Mailbag: Issues surrounding H.B. library continue to draw readers’ ire

The recent attempt to privatize the esteemed and award-winning public library in Huntington Beach stands as yet another testament to the divisive and detrimental leadership plaguing our community. This forgotten-four majority seems intent on tearing apart the very fabric of our local institutions, exhibiting a blatant disregard for the well-being of our citizens. Shame on their attempt to establish a review committee comprised of untrained and opinionated residents to override professional librarians, without the option of appeal.

The library already has a system in place to challenge a book. We don’t need any changes! Instead, will Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark ban books on the Holocaust and favor books on Nazis? Will she ban books about the Jan. 6 insurrection?

It is nothing short of disgraceful that our city finds itself embroiled in negative publicity, facing lawsuits, state penalties and other avoidable issues. Instead of exacerbating divisive culture wars, our focus should be directed toward effectively addressing the genuine challenges our city faces.

Andrew Einhorn
Huntington Beach

Since last June when Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark claimed there are hundreds of pornographic books in our public library, volunteers, such as myself, who are part of the 1,175-member Friends of the Huntington Beach Library, have been called groomers, perverts and pedophiles by her ardent supporters. Just last Saturday, one of Van Der Mark’s biggest defenders used a megaphone to berate us as we held a peaceful “Read In” in front of Huntington Beach’s Central Library, to oppose turning the award-winning, well-run library over to a profit-driven corporation for privatization.

The disrupter toned down his vulgar speech after the police confronted him, and it made me realize how pathetic our city looked to the nonresidents who were patronizing the library. In fact, a realtor I know who sells residential property in Orange County told me that Surf City has lost much of its appeal to many clients seeking a peaceful community to raise their family. We might as well give up trying to attract the U.S. Olympics here in 2028 for their surfing events.

Ironically, Van Der Mark has never produced a list of these pornographic books nor has she removed them — probably because they don’t exist! This is all MAGA political theater, and it’s tearing our community apart and tarnishing our image.

Carol Daus
Huntington Beach

I attended and spoke at the April meeting of the Huntington Beach Community & Library Services Commission, and the main topic of the study session was naturally the Huntington Beach Library. Chair Austin Edsell appeared bewildered by the lack of details on moves already taken by the City Council majority on the issues (Resolution 2023-41, Ordinance No. 4318, and the RFP for Managed Library Services) and city staff was unable to provide even routine specificity on commission inquiries. Needless to say, the commission members, with one exception (council majority appointee Ceason Baker) were nonplussed by the “summary.” Two commission members were openly indignant and sided with speakers during public comments who railed against the council majority decisions by at least a 10-to-1 margin. It was noted in this “cart before the horse” meeting, whereby the commission is tasked to provide “advice” to the City Council on library issues, that this rogue council majority no longer accepts input from even its own controlled boards and commissions. This is misgovernance at its most glaring level.

Tim Geddes
Huntington Beach