Two books dealing with teenage sex education will stay at an Old Lyme public library after a group of community members asked for their removal.
The Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library Board of Trustees determined that the books, Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships and Being a Human and You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty And Other Things, will remain at the library because they "meet the selection criteria as stated in The Library's Collection Development Policy."
After reviewing the books, the Board of Trustees said the books will remain in the library's teen and tween collection.
More than 130 people from Old Lyme and Lyme signed a letter sent on June 16 asking the library to consider removing the books from their shelves.
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In the letter, it says: “We do not believe that this material is in any way sex education, and it is unbecoming of our community values.”
These books were the third and fourth book challenged at the library in the last two years, with no books removed so far.
The Board came to the conclusion at a meeting on July 11, saying they "recognize that many materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons."
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They went on to say that young people have to be middle school-aged to go to the library unaccompanied. The board said, "limiting access to content is the responsibility of the parent."
A public library board in Fairfield back in October 2022 unanimously rejected removing “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human” from the teen section after it was challenged.
