ST. CHARLES COUNTY — St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann and St. Charles Mayor Dan Borgmeyer were among those who filed a formal challenge to the county library system’s inclusion of a sexually explicit book called “Bang Like a Porn Star: Sex Tips From the Pros†on its shelves.
And the two elected officials, who appoint the board overseeing the City-County Library District, are pressing the system to isolate any other books with explicit sexual illustrations or instructions to special areas in library branches.
Ehlmann said Monday that the two had no plans to seek removal of other books but that “Bang Like a Porn Star†is particularly worrisome. The book features interviews with several gay adult film stars and includes photographs detailing various sex acts.
They said on their review request that it is pornographic and “does not belong in a tax-supported public library.â€
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“By God, this is low-hanging fruit. Let’s pick it,†Ehlmann said. “At least in my opinion, it is.â€
Borgmeyer and Ehlmann said they made their request to move books with explicit sexual illustrations or instructions to restricted areas of libraries during a discussion several weeks ago with Jason Kuhl, the library district CEO, and Staci Alvarez, the board president.
Borgmeyer said he wants to keep children visiting district libraries away from such books but doesn’t want to bar access to adults. Children now can use any section of district libraries, although the system requires anyone 10 and younger to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
It makes sense, he said, to put those books in a special section from which kids younger than a yet-to-be-determined age would be barred, even if accompanied by a parent.
“I do not want to use taxpayer dollars to settle ... lawsuits over free speech,†Borgmeyer said.
Kuhl, the district CEO, confirmed Monday that the request was made and said the district board is “aware of the request and actively considering options.â€
“Any changes to policy or restrictions of access need to be discussed and acted upon by the board,†Kuhl said in an email.
Alvarez, the president, could not be reached for comment.
Borgmeyer said he had asked that the proposed special section be off-limits to anyone younger than 18 years old but that the cutoff could end up being 16.
Ehlmann also said “there will still be disputes over how extensive this policy will be. What’s explicit, what isn’t? I just want to see them (the library board) take a position and explain it. If I don’t agree with it, so be it.â€
The leaders’ moves follow several months of complaints by some socially conservative critics about library district policies.
Ehlmann and Borgmeyer complained about the “Porn Star†book’s “pornographic nature†in a form submitted Oct. 10.
Although Ehlmann and Borgmeyer didn’t know about it, a similar challenge had been submitted by someone else on Sept. 27 — already triggering a review of the book’s content by a committee of library staff members.
A third challenge was turned in after the Ehlmann-Borgmeyer submission, said Lori Beth Crawford, a library district spokeswoman.
Ehlmann, who on Monday released a copy of the form he and the mayor filed, said they submitted it because a library board member had told them that no one had done so yet.
“We just wanted to make everyone aware there is a procedure to have books†reconsidered, he said.
Crawford, the district spokeswoman, said the review committee is likely to reach a decision this week.
Critics of the district complained about the “Porn Star†book at a district board meeting Sept. 19. They also have taken aim at sexual content in several other books carried by the library system, most recently at a board meeting last week. However, no formal challenges have been filed against the other books.
Others have defended district officials, with one speaker at last week’s board meeting saying the books cited by critics are for education.
Over the years, Ehlmann has appointed five members of the current nine-person district board and Borgmeyer the remainder.
Before the initial Sept. 27 challenge of “Bang Like a Porn Star,†the library system owned only one copy. It was in the adult section of its Kisker Road Branch near Weldon Spring.
Since then, the district has bought four additional copies to be shared by review committee members.
If the district ultimately decides to keep the book in library circulation, the extra copies would be added to the books available to the public, the district has said.
The book battle is the latest example of the library district being at the center of culture war controversies this year. Some residents also have complained about the attire of a library employee they say was wearing nail polish, makeup and a goatee.
While Ehlmann disclosed on Monday that he and Borgmeyer had submitted one challenge to “Bang Like a Porn Star,†the district has refused to release the names of the residents who filed the two others.