Library rejects local author’s book regarding climate reforms
After trying to donate his book that disputes the need for climate change reforms to the Northland Public Library, McCandless author Gregory Wrightstone said he believes librarians rejected his work because it contradicts mainstream political beliefs.
“How many bestselling authors are in the area that the library rejected?” he said. “I would guess one — that’s me. Why would an area library not support a local author?”
Mr. Wrightstone, a former
geologist and self-labeled “climate contrarian,” said he used studies from NASA and other organizations in his self-published book “Inconvenient Facts: The Science That Al Gore Doesn’t Want You to Know” to argue that the planet’s warming temperature is a natural and ultimately positive process. The 2017 book is ranked in the top 10 bestsellers on Amazon for environmental studies, public policy and environmental policy.
Officials at the McCandless library said the book didn’t meet its standards for nonfiction works.
“There were instances of direct quotes and facts that were not cited correctly,” Kelley Moten, director of library services, said. “There were personal opinions alongside facts, things like that that led us to conclude the book was not professionally edited.”
According to Mr. Wrightstone, the book had two editors who focused on its content — primary editor Gordon Tomb, a senior fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation, and Christopher Monckton, a British journalist and Conservative political adviser.
Mr. Wrightstone said his book met the standards outlined in the library’s Collection Development Policy, which a committee of three librarians use to evaluate potential purchases and gifts. According to the policy, books will be assessed based on the author’s local significance and the perspectives it will add to the collection, among other factors.
When the book was first rejected, Mr. Wrightstone received an email from Northland’s collection development librarian Mary Lee Hart, who said the library couldn’t find independent reviews of the book.
Mr. Wrightstone sent four reviews to Ms. Hart, which were written by one of the book’s editors, two writers for conservative websites and a host on TheBlaze Radio Network. The book was reconsidered and rejected again because “reputable reviewers” like Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal hadn’t evaluated it, Ms. Hart said.
After Mr. Wrightstone posted on social media about the incident, Ms. Moten said the library received some emails supporting the book, but no locals have pushed for Northland to reverse its decision.
Despite the library’s policy to represent diverse viewpoints in its collection, Mr. Wrightstone said there are no other books in stock that express his thoughts on climate change. Library officials denied this claim and said they carry several books, DVDs and database articles that showcase different perspectives on the issue.
“[The decision] had nothing to do with the ideas put forward,” Ms. Moten said. “It had to do with the quality of the book itself.”