though the much-awaited opportunity last week for the public to speak directly to members of the St. Tammany Parish Council was admittedly not going to bring about any direct action to solve the 15-month-old library book controversy, a surprising bit of news that night did make one thing very clear—library officials spending $12 million of taxpayer money every year see almost nothing that should be off limits for children.
The public hearing hosted by the Parish Council was begun when Chairman Jake Airey read a letter from Library Board Director Kelly LaRocca, updating the council and the public about the newly passed state law, Act 436, which spells out in great detail how library boards across the state must restrict sexually explicit materials from minors.
With a deadline of Jan. 1, 2024, to put that policy in place, critics of the accessibility of the books for minors believed it would finally force library boards across the state from allowing kids to read about sex acts, different sexual ideologies, and many books that contain pornographic text detailing young people having sex.
But don’t think so fast. Not only did the letter from LaRocca to the Parish Council claim the St. Tammany Library Board has already far surpassed those guidelines, but LaRocca bragged about the numerous ways she has directed changes in library policy over the past year to supposedly ensure minors are protected.
Of course, LaRocca focused in on the new library card system that does, in fact, provide some limits to kids checking out the books. The thing she obviously made sure to avoid was discussing the accessibility of all these materials when minors walk through the aisles of the 12 public libraries in St. Tammany.
The letter left many stunned to think that LaRocca continues to be so bold as to believe their actions have done anything of the kind when it comes to truly limiting access for minors. We are certain that the majority of people who have seen the books and the extremely sexually graphic language in many of them would disagree LaRocca has accomplished much of anything.
Yet, it is clear that LaRocca and the Library Board, headed by Rebecca Taylor, have no intent on responding to Act 436 in any manner most people would expect.
Her letter makes one thing abundantly clear—LaRocca, Taylor and most of the board members do not see a thing wrong with children reading these books. And that is where the huge difference of opinion continues to lie.
LaRocca settled one thing that night, and it is the expectation that Act 436 will change anything when it comes to protecting children in St. Tammany Parish.
This fight will go on past Jan. 1, 2024, unless major change does occur on the Parish Council in the October 14 election, but even that might not be enough to rein in a group on the liberal left who firmly believe virtually nothing should be off limits for children to read or see.