“See You At The Library,” a national event inspired by Kirk Cameron and BRAVE Books, has reserved a meeting room at Indian Valley Public Library for a children’s storybook reading on Saturday. The event is not sponsored by the library.
The scheduling of space at IVPL was made by Penn Valley Church in Telford, however the event is being promoted on social media by another Telford church, Hopewell Christian Fellowship, with a tagline that says: “We are on a mission to turn our nation back to God. Are you with us? If so we want to see YOU at the library on August 5!”
After accepting the reservation for the event, IVPL Director Margie Stern said that the organizer inquired about the room’s capacity. “If you’re expecting more than 37, you have to update your [reservation],” she told the storybook hour coordinator. The reservation was updated to reflect 200 attendees.
Since February, Indian Valley Public Library has faced funding challenges by Telford Borough Councilman Robert Jacobus who has repeatedly accused the library of housing pornography. Christian conservative Kaitlin Derstine, a congregant at Hopewell Christian Fellowship, and who was photographed at the recent Moms For Liberty summit in Philadelphia, has regularly advocated for Jacobus to defund IVPL at council meetings.
Conservative media has been publishing articles that allow the actor and right-wing evangelist Cameron to air his grievances against public libraries for supposed discrimination against children’s books with religious messaging since December.
In one Fox interview, Cameron claims 50 libraries had refused him the ability to host a story hour where his new book, As You Grow, would be read.
The book, according to publisher BRAVE Books, is “a Christian children’s book that teaches kids how to grow in wisdom through the fruit of the spirit.”
“Conservatives and Christians have complained that they don’t have a seat at the cultural table. Well, we have a seat now,” Cameron told Fox news earlier this week.
BRAVE Books, according to the New York Post, made its debut in the spring of 2021 with Elephants Are Not Birds. “The book is an unapologetic rebuke of transgender acceptance and the growing number of young people identifying as trans,” author Ashley St. Clair said.
In addition to Cameron and St. Clair, BRAVE Books has also published right-wing extremist Jack Posobiec, who peddles in misinformation. “Posobiec’s book warns children against the specious promises of lupine communists,” wrote the Washington Post.
Given the statements made by BRAVE Books’ authors regarding the LGBTQ+ community, it’s unclear whether Saturday’s event is really the promotion of Christian values or an admonishment of drag queen story hours.
“We are calling on all families who love God and love America to gather at our local public libraries to pray, sing, and read BRAVE Books and other books of virtue,” reads the intro to the “Resource Kit” provided by the publisher to aid in organizing the national event.
The Indian Valley Public Library offers meeting space to not-for-profit organizations free of charge and without discrimination.
“Welcome to the Indian valley public library where everyone is allowed to read what they want,” said Library Director Stern.
