Posted March 16, 2007.

Marshall Completes Policy Review, Keeps Graphic Novels

The board of the Marshall (Mo.) Public Library approved a new policy on materials selection at its March 14 meeting and agreed to put two coming-of-age graphic novels back on the shelves. Trustees had set up a committee last October to create a selection policy in the wake of a challenge by Marshall resident Louise Mills over the appropriateness of Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Blankets by Craig Thompson, which were pulled from circulation until guidelines were established.

The only dissenting vote among the eight board members came from Treasurer Connie Grisier, who opposed the policy because it did not have a provision for labeling materials, the March 15 Marshall Democrat-News reported.

The board also voted to place Blankets in the adult book section, rather than the young adult area where it had been shelved before. Library Director Amy Crump said that the novel was originally put in the teen section because of the protagonist’s age but that it is commonly categorized as adult fiction. Fun Home was returned to the adult section.

“I think we have tried really, really hard to be fair to all sides,” Board President Anita Wright said after the decision. “We put in a lot of safeguards and [we] hope not to find ourselves back in this position.”

Posted March 16, 2007.