In recent days, several candidates running to be the next governor of South Carolina have publicly denounced the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) and even threatened to remove its funding, seemingly over one book that is no longer even available at any library branch or online.
Make no mistake, I agree that children should be reading age-appropriate materials, and parents should have a say in what their kids read. That’s why I trust professional librarians – at our local libraries and in our schools – to make those decisions. Because that is their job. And also because the library already has a system in place to allow parental control over what their children can read or access.
However, I find it a huge disservice for politicians to threaten the funding for public libraries, a move that would impact all of the residents who rely on the amazing free resources offered at the 18 library locations across Charleston County.
Reading in the teen room at the Wando Library.
It feels like a witch hunt to target local librarians who are devoted to not only books and literacy, but also providing programs for little kids, parents, teens, seniors – pretty much all demographics that benefit from the wide range of services our libraries offer. From the little Village Library in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant to the unique Edgar Allen Poe Library on Sullivan’s Island to the amazing facilities at the Keith Summey Library in North Charleston that opened in 2023 – all of these spots go out of their way to serve their communities and offer informative and engaging programs.
I personally adore the Wando Library in Mount Pleasant. The children’s area has window reading nooks and the teen section has bean bag chairs and booths where kids can do homework or cozy up with a book. The meeting rooms are used by a variety of community groups, and the creative studios have everything from sewing machines to Cricut machines, and digital equipment for making videos, editing or recording podcasts. The staff there is also very helpful and friendly.
The children’s section of the Wando Library in Mount Pleasant has a room with plenty of windows and natural light for reading and daydreaming.
I could go on explaining why public libraries are important, especially for young children, but most normal parents and people already know all that. Plus, I don’t think these three candidates in the governor’s race actually have the ability to withhold funding from CCPL, so their public statements and threats are likely just performative politics done under the guise of “protecting children.”
Also, let’s be real: Most tweens and teens don’t read books. It’s a huge generalization, I know, and I admire all the kids who are voracious readers and enjoy reading, but as a parent of two middle school students, getting my kids to read is like pulling teeth. As someone who has always loved to read, made my career as a writer, and even published a children’s book, that is embarrassing to admit. But it’s true, and I know I’m not the only one out there who faces this struggle. My point is, why are we making it harder to access books when it’s already hard enough just to get kids to do their required reading for school?
And while I fully support protecting children, I find cutting off funding to public libraries an absurd way to reach this goal. If anything, local libraries provide a safe place where kids can learn, get homework done, join book clubs and engage with other kids with similar interests. If state lawmakers really cared about protecting children, they would enforce stricter domestic violence laws – that support parents trying to escape abusive situations or protect teens in abusive relationships. Elected officials would push for legislation that allows better access to mental health care providers so tweens and teens can address issues such as anxiety, depression, bullying or suicidal thoughts – protecting kids from feeling alone and giving them the tools they need to work through their emotions. Lawmakers concerned about protecting children can improve the state’s broken foster care system; get serious about fighting against human trafficking; or bolster efforts to combat cyber threats, especially in areas that impact children like cyberbullying, harassment or online gaming.
But tackling complex issues is hard. And attacking the library is easy. And for each of these would-be gubernatorial candidates who would rather perform political theater than propose practical legislation aimed at actually protecting children, rest assured, voters can read between the lines.
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