Salt Lake County Rescinds “One Book” Selection, Author Invitation

Two weeks after he was notified in January that his 2004 novel An Unfinished Life had been selected by Salt Lake County (Utah) Library Services for its “One County, One Book” reading program, author Mark Spragg received an e-mail from the library informing him that the book’s selection and the library’s invitation to speak at an October event had been rescinded.

Library Director Jim Cooper explained that the system’s associate director for collection development had chosen the title for the program’s second year and prematurely contacted Spragg. However, Cooper told American Libraries that he wanted a title that provided more local-programming opportunities. A committee of five or six librarians that Cooper empaneled to select an alternative came up with Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, which offered tie-ins with the local zoo and Hindu temple.
Cooper said that while “there was some discussion about language” by the committee, “that was certainly not the deciding factor.” However, Spragg said in the March 30 Salt Lake City Deseret News that library officials had scrutinized scenes in his novel involving a violent character named Roy; sources close to the details confirmed Spragg’s claim to the newspaper.

Spragg called the library’s action “utterly regrettable,” adding, “There is a moment of personal disappointment for me, but that’s not what this is about.” He noted that the American Library Association was a “brave, ethically sound institution” that challenged censorship and defended readers’ privacy; “but when a library all of a sudden acts as a vetting process, that is not acceptable,” he said.

The Deseret News said word of the decision had spread through the bookselling community and library system. Three librarians at county branches told the newspaper they found the actions “in bad taste,” as one put it; all requested anonymity, fearing repercussions. Betsy Burton, owner of Salt Lake City’s King’s English bookstore, said, “This is such a black mark on our city.”

Cooper pointed out that An Unfinished Life had been heavily promoted for six months last year as one of the library’s “Reader’s Choice” selections. He added that after Spragg’s original invitation to speak at the October “One County, One Book” program had been withdrawn, the library asked him to speak at a separate event, but he declined.

The Brigham City Library has a copy of "An Unfinished Life" by Spragg. Check out the copy and see if Salt Lake County Library was correct in pulling this book as a "one community, one read" book.