Sunday, March 22, 2009

San Antonio Public Library Book Censorship



The San Antonio Connection

The fireworks began at a pre-City Council meeting on Thursday, 14 May 1953. Mayor Jack White:
“I would like to put a thought to the council that they should be looking into the matter of stamping books in the public library by known Communists.”

Acting City Manager Wylie Johnson:
“I think they should be burned instead of stamped.”

City Librarian Julia Grothaus was called in to clarify the library’s position.
“Of course the library has always had books on controversial subjects. … The library has never dictated to the people what they should have and what they should think. We do have material that will give people the information on both sides of the question. That’s the policy of my library serving the people.”

Later that same day library trustees met to discuss the proposals of White and Johnson. The unanimous decision announced by M. M. Harris, board president and a thirty-three year member of the board, as well as editor of the San Antonio Express, was that the library would not censor books. He said,
These are the very tactics which the Russians are using to fight us. … It is ironic that here in San Antonio, which prides itself on its freedom to think and act, that we shall run up against a sample of Communistic tactics.”

Johnson immediately called for the removal of all fifteen board members.

The City Council held a closed meeting on Friday May 15th. The Council was divided on stamping or burning the offending books. Councilman Henry B. Gonzalez called the burning of books “Hitler tactics.” That same day County Commissioner A. J. Ploch vowed to cut county funding if the library board was ousted.


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