The Anchorage, Alaska, city assembly voted 9-0 June 25 to repeal Mayor George Wuerch’s new policy on exhibits at the Z. J. Loussac Library and replace it with a less restrictive policy recommended by the library advisory board last July. The library made headlines last summer when Wuerch ordered the removal of a gay-pride exhibit and placed a ban on displays by nonlibrary groups until a new policy could be drafted.
The library board’s plan allows outside exhibits with a wide range of views as long as they are not commercial, personal, or disruptive, the Anchorage Daily News reported June 26. It also does not restrict exhibits to the low-traffic ground floor.
Individuals and community groups testified in favor of the library board’s policy at the assembly meeting, but no members of the public spoke to advocate Wuerch’s policy. The mayor did not attend.
Wuerch told NBC affiliate KTUU-TV that he was not ready to back down, although the assembly’s decision is now part of the city code. “Museums are the places for exhibits,” he said. “I think it’s a huge mistake, a big mistake, on the part of the assembly. I have to consult with my city attorney.”
Posted July 1, 2002.