The director of the Craighead County Public Library in Jonesboro resigned Thursday amid ongoing public debate surrounding library’s selection of children’s books.
An official statement was posted to the library’s social media page Friday morning:
“David Eckert has served as Director of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library for 8 years. He started working at the library in November of 2007 as Assistant Director.
We are sad to see him go, but wish him the best of luck. We will have no further comment.”
Heated debates sparked earlier this year, following a June Pride display at the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library and several children’s books at the library which contain LGBTQ+ content have been the center of multiple contentious board meetings since. Library officials decided to move the materials that pertain to sex education from the children’s section in response to the conflict, and Eckert attested the titles in question were considered educational resources.
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