Libraries’ commitment to Black and Brown voices questioned

When Doug Bjostad, a longtime Hennepin County resident, noticed recently published books focused on Black history and culture on giveaway carts at local libraries, he felt alarmed.

Beginning last fall, Bjostad said he started seeing what he described as an unusual number of books on African American culture and history being cycled out of circulation. While he is accustomed to spotting older, worn or outdated materials on withdrawal carts, he said many of the titles appeared “a little too new, a little too topical” to be removed so quickly.

Among them was “The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story” (2023), a children’s book documenting the celebration of emancipation and African American heritage.

“It’s beautiful,” Bjostad said. “It was just published in 2023. Minnesota only recently officially adopted Juneteenth observance. It’s still topical. I just cannot imagine why they’re getting rid of a book like this so quickly.”

The copy he retrieved still bore a Hennepin County Library withdrawal sticker inside the dust jacket.

Bjostad said he also picked up “Lake Street Speaks,” a pictorial collection documenting murals that emerged after the 2020 uprising. He recalled even suggesting the book for purchase when it was first released.

“It’s only about five years old,” he said. “I remember thinking, this doesn’t make sense.”

In November, he encountered what he described as a “slew” of 10 to 12 books from the “Black Americans of Achievement” series: biographies of historical figures including Rosa Parks, Congressman John Lewis, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and author Richard Wright, whose works “Native Son” and “Black Boy” were once staples in school curricula.

“The books are from around 1990, so they’re getting older,” Bjostad acknowledged. “But these stories are for the ages.”

At the Washburn Library branch, he said he later observed books written by members of the Obama family appearing on withdrawal carts as well. “It’s kind of gracious, in a sense, to give these books away to the general public,” he said. “But it also means limiting their further usage to the wider public.”

Concerned, Bjostad contacted the Spokesman-Recorder to ask whether others had reported similar observations. “I’m not sure if my story is a real story,” he said. “I think what I’m seeing is suspicious, but I’m wondering if anyone else has called in to report seeing similar.”

But according to Hennepin County Library officials, these withdrawals are not part of any ideological campaign. They say the removals are routine, part of a professional process known in library science as “weeding,” which helps maintain a collection that is current, relevant, and accessible for the public.

“Hennepin County Library follows established best practices in the library industry to ensure our collections meet the needs of the community,” Joshua Yetman, Hennepin County Communications, said. “Each year, we add more than 350,000 new items, and periodically remove items based on factors such as physical condition, circulation, availability of updated editions, and space considerations. This process does not suppress voices or perspectives.”

Yetman also noted that maintaining representation often depends on funding beyond the standard library budget. “Libraries frequently use grants to ensure our collections include historically underrepresented voices,” he said. 

However, federal policy changes have made these grants harder to obtain. Executive orders under the Trump administration, for example, restricted funding for DEI-related programs, limiting opportunities for libraries to acquire materials that reflect diverse communities.

The library emphasized its commitment to Black and Brown voices. Collections like the Gary N. Sudduth African American History and Culture Collection at Sumner Library and the John F. Glanton Collection, featuring over 800 photographs of the African American community in Minneapolis and St. Paul in the late 1940s, continue to be maintained and actively expanded.

Library officials also highlighted their work with local authors and events like the Minnesota Black Authors Expo as part of ongoing efforts to reflect community voices. Local author Shannon Gibney, whose books explore Black and transracial adoption experiences and community histories, emphasized the importance of representation in local literature.

“Book removal is a major concern, especially for historically marginalized communities,” she said. “Black authors, queer authors, authors of color … These are the people whose books are being pulled the most. Funding challenges make it harder to keep these voices visible, especially when school visits and workshops are also being reduced.”

Gibney also noted the economic impact on authors whose work relies on schools, workshops, and speaking engagements affected by DEI crackdowns — a focal point of the Trump administration’s 2025 plan.

“I have friends whose entire income comes from school visits and workshops, and many are losing opportunities because of book bans and the broader anxiety around diversity initiatives,” she said. “We already start with fewer resources and fewer invitations to share our work.”

Despite these challenges, Gibney finds energy and purpose in community response. Her recent children’s book, “We Miss You, George Floyd,” received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both children and adults, providing a platform for dialogue about historical and ongoing racial trauma. 

Similarly, her novel “The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be,” which addresses transracial adoption, connected with adoptees and other readers who felt validated and seen. “Community response is the highest reward as a writer,” she said. “It shows that our stories matter and that people want to engage with these perspectives.”

The Hennepin County Library system does not publish lists of withdrawn titles, although withdrawn books are often donated or recycled, officials said. Decisions are guided by professional standards and staff expertise, not the subject matter or identity of authors.

Bjostad says he plans to continue monitoring local branches. “I know they’ve been vocal about not banning books,” he said. “I’m just thinking, is anyone asking whether books are being pushed out the back door at the same time? 

“I might go check the stacks and see whether the collection that remains looks healthy. If it does, then it’s much less of a concern. If it looks gutted, then we go from there,” said Bjostad.

For Hennepin County residents, the episode highlights both the importance of public libraries in reflecting the community and the ways national conversations around diversity and inclusion can influence perception. Library officials say their goal remains clear: maintaining collections that serve all residents, preserve historically underrepresented voices, and support lifelong learning.

As the debate over cultural representation continues nationally, local libraries may increasingly find themselves at the intersection of policy, perception and public trust, even when their actions are routine.

Find Hennepin County’s full Collection Development and Management Policy at www.hclib.org/about/policies/collection-development-management-policy.

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.