The Columbia County Board of Commissioners will discuss guidelines for library book placement and a non-sanctuary city proclamation at the meeting on Tuesday.
Commissioners will discuss library guidelines for determining book placement. For the last few years, community members have attended the Columbia County Library Board meetings to ask for the reconsideration of multiple books.
According to the agenda document, when determining the classification for a library book, the library staff relies on multiple factors. These include publisher and author recommendations, language and vocabulary, professional reviews, education and developmental considerations and more.
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“There are currently no recognized standards that define age-appropriateness of content for books. Members of the Columbia County Library Advisory Board have proposed guidelines that present more objective criteria that may be considered along with the existing determining factors. The Columbia County Library Staff is encouraged to consider the following guidelines when determining the appropriate placement of books. Nothing contained herein, however, is intended to supplant the Librarian’s discretion in book selection and placement,” according to the agenda document.
There are recommendations for easy/children (ages 0-8), juvenile (ages 8-11), middle ground (ages 11-14), teen (ages 14-18), adult (18+).
The commissioners will also discuss a proclamation confirming Columbia County as a non-sanctuary county. This item follows an immigration research group labeling the county as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
“Whereas, the County seeks to address concerns regarding public safety, resource allocation, and adherence to federal immigration laws in a manner that reflects the values and interests of our community; Whereas, the County shall continue to uphold all applicable federal and state immigration laws and regulations within its jurisdiction limits. The enforcement of these laws is essential to maintaining public safety and order within the community; Whereas, County officials support Columbia County Sheriff Clay Whittle and his Administrative team and county Law Enforcement in their efforts to cooperate with and assist federal immigration enforcement agencies as required by federal law,” the proclamation states in part.
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Commissioners will also discuss the multiple rezoning and variance requests that are on the agenda.
The Columbia County Board of Commissioners will meet on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium at the Evans Government Center complex. To view the full agenda, visit columbiacountyga.gov.
