The Cromaine District Library Board in Hartland, Michigan, has some reading to do after members decided to read the more than 200 books that were contested by community members.
A group of 12 people submitted request for reconsideration forms to the library on March 31 to remove the 222 books over concerns of “sexualization/exploitation of children.” Library staff began evaluating the books, but the process was interrupted while the board worked to update a policy that would allow the library to label books found to contain graphic content and relocate them instead of removing them.
The new policy, which shifts the responsibility to parents to restrict their children from certain books, was adopted in June 2025.
During the more than two-hour meeting on Oct. 16, board members discussed reading the 222 books.
“It might turn out that I agree with everything; that would be great, but I don’t feel comfortable agreeing to that many books without having read them,” said board member Dawn Smith.
Board member Jeanine Gogoleski saw the effort as part of the board’s job.
“I feel as a board we should do our due diligence for this and read the books cover-to-cover,” she said.
At the meeting, library director Sarah Neidert encouraged further discussion of the contested content.
“Some in this community think gay character equals sex; equals should not be here. Some think sex is all of the parts of your body that you use for sex, you know what I mean? And we have this sex ed book, and yes, I’m willing to have those debates,” she said. “But if we’re a moral, ethical argument that we need a lawyer for, I want to have it.”
CBS News Detroit reached out to board members on Monday, including Bolin, Holly Naylor, Nancy Rosso and library director Sarah Neidert. Some members did not respond, while others redirected the request to Neidert, who declined to be interviewed until final decisions are made.
October’s meeting was the first public gathering after a previous meeting was cancelled due to heated and disruptive interactions.
“We do have some armed personnel just to keep an eye on things, given the current state of our nation,” board president Bill Bolin said at the Oct. 16 meeting.