Elmhurst Group Wrong On Library Book: Official

Elmhurst IL

23 February, 2022

3:09 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — A new Elmhurst group has claimed victory in moving a sex education book out of the children's area at Elmhurst Public Library. The library's response: It's not so. The website for Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum, or EPIC, is referring to the book, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health." The book includes parts about straight and LGBT sexuality. On its website, the parents' rights group said the book is for children 10 and older. "We got the book moved to the Adult Area," the website says. Elmhurst Alderman Mark Mulliner and resident Tom Chavez are leaders of the group. In an interview, the library's director, Mary Beth Harper, said officials did receive a "reconsideration" request a few months ago for "It's Perfectly Normal." She said the issue was taken to the library board, which saw no reason to move it out of the children's section. Nationally, the issue of book bans has gained more publicity in recent months. Harper said the local library has seen a slight increase in such "reconsideration" requests. "I know it's happened more so at other libraries," she said. On its website, the local parents' group also says residents should know what clubs are in schools. "Education is not just in the classroom," it says. It points to a photo of an advertisement for the Genders & Sexualities Alliance at York High School. Patch left messages with Chavez and Mulliner on the library issue.