A PARENT-GUARDIAN book review board for city libraries was approved by the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday night (Shutterstock).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

To the surprise of no one, the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday night approved the creation of a “community parent guardian review board for procurement of children’s library material.”

The vote was 4-3 with Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns and Councilmembers Casey McKeon and Tony Strickland in favor.

Opposed were Councilmembers Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser.

Before the final decision, the council majority defeated a substitute motion by Moser to instead keep the existing library book procurement policy which adheres to the Library Bill of Rights.

That motion was defeated on a 4-3 vote with the same lineup.

When the final decision was made, some members of the audience shouted their objections, leading to Van Der Mark stating that it was an attempt to disrupt the meeting and called for a recess.

Tuesday’s action is the latest in a series of controversial moves by the conservative council majority elected in November 2022. The creation of a review board comes from the contention of some that there are “age-inappropriate” books and materials – primarily regarding sex and sexuality – available to minors in the city library system. Opponents of the board argue it would be a mechanism for censorship with no recourse and ignores the expertise of experienced professional librarians.

The next meeting of the city council is set for Tuesday, April 16.