Peapack-Gladstone Councilman Conor Sweeney said he “lost” two LGBTQ+ books from the local library in a post on X marking National Coming Out Day, drawing renewed attention to his objections to LGBTQ+ materials in the Somerset County Library System.
“These are two books that can’t be used to groom kids [age 2 -5] at our local library because unfortunately, I ‘lost’ them,” Sweeney wrote alongside a photograph of himself holding the books. As reported by The Bernardsville News, the SCLS cannot release information on who checked out the books due to confidentiality reasons. The books’ whereabouts remain unknown.
The post follows a Sept. 22 Peapack-Gladstone Borough Council meeting in which Sweeney raised concerns over LGBTQ+ books in the children’s section of the library and proposed withdrawing the borough from the SCLS.
In an Oct. 22 email to Out In Jersey Media, SCLS Director Peter Bromberg, who is retiring Dec. 1, said libraries serve communities by providing access to a wide range of perspectives and experiences.
“Given the diversity of the people we serve, we strive to provide access to a wide range of human thought and experience and trust in the sanctity of each individual and each family to make decisions that are aligned with their personal value system, interests, and goals,” Bromberg wrote. He said the library system welcomes feedback from residents and patrons through meaningful dialogue and that its collections should reflect the diversity of the communities it serves.
Addressing the borough’s future relationship with the system, Bromberg said he trusts Peapack-Gladstone residents to decide how they want to fund their library services, including whether to remain part of the county system or pursue a smaller, locally operated alternative. Bromberg said the system’s decisions remain guided by its mission “to enrich lives, expand knowledge, and strengthen communities by helping patrons connect, explore, and discover.” He added that intellectual freedom remains a core professional value.
