Director: Dr. Seuss books will remain in Luzerne County libraries
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Mar. 4—While some Dr. Seuss books are being banned and taken out of circulation around the nation and world, that won't be happening in Luzerne County libraries.
While every library in the county has its own administration and decision makers, most leaders of local libraries have agreed an elimination of Dr. Seuss books here would amount to unnecessary and unreasonable censorship, said Richard Miller, director of the Luzerne County Library Administration and director of the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre.
Some schools and libraries around the country have recently banned some Dr. Seuss books amid allegations the content was controversial, offensive and racist.
Miller said local libraries generally won't ban or censor something unless the content was illegal or obscene.
"Dr. Seuss did far more good than any perceived bad. He inspired children to love reading," Miller said.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which preserves and protects its author's legacy, recently announced it would stop publishing six Dr. Seuss books amid a backlash. Schools and libraries followed suit by eliminating the author's books.
Miller, 46, of Salem Twp., said the Osterhout currently only has one of the six Dr. Seuss books being deemed controversial, "And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street."
He said libraries are different from schools, which might mandate reading of something.
"We're not like a school where we had a captive audience. People have free will. Parents and children have free will about what they want to read," Miller said.
Miller said he's been a longtime Dr. Seuss fan and its creator, Theodor Seuss Geisel, and will continue to be.
Miller says the Osterhout will continue to keep Dr. Seuss in circulation for the years to come and thinks other local libraries will too.
"We had a chat about it and the consensus of the group is that the books should not be banned," Miller said.
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