Fishers Library drama is undefeated

BySkyler
HEPL Library

The Fishers Library is undefeated in causing controversy and drama and dividing the Fishers community.

You aren’t alone if you’re struggling to keep up with everything. 

Here’s the lowdown. Links to go deeper as always: 

  • The library board cut off the public during a July meeting, leading to an arrest
    • Additionally, a board member accused the Human Library event of promoting prostitution
    • You can also view the agenda and minutes here (caution: this thing is LONG)
  • The arrest lead to misdemeanor charges of a board meeting participant
  • John Green’s book, The Fault in our Stars, one of the best-selling books of all time, was moved to the adult section
    • This has driven social media completely nuts
  • A meeting is set for August 30th — where board member Andre Miksha is being targeted for removal. The agenda cites state law on removing a board member.
    • According to reports, HSE Board President Dawn told Andre the board wanted to replace him because of his voting record.
    • This was reported by the IndyStar

Reshelving policy

The reshelving of books comes from a new policy that effectively states: Books containing pictures of nudity or sexual content or descriptions of sexual content can not be on the shelves of youth, middle school, and high school sections.

John Green’s response

When John Green learned that the library moved the best-selling book ever to be set in Indiana to the Adult section he didn’t hold back:

“This is ludicrous. It is about teenagers, and I wrote it for teenagers. Teenagers are not harmed by reading TFIOS. This is such an embarrassment to the city of @FishersIN.”

The book is about a teenage girl who is a cancer patient who meets a teenage cancer survivor, and the pair fall in love, eventually losing their virginity to one another. 

If you want to read John Green’s public letter to Fishers and all of Indiana, you can read it here. 

The cost 

Hamilton East Public Library has relocated 1,385 titles to the Adult section. The library has not vetted nearly 75% of its content. The work is estimated to cost ~$300,000. 

The past few weeks have been a low point for the city, regardless of your political viewpoints. Hopefully, the community can come together and remember — we’re all neighbors.

Similar Posts