The Crawfordsville library is running another terrific reading program for children. I borrowed a friend’s 4-year-old and took him to join the fun. After signing up, we set out to find Woody to earn a raffle ticket. Our hint was that Woody could be anywhere in the library, but that the second floor was a good place to begin our search. We found Woody, but not before encountering inappropriate material for young children.
Downstairs the children’s section is colorful. Upstairs the colors are brighter. The large poster pointing to the Pride and Queerplay displays is eye catching. The table with crayons and coloring pages from the graphic novel Queerplay is self-explanatory. Woody is located about two stacks down from this display. My companion was more interested in the coloring pages and bright poster than in locating a missing doll and so was I. The second floor is the adult section of the library, but anyone is welcome and maybe that is the problem.
Why is the upstairs set up as if it is for kids? Bright primary colors, crayons, coloring pages? Are adults to be treated as small children? Or is the library inviting small children into an adult world unsuitable and inappropriate for their ages? This isn’t new. Last time I looked, the coloring pages were spells from books on witchcraft. And before anyone yells bigot, let me just say that I haven’t noticed any coloring pages of the Constitution or from the Bible or even of any subject that doesn’t include romance.
The first floor is a safe space for kids, but maybe a caution sign is needed for the second floor. If the library had decided to host that drag show for kids last fall, would it have been on the second floor?
Dr. Penny McCann-Washer
Crawfordsville
