There’s been no shortage of loud voices in the state’s escalating censorship battle. But it was the quiet stand Patty Hector took as director of the Saline County Library System that made headlines. She did not move (or remove) books because someone with power demanded such, or because they were about gender and race. Hector stood firm.
“I would rather be fired for supporting the First Amendment than sued for violating it,” Hector said in August. In October, Saline County Judge Matt Brumley fired her.
We talked with Hector about her 38-year career and her dismissal from the job she had held since July 2016.
Tell me about your journey as a librarian. I started as a corporate librarian in Dallas where I grew up, moved to Arkansas and worked 15 years at the Fort Smith Public Library. My husband was from California so we moved there, and I became director of a county library. I also worked for a cooperative library system and the Sonoma County Library before we moved back to Arkansas.
I’ve always loved libraries. Growing up in Dallas, I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license so I could drive downtown and use the big seven-story main library.
How did the censorship efforts start in Saline County? A group of people started going to the quorum court to complain about books they purposefully came in to find. They were not library patrons who happened to find a book they didn’t like. They had lists. They never spoke to the staff or turned in a Request for Reconsideration form. We haven’t had anyone challenge a book in at least 10 years before this happened.
What is motivating the censorship movement? The people who want to take control and force others to align with their beliefs. Bigotry. Fascism.
How many books have recently been challenged in the library system? We’ve had three books that have had a Request for Reconsideration turned in this year: “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” “The Hate U Give” and “Let’s Talk About It.”
Have any movies or e-books been challenged? Nope.
If you could change any of your decisions that led to the firing, would you? No, I would not change any decisions. There’s nothing wrong with the library’s books. … And I don’t understand why they object to sex education books. There’s nothing salacious about those books. Arkansas teens are getting pregnant at 11 years of age. Would you rather they learn about sex from a bunch of uninformed schoolmates?
They [county officials] said it was sex in children’s books, but really it was anything with LGBTQ issues or racism. Heterosexual sex doesn’t make their list.
When the county judge fired you, did he offer any kind words? No, he didn’t say anything, and it would have been weird after he spent 45 minutes at a public library board meeting denigrating my performance. … Plus, my reaction to being fired was happiness. I think I said, “Great! I’m all packed and ready to go.” It was such a relief to be out of that stressful situation.
Do you plan to sue? Yes, I plan to sue.
What keeps you going amid all the challenges and hate? Is there still hope for freedom in our state’s and nation’s libraries? It makes me furious that marginalized people are being targeted by these attacks. You can say it’s about sex in teen books, except when you are only interested in banning books with gay sex it’s pretty clear that’s not true.
They aren’t asking us to remove [authors] Sarah J. Maas or Colleen Hoover (which teens read, apparently). Or George R.R. Martin. They haven’t gone after the “Game of Thrones” movies, which are way worse than any book in the teen collection. Banning books is illegal according to the First Amendment. Moving books to a place people can’t get to is the same as banning. Moving them to an area that stigmatizes the books based on content also goes against the First Amendment. When the Supreme Court decides that it’s OK to ban books, then I’ll think about moving to another country. Book banners have never been on the right side of history. Nazis and fascists want to control what people read. Saying “it’s to protect the children” doesn’t make it any less harmful when it’s really about LGBTQ and race. Two-thirds of the books criticized on the Saline County Republican Women’s website, salinelibrary.com. are because [they are about] LGBTQ and race issues.
Where do you see libraries in 10 years? I think the pendulum will swing back. I don’t think these uber conservatives have as much support for their fringe ideas as they think. … Most parents want to be the ones who make the decision on what their children read.
What’s your favorite book? My favorite series is the “The Murderbot Diaries” by Martha Wells. I love science fiction.
What are you reading now? I’m reading “Harrow the Ninth” right now. Other great books I’ve read recently: “Lessons in Chemistry,” “The Bone Orchard” and “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”
If you weren’t a librarian, what would you be? A registered dietician.
