FISHERS, Ind. — Indiana author John Green is sharing his frustration over the Hamilton East Public Library in Fishers moving "The Fault in Our Stars" out of the "young adult" section.
13News verified "The Fault in Our Stars" is now in the "general" section at the library.
Green complains it was moved out of the "young adult" section.
"The Fault in Our Stars has been removed from the YA section in the suburbs of Indianapolis and is now considered a 'book for adults.' This is ludicrous. It is about teenagers and I wrote it for teenagers. Teenagers are not harmed by reading TFIOS. This is such an embarrassment to the city of Fishers," Green posted.
Green went on to post: "I only have a small voice in these decisions, of course, but you won't catch me alive or dead in Fishers, Indiana until these ridiculous policies are revoked."
Later Wednesday, Green posted a letter to the library board members. Green points out his success as an author and that his books are written for young adults. He also urges the board to trust the librarians and teachers in the community, who agree his and other popular young adult books should be shelved in the young adults section.
"It's political theater of the lowest and most embarrassing order, and it's an awful way to have Fishers and Noblesville make national news," Green wrote.
Green's followers are responding to the move.
"This is disgraceful. This is the book that started my daughter’s love for reading. She wouldn’t have the confidence in herself today had it not been for your book. What a disservice to these kids. Thank you for your work," posted Laura Burkhardt.
"This is ludicrous. Both of my teens, and then I, read this incredibly moving book. It truly helped them when I began chemo having read a story about love and potentially losing a loved one," posted Tashmia Owen FRSA.
"Total embarrassment," posted fien' X.
"It’s horrifying and embarrassing. I’m so glad my kids have graduated, but I feel for all those kids still going through school. I saw the list and can’t imagine what’s left to read. TFIOS is such a wonderful book," posted Dawn.
13News has previously reported on the library removing a significant number of books from the young adult and teen sections.
The library’s deputy director John Helling told 13News in May that staff members had been going through books in the “Teen Zone” section of their library branches and checking for material that, according to a new policy passed by the library board, is "not appropriate" for books in the teen section of the library.
According to Helling, library staff will review a little more than 11,000 books in the teen section.
According to the new policy, passed by the seven-member library board, the books are being checked for material or pictures that are not age-appropriate.
Under the new policy, the library board has decided that means books that contain nudity, alcohol or drug use, repeated profanity, depictions of violence or incitement to violence and any kind of sexual content in them.
Young adults can still check them out, they just have to go looking for them in the adult section.
The library board’s president, Laura Alerding, told 13News in a text message the cost to review the books would be around $114,000.
According to an estimate from minutes of the library board’s March meeting, the cost is estimated at closer to $300,000. Helling said that number could go up or down.
On Friday, 13News received this statement from the library:
Over the past several months, the Hamilton East Public Library Board of Trustees has taken great strides to protect our most vulnerable patrons, our children, from content that was not age appropriate. While parents or guardians have the responsibility to determine what is appropriate for their own children, our Collection Development Policy ensures that families are no longer confronted with age-inappropriate content in the children’s section. Due to the events of this week, the Board will lead a discussion regarding the book review process and the operational plan to ensure we have the best outcome in the days ahead.