Book Ratings Reach Public Libraries

On August 20, 2026, board chair Tom Hanley reviewed the July collections report. He said there were 24 young adult fiction purchases and "seven out of the 24" contain graphic violence. He named rating references including "rated books" and "screen it first."

A speaker who appears to be the library director said the monthly purchase list can include donations and publisher-assigned YA labels. The speaker said earlier lists had flagged titles in the 20s and 30s. A second speaker said the count had fallen to one or two.

A public commenter from Post Falls said that as of June 18 the Community Library Network lists 142 books in its mature content collection, yet there are "no books physically available in the mature content collection room" at the Post Falls Library. At the August 13 budget hearing, commenters questioned a 20% salary increase for the director and a 54.5% rise in medical and dental insurance costs. The figures are the commenters'.

A trustee asked whether the ruling gives the board "any more rights to remove" harmful material and what it means for acquisitions. Counsel said it does not give "any additional authority to do anything because the state law still exists," and that "you can't force us to buy a book," so a library cannot be sued for not buying one. Counsel said removal is different because it invites a claim that the government disagreed with the message.

In responsive public comment on August 20, a trustee said comments at earlier meetings were "absolutely false" and said commenters use freedom as an excuse "to promote grooming other people's children." On September 17, one commenter said "I'm not a liar" and that they belong to the Library Alliance of North Idaho. Another said a trustee had called them "a groomer" and that whether the remarks damaged their reputation is "best left to the courts." These are the speakers' own statements and claims.

In February 2026, the Pickens County Library System's policy manual names NBRI as a possible source for assessing age appropriateness.

The clips section has 13 clips of remarks at Pickens County Library System board meetings in South Carolina, from August 2024 to March 2026.