The Pickens County Library System (PCLS) is currently at a standstill. All youth and teen programming has been indefinitely suspended to accommodate a "manual audit" of the collection. While we agree that an audit is necessary the method currently being used is a failure of governance.

A manual, "vague" audit is based on the personal opinions and ideologies of a small minority. This subjective approach is:

Fiscally Irresponsible: It diverts an estimated $160,000 in staff wages away from public service to perform a task that a computer can do for free.
Legally Dangerous: Vague policies that ignore professional standards like the Miller Test invite federal litigation. Similar subjective removals led to an $89,000 settlement in the Mat-Su Borough.
Inherently Flawed: If the current manual system allowed Adult books into the kids' section, another manual system will simply create new errors.
The Solution: A Data-Driven Policy (The Richland Model)
We, the residents of Pickens County, demand that the Library Board of Trustees replace its vague, subjective language with a Metadata-Driven Compliance Policy. This system uses the SCLENDS infrastructure we already pay for to create a firm, objective baseline for book placement.

A Data-Driven Audit would:

Use Professional Vendor Data: Rely on publisher and vendor tags (Ingram/Brodart) to instantly reclassify books. If the publisher says it is "Adult," the system moves it to Adult. This removes human error and personal ideology from the process.
Restore Programs Immediately: Because a metadata audit is automated and "rolling," it happens in the background. We can fix our catalog today and bring back Storytime and Teen programs tomorrow.
Ensure State Compliance: This model allows PCLS to comply with South Carolina standards (Proviso 27.1) using objective, industry-standard age ratings rather than the "whim" of a small group.
Our Demands to the Board and County Council:
Adopt SCLENDS Metadata Standards: Mandate that all book classifications be based on objective vendor data rather than subjective personal opinions. This would in turn restore all youth and teen programming immediately while the metadata-driven audit runs in the background.
Establish a Transparent Policy: Publish the specific data sources used for classification so that the public and staff have a clear, non-subjective baseline for age-appropriateness.
Sign this petition to tell the Board: We want an accurate library, not an ideological one. Use the data. Save the money. Give us back our programs.