Kerry libraries have had enquiries from members of the public about LGBTQ+ books aimed at young people.
There have been protests outside some libraries across the country about such books, with some staff being provided with information on how to deal with such incidents.
Recently, across the country, there have been a number of incidents where campaigners have entered libraries and attempted to remove LGBTQ+ books they deem inappropriate for children.
A recent video shared on social media showed a person outside Tralee Library denouncing such books being available.
Kerry County Council, which operates nine libraries in Kerry, states that Kerry libraries have had a few general enquiries from members of the public about this in recent times.
It says one of the actions set out under the Government’s National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 is for public libraries to compile an LGBTI+ reading list and update it on an ongoing basis; the current national list was compiled in 2021.
The council says library collections are curated by librarians with professional expertise, and this includes categorising books by age.
It says borrowing restrictions based on age category are in place to support the role of parents and guardians in supervising their children’s selections.
Kerry Library notes that under the terms and conditions of library membership, parents or guardians are responsible for their children’s use of library materials and services, and for their library selections up to the age of 18.
Meanwhile a spokeswoman for the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which manages public libraries, confirmed to the Irish Times that it was aware of protests, and that some library authorities have had to provide additional support to staff, including information on how to deal with such incidents and how to protect their wellbeing.
