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Dear MCDL patrons, The Mercer County District Library has received questions about misinformation being circulated throughout the community regarding the library. We feel it is necessary to share the facts. The library received “Requests for Reconsideration” in March of this year. The titles were reviewed in accordance with MCDL’s policy. Following that review, the Graphic Novel/Comic Book Collection was separated into Teen and Adult. Over 400 items were reviewed and numerous titles were moved from the Graphic Novel section located in the Teen area to the newly created Adult Graphic Novel section. MCDL utilizes numerous professional library resources and we rely on educated and experienced staff to determine the categorization of library materials. Our library is run by policy and procedures set by the Library Board of Trustees. Our library continually strives to be an integral part of the community it serves by providing materials and services for residents of all ages for personal enrichment, enjoyment, and educational needs. The library is dedicated to providing timely and practical access to all forms of media. The educational needs of the community will be supported with adult programming as well as programs developed to stimulate children’s interests and appreciation for reading and learning. Furthermore, our library is open to all. We provide materials and services to everyone without prejudice. The library cannot and will not discriminate. We encourage all parents to visit the library with their children and choose books together. Finally, parental rights are of the utmost importance to our library. No one under the age of 18 is permitted to check out materials from our library without a parent or legal guardian (with proper identification) registering them for a library card. We are working towards educating parents on using the library’s app and website to access their children’s accounts allowing parents to monitor account activity. Additionally, parents are able, at any time, to request additional restrictions on their children’s accounts to limit access to library materials and services. Through our monthly newsletter and on social media we strive to be an integral part of the community we serve by providing information about our services for residents of all ages for personal enrichment, enjoyment, and educational needs. While the library can never replace a parent’s presence we understand that parents may not always be able to accompany their child to the library. Our hope is that parents can utilize the tools that the library currently offers as we continue to work with our ILS (Integrated Library System) vendor to see if there are additional resources and settings that can be made available to our library in the future. The library has an open-door policy and welcomes anyone with concerns to reach out or stop in. Thank you for your continued support of our libraries
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