Cook said it was a "good thing" that the library was shelving the graphic novels differently, but she saw it only as a first step.
"I'm glad that they have made this change, and I hope that they won't stop there, that they will make some positive steps toward representing their tax base," Cook said.
Critchfield said Friday the decision struck a good balance and kept the library out of potential lawsuits.
"It's a solution that addresses some of the public concerns but also keeps us within our library policy and procedures," he said. " ... As a result of doing this, the ACLU is not going to come in and cost taxpayers more money, but if we do some of the other things that were suggested, then we could really open up the public to some lawsuits that could cost us — 'us' meaning the taxpayers who support this place — a lot more, a lot of money, really."
Currently, the library has a "graphic novel" section at the front of the library that contains 500 to 600 items, according to Critchfield. The next several shelves hold the material classified as young adult (YA), and the rest hold the adult material. The graphic novels will be separated into items appropriate for young adults and items appropriate for "more mature readers," according to the news release.
Those appropriate for young adults will be shelved in the YA section (under Dewey Decimal number 741.59995), and those for mature readers will be shelved in the adult section (under the same number). The library will not have a graphic-novel section.
Critchfield said the process of recataloging the graphic novels — changing the catalog information in the library system and on the book — has already started and that the adult items will be relocated first.
"The graphic novels with the more mature themes will be pulled and recataloged first and then moved first, and then we'll do the movement of the [young-adult graphic novels] after that is complete," Critchfield said.
Critchfield said he didn't know yet how many items would be classified as appropriate for mature readers.
Boisvert said the move was a "great first step" but said the library had more work to do, referencing a petition presented to the board at its last meeting with more than 900 signatures of Jessamine Countians calling for the removal of "Black Dossier" and three other items from the library's collection.
"I'm totally all for them moving those books; they could have done that the first day," Boisvert said. "But I think that there's more that needs to be done."
Although Boisvert believes she was wrongfully terminated, she said she is currently focused on the issue of children's access to material in the library.
"The first issues is the children and the protection of the children," she said. " ... whether you're connected to that child or not, all human beings have a responsibility to watch out for children."
The next scheduled meeting of the JCPL Board of Trustees is Dec. 16 at 3:30 p.m. in the library's Meeting Room B.
