Palin asks librarian to resign after she refuses to censor books!

Palin’s ‘Banned Books’ List Is a Hoax

After reports surfaced that Sarah Palin had sought to ban books from her local library when she became mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a list of the books she supposedly wanted to ban began appearing on a number of Web sites.

The list included such classics as “Huckleberry Finn,” “Silas Marner,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” It even found its way to a blog linked to the My.BarackObama Web site, where it was claimed that the list “comes from the records of the Wasilla library,” and was distributed via e-mail by a Palin foe.

The truth is, Palin never compiled that or any other list of books to be removed from the Wasilla library, various sources have reported.

In fact, several of the books on the list, including four “Harry Potter” books by J.K. Rowling, were not yet published when Palin took over as Wasilla’s mayor in 1996.

It turns out that the list is a reproduction of a generic list of “Books Banned at One Time or Another in the United States,” which has been on the Internet for years, according to conservative pundit Michelle Malkin.

The original source of the hoax is unclear. But the Anchorage Daily News in Alaska reported that when Palin first became mayor in 1996, she asked the city librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, what her response would be if Palin asked her to remove some books from the library’s collection. She did not mention any specific books. Emmons responded by saying she would resist all efforts to ban books.

Emmons subsequently received a letter from Palin informing her that she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason for firing, according to the Daily News.

“The letter just said the new mayor felt Emmons didn’t fully support her and had to go,” the paper reported. “After a wave of public support for [Emmons], Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.”

Ah Sanchez... you blur the lines again.

The list, yes that was a hoax. Nobody doubts that.

The fact that she inquired into how to get certain books... "removed"... well that's pure fact.

Ahmmm, she didn't ask "how" to remove, but rather if the librarian would be willing to do so. The threat of being fired was also sent to many other city government held offices who had been appointed by the former mayor and are jobs dependent on the sitting mayor.

I volunteered for our local library for several years and there was often discussions on appropriate reading materials purchased and displayed on the shelves. These discussions included city council members, library board members, PTA, etc. We made the selections based on the need and community we served, not on some "suggested offical lists" by a national board. It was our money to spend, not theirs.

Oh my, Obaman's just can't handle the way things are going can they....

The most definitive record for much of this issue comes from a Dec. 18, 1996, article in the Wasilla newspaper, the Frontiersman.

In that story, Wasilla library director Mary Ellen Emmons (now Mary Ellen Baker) said that after Palin was elected mayor, she twice inquired about censoring library books.

“I’m not trying to suppress anyone’s views,” Emmons told the Frontiersman. “But I told her (Palin) clearly, I will fight anyone who tries to dictate what books can go on the library shelves.”

“This is different than a normal book-selection procedure or a book-challenge policy,” Emmons said. “She was asking me how I would deal with her saying a book can’t be in the library.”

Palin told the Frontiersman that she had no particular books or other material in mind when she posed the questions to Emmons.

In a written statement to the newspaper, Palin “said she was only trying to get acquainted with her staff” and that the question was “rhetorical.”

Also from the story:

“Emmons said Palin asked her on Oct. 28 if she would object to censorship, even if people were circling the library in protest about a book. ‘I told her it would definitely be a problem the ACLU would take on then,’ Emmons said.

“Asked who she thought might picket the library, Palin said Monday, ‘Had no one in mind ... again, the issue was discussed in the context of a professional question being asked in regards to library policy.’ ”

In an interview with PolitiFact, Kilkenny said the issue also came up at a council meeting soon after Palin took office in 1996.

Time has passed, Kilkenny said, and she can’t remember the exact words, but she said Palin asked Emmons something like, “What would your response be to my request to remove books from the library collection?”

“I remember being shocked at the implication,” Kilkenny said.

She said that there was a long pause of silence, and that Emmons responded that books were selected in line with national criteria for a library its size. Kilkenny said she remembered Emmons concluded firmly: “I would absolutely not comply with your request.”

Kilkenny said Palin’s request didn’t sound rhetorical to her.

The conversation between Palin and Emmons came the same week that Palin requested resignations from all the city department heads as a test of loyalty, the Frontiersman noted. Emmons, a popular librarian who was then president of the Alaska Library Association, did not resign. On Jan. 30, 1997, about six weeks after the story appeared, Palin told Emmons and the police chief that she was dismissing them. The next day, Palin changed her mind about Emmons and let her stay on. Emmons finally resigned in August 1999.

She asked not once, but twice about reactions to "remove books from the library collection" (Palin's own words).

except palin acknowledged that the firing was related when she stated that she was testing her loyalty.