The Hamilton East Public Library’s proposed 2024 budget was introduced during the HEPL Board of Trustees regular meeting Sept. 28 at the Fishers Library.

The board also continued its ongoing discussion of a controversial collections policy and agreed to move forward with community listening sessions to gather public input on that topic.

The proposed 2024 HEPL general fund expenses are $13.2 million, compared to $12.5 million for 2023. Other funds in the proposed budget are the rainy-day fund, lease rentals and library improvement reserve funds, which bring the total 2024 budget up to $20.4 million.

The library’s primary revenue sources are property and income taxes from the areas it serves.

The Sept. 28 meeting was the public hearing for the proposed budget. Nobody spoke during the public hearing. The board took no action and is expected to adopt the budget during its Oct. 26 meeting.

Public comment on other topics was moved from the end of the agenda to the start but was limited to 30 minutes. Eight people spoke, with several complaining about the library’s connection to the American Library Association. One person claimed the ALA is “a Marxist organization that seeks to destabilize our constitutional republic.”

Other speakers criticized the board’s collections policy, which the board adopted in late 2022, The policy was slowly implemented as staff reviewed books to determine whether they contained profanity or descriptions of sexual activity or violence.

The HEPL board and its policy faced national media attention and criticism after the bestseller “The Fault in Our Stars” by Indiana author John Green — along with many others in the teen section — was moved to the general collection because of stipulations in the board’s collections policy regarding sexual acts and profanity. The board voted in late August to pause implementation of the policy.

During the Sept. 29 meeting, the board discussed how to structure listening sessions to gather input before amending the policy. New HEPL Board President Tiffanie Ditlevson said she’s willing to hold numerous sessions to make sure many different residents can participate.

Board Member Michelle Payne wondered how the sessions would differ from regular public comment, and Ditlevson said they would provide a more focused conversation, seeking ideas and suggestions.

“I never left a meeting after public comment with an idea of how to improve things,” Ditlevson said.

HEPL Director Edra Waterman noted that a facilitator would lead the sessions but would need direction from the board about what questions they want answered. The board agreed to come up with questions and provide them to Waterman as she works to set up various sessions.

Later in the meeting, Payne suggested that the board remove the controversial section of the library’s collections policy, rather than keep it paused while going through the public input process. She said they agreed to pause it because it wasn’t working.

“Even before the listening sessions, we can show leadership and accountability by adjusting this policy,” she said.

Ditlevson said she prefers to leave it on hold until the board has heard from the public. She said she hopes to find common ground through that process. Payne said she’s skeptical that will happen.

“I fear we’re not going to get to that point where we all agree,” she said, adding that the board will spend time and money, and end up in the same position it is now.

No motion was made regarding the collections policy. The next regular HEPL board meeting is 6:15 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Noblesville Library.