When I began this local Fishers news blog in January of 2012, I knew Fishers was a growing area and would make news as it became a larger municipality.  It would have been hard at that time to imagine the massive media attention during the August 24 Hamilton East Library Board meeting.

The Indianapolis Star, the state’s largest newspaper, sent reporter Rachel Fradette, along with a photographer and a video camera to live stream the proceedings.  I didn’t take a full count, but I believe all the television news operations in Indianapolis sent camera crews and reporters.  It is hard to remember an event in this area that drew so much media attention.

The meeting was held in Noblesville, but the Hamilton East Library system serves both Noblesville and Fishers, with library buildings in each city.  The board rotates where the meetings are held between the two locations.

Why all the media focus on Fishers?  Because a majority of library board members implemented a policy of having the staff review all books in the teen section for possible reshelving into the adult collection, providing instructions to the staff on how to evaluate the books, based on the book’s content.  Library Director Edra Waterman told the board it would take a year to complete such a review and cost more than $300,000, but the board said, do the review.

When New York Times best-selling author John Green discovered his book was moved from the young adult to the adult section of the library, he let it be known on social media he was not pleased.

Even when the board indicated the book in question, The Fault In Our Stars, would be returned to the young adult collection, Green made it clear that was not enough, he very clearly said he wanted the policy to be rescinded.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, in a statement to the Indianapolis Star and on a podcast with me, used  words I have heard him use many times before, urging “discipline and humility over cultural matters.”  He wants decision makers to be “thoughtful’ when putting together something like library policy.

The Hamilton East Library Board members are appointed by the Hamilton County Council, County Commissioners, Noblesville Schools and Hamilton Southeastern Schools.  In an IndyStar story written by reporter John Tuohy, County Councilor Ken Alexander and County Commissioner Christine Altman both told the Star of being “exasperated” by some of the library board actions.

The media attention, which went national and international in its scope, apparently had something to do with the board’s unanimous vote at the August 24th session, with all that media looking on and a jammed meeting room, to “pause” the review of books in the young adult section.

The 7-member board has seen a number of 4-3 votes lately.  The term of board member Laura Alerding expires at the end of August and Noblesville High School teacher Bill Kenley will replace Alerding following action by the Noblesville School Board.  Will the addition of Mr. Kenley change the balance of power on the board?  Time will tell.

As I have written before, I have been a fan of the Hamilton East Library for a long time.  When first moving to Fishers in 1991, I visited the Noblesville location before the Fishers branch was constructed.  My wife Jane and my daughters have used the library, and Jane  I continue to be users of the Hamilton East Library in Fishers.

This entire dust-up over our local library’s policy has hurt the reputation of this community.  The publicity generated has not been positive.

We all need to let our elected officials know how we feel.  They appoint the members of the library board.  We all have an interest in library policies that reflect the entire community.

On a side note, I started a Twitter account in January of 2012 when this blog started.  The platform, recently renamed X, is used by me as a way to let my readers know when a new story is posted on the blog.  A few days ago, I welcomed X follower number 3,000.  That is a lot of followers for a small, local, volunteer news blog.

My thanks to the @larryinfishers X followers and to all that take the time to read this blog.  I have a firm belief that civic involvement and interest in local elections will only happen if there is news coverage.  I do the best I can as one person to provide that coverage.

I have tried to quit this enterprise twice, but something always happens to keep me here.  Plus, I’m not getting any younger.

But my health is relatively good for a guy my age so I enter another election cycle hoping to let people know where the candidates stand.

Thanks for reading this blog and listening to my podcasts.