Pro-Abortion Group Partners With Local Library System
By Michael L. Betsch
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
November 20, 2002

(CNSNews.com) - A financial agreement between Planned Parenthood of Central Texas and the City of Waco has enabled the pro-abortion group to incorporate its agenda into the local public library system.

The Planned Parenthood library also warns patrons that it can deny access "to anyone who has participated in protests," against the group.

Planned Parenthood of Central Texas distributed an Oct. 28 flier inviting the local community to an open house at its Audre Rapoport Library in Waco.

The invitation obtained by CNSNews.com stated that the pro-abortion group's library is now a "branch of the Waco-McLennan County Public Library System."

Larry Holze, a spokesman for the City of Waco, said Planned Parenthood of Central Texas is paying the city an unspecified amount of money less than $10,000 to include its collection of "women's health care" materials into the Waco-McLennan County Library System's computer catalog system.

Prior to the partnership, Holze said the health information had not been available to library patrons.

Planned Parenthood of Central Texas Executive Director Pam Smallwood announced on Nov. 8 that her organization's "specialized collection of books, periodicals, pamphlets, videos, curricula and teaching aides" has been added to the local library's system.

Smallwood said the library partnership would make Planned Parenthood's "valuable resources available to parents, students, educators and anyone else sincerely interested in increasing his or her knowledge about many subjects."

'Women's Health' and More

While Planned Parenthood is best known for its pro-abortion services, the group has expanded its sphere of advocacy in recent years.

An Internet search of the Waco-McLennan County Library System's online card catalog revealed that titles available through the Audre Rapoport Library contain not only pro-abortion material but pro-homosexuality content as well.

Some of the titles returned using specific keywords included 'Mandatory Motherhood: The True Meaning of 'Right to Life;' 'How Would You Feel If Your Dad Was Gay;' 'Daddy's Roommate;' 'The Complete Guide to Sexual Fulfillment: Your Questions Answered;' and 'Going All the Way: Teenage Girls' Tales of Sex, Romance, and Pregnancy.'

Holze said the Waco-McLennan County Library System does not endorse or promote any of the materials contained in the Planned Parenthood library from which the city is collecting money.

He also denied that the Audre Rapoport Library was a library "branch" within the county's system, even though Planned Parenthood's flyer contradicts his position.

According to Holze, the Audre Rapoport Library is not an official library branch because it neither employs civil servants nor receives taxpayer funds to support its operation.

Instead, he said Planned Parenthood of Central Texas has agreed to pay the city an undisclosed amount each year for the privilege of posting the contents of its library collection on the city's computer catalog system.

Despite questions about the library's status, Holze admitted that any Waco-McLennan County Library patron could borrow items contained in Planned Parenthood's collection.

"All we're saying is the fact that here are the materials that are available," Holze said. "We do not own them. We do not control them. It is a resource only," he said.

"The city has no liability or responsibility from a financial standpoint in this at all; it's not costing the citizens of Waco or McLennan County," Holze said. "They have absolutely no financial involvement and so, therefore, the control of [Planned Parenthood's library] is limited based on the fact that [the City of Waco] does not own it either," he said.

Public Library Off-Limits to Some

While the city has no financial involvement with the Planned Parenthood library, certain local residents will not be allowed to have any involvement with it depending on their point of view.

John Pisciotta, a spokesman for Greater Waco Respect Life, said Planned Parenthood of Central Texas is promoting its library as an official "branch" of the local library system in order to legitimize the group's presence in the community.

But unlike other public libraries, Pisciotta accused the Audre Rapoport Library of selectively denying entrance to pro-life citizens suspected of opposing Planned Parenthood's pro-abortion agenda.

For example, he said several pro-life women were denied entrance to the Audre Rapoport Library's open house on Oct. 28 because those women had been protesting against Planned Parenthood earlier that day.

"Generally, as a taxpaying citizen that's never broken a law, I can go into any public [library] branch that I want to go into," Pisciotta said. "But [Planned Parenthood of Central Texas] would deny us access to this."

He fears Planned Parenthood's successful and uncontested integration into the Waco-McLennan County Library System might spark a national trend.

"It's really breaking new ground," Pisciotta said. "If they can get in our public library without any stink about it, well, who's the next public library that they're going to get into," he asked.



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