In the quiet aisles of Northern Cambria Public Library in a small borough Pennsylvania, library director Justin Brown would routinely update the magazine section. That included adding the latest issues of Out, a magazine that celebrates LGBTQ+ culture, art, entertainment, and fashion. But, each time he went to place a new issue of the magazine, he found the previous issue mysteriously missing. This pattern of disappearance, initially a puzzling anomaly, has unraveled into a profound debate over representation and censorship, culminating in Brown’s dramatic resignation at a recent library board meeting.
In an interview with The Advocate, Brown detailed the events leading to his exit.
Brown said he started noticing the absence of the magazine over a period of months. When new issues came in, he observed that back issues were missing from the rack where periodicals like Out are kept for public access. Concerned, he inquired with the staff, who were also unaware of how or why the magazines went missing. This lack of clarity led Brown to confront the board president Bill Lantzy, who confirmed that Out was indeed being removed from the collection because it was deemed “inappropriate” and allegedly contained nudity, Brown said. Out is a sibling publication of The Advocate.
Northern Cambria Public Library is located in the western Pennsylvania town of Northern Cambria, which is about an hour and a half east of Pittsburgh. Its population is a little under 4,000.
During a Nov. 28 meeting, board members expressed concerns about the magazine’s content, particularly its suitability for a younger audience, according to a recording of the meeting shared with The Advocate. Brown challenged these concerns by demonstrating the educational and cultural value of the magazine. He argued that the publication serves a vital role in representing the LGBTQ+ community, but the board overlooked a perspective he felt was important in their decision-making process.
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Another point of contention in the meeting was the board’s interpretation of what constituted nudity and inappropriate content. Brown presented various examples from Out, comparing them to similar or more explicit content found in widely accepted mainstream magazines like People and Vogue.
Brown confronted each board member about their involvement in the decision to remove the magazine, revealing that the decision was not an official board resolution but rather the actions of a few individuals, namely the library board's president Bill Lantzy and board members Gloria Salvia and Kathie Artley.
He told The Advocate that the decision to take the issues was just the "whims" of those people. “It was wildly disappointing," Brown said.
As the Northern Cambria Library board meeting unfolded, Brown repeatedly emphasized the established library policies and industry standards for selecting and retaining materials. He pointed out the library’s policy that empowers the director, not the board, to decide on the inclusion or removal of materials based on their educational and cultural value. Brown’s arguments highlighted a fundamental misunderstanding or disregard by some board members of these well-established norms within the library system.
Brown also highlighted the library’s role in fostering a diverse and inclusive collection. He argued that removing Out would be a disservice not only to the LGBTQ+ community but also to the library’s mission of providing access to a broad spectrum of ideas and viewpoints. Ultimately, after pleading his case and board members rejected his expertise, Brown said he would be resigning, a decision that was met with no resistance.
Mark Berryhill, CEO of equalpride, the parent company of Out, condemned the library’s actions.
“The recent actions at the Northern Cambria Library, unilaterally removing copies of Out, are deeply concerning and contrary to established library procedures,” Berryhill said. He continued, “I fully reject the inaccurate labeling of our distinguished publication as pornography.”
Daniel Reynolds, editor-in-chief of Out, also voiced his firm opposition to the library’s decision.
“The Northern Cambria Library’s removal of Out from its shelves is an abhorrent anti-LGBTQ+ act of censorship, pure and simple,” Reynolds said. “The library’s board has done so under the pretext of deeming our magazine pornography, which is laughably false, particularly when compared with far more risqué mainstream publications."
Reynolds vowed to continue serving the LGBTQ+ community despite the challenges posed by such censorship.
“We will continue this mission long after the right-wing book ban wagon, which Northern Cambria Library has sadly hitched itself to, has passed,” he said. “And we encourage the people of Northern Cambria to speak out against this censorship in their community, which belongs in the pages of history rather than modern-day America.”
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Brown’s resignation and the ensuing debate reflect libraries’ complexities and challenges in balancing community values with the mission to provide diverse and inclusive materials.
“Libraries should be safe havens for all ideas and identities, not places where censorship takes root under the guise of protecting the community,” Brown said.
The debate over Out at Northern Cambria Public Library reflects a larger trend of challenges and censorship faced by libraries nationwide. These challenges often revolve around the inclusion of LGBTQ+ content, raising questions about the role of libraries in ensuring access to diverse viewpoints and the balance between community standards and intellectual freedom.
Brown noted that the board’s actions could potentially expose the library to legal challenges based on First Amendment rights, highlighting the seriousness of their decision to remove the magazine without proper procedure or consideration of library policies.
The Advocate did not receive a response to a request for comment from the library board.
The American Library Association weighed in on the issue, underscoring its stance against censorship and viewpoint-based discrimination in libraries. In a statement, a representative of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reiterated the group's commitment to ensuring that library materials serve the interest and enlightenment of all community members.
“ALA is unequivocally opposed to censorship of this sort and to viewpoint-based discrimination in libraries,” the representative wrote.
They noted several ALA documents, including the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement, which advocate for inclusive and viewpoint-neutral library policies.
Libraries are increasingly becoming arenas for cultural and political disputes over LGBTQ+ content. This trend is evident in cases like the St. Marys Public Library in Kansas, which removed youth-oriented LGBTQ+ books under political and religious pressure. Similarly, in Virginia, a dispute over LGBTQ+ books in Samuels Public Library led to significant community backlash and debates over public funding.
Brown’s experience at Northern Cambria Public Library becomes a significant chapter in the ongoing discussion about the role of public libraries in safeguarding intellectual freedom and providing access to diverse materials.
For his part, equalpride’s CEO doubled down on his company’s mission to represent diverse viewpoints.
“Our commitment to promoting understanding and acceptance remains unwavering,” Berryhill said.
