Sioux Center, Iowa — An event hosted in Sioux Center last week by conservative news outlet The Iowa Standard renewed local discussion surrounding the Sioux Center Public Library and how access to certain materials should be handled for minors.
The event, titled “Libraries Are Not Loopholes: Responsibility, Access, and Child Protection,” featured Iowa Standard founder Jacob Hall and Sioux Center Library Board member Teri Hubbard. Hubbard emphasized she was speaking only for herself and not on behalf of the library board.
Hubbard outlined concerns with the library’s current collection development and access policies, arguing that minors have unrestricted access to adult materials unless parents actively intervene.
The discussion revisited a formal reconsideration request filed last year after a minor checked out the adult romance novel, Icebreaker. The Sioux Center Library Board ultimately voted to keep the book on its shelves, citing concerns about potential legal challenges related to censorship. Hubbard was the lone board member to vote for removal.
In December, the board approved a voluntary, tiered youth access library card procedure that would allow parents to limit which sections of the library their children can check out materials from. That system has since been placed on hold after the Iowa State Library raised concerns that the approach could conflict with accreditation standards.
During the event, Hubbard said the tiered system does not go far enough to protect minors and called instead for policy changes that would place sexually explicit materials in adult sections by default, while allowing parents to opt their children into expanded access if they choose.
The event also included an extended question-and-answer session, with attendees raising concerns about censorship, parental responsibility, and the safety of library staff amid heightened rhetoric surrounding the issue.
The local debate comes as similar issues continue to be litigated at the state level. A federal appeals court heard arguments Tuesday in St. Louis on Iowa’s 2023 education law, Senate File 496, which includes restrictions on school library books depicting sex acts, limits classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade, and requires parental notification in certain situations. Portions of the law remain temporarily blocked as judges consider whether it can be constitutionally enforced.
The Sioux Center Library Board is expected to continue reviewing youth access policies in the coming weeks.
–by Reagan Van Beek
KIWA Staff Photo
