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O’FALLON, Mo. — The St. Charles County library system, after months of often-rancorous public debate, began on Wednesday to remove books that contain “explicit photographs of sexual intercourse or sexual acts� from library shelves.

Jason Kuhl, CEO of the St. Charles City-County Library District, said the move would affect an “exceedingly small number� of the 700,000-plus books in the library’s collection.

“This isn’t about words. It isn’t about drawings. It would only apply to photographs,� Kuhl said Tuesday night after a meeting of the library district’s board of trustees at the Middendorf-Kredell branch in O’Fallon.

On Wednesday, staff estimated the change would result in the removal of fewer than 10 books. They will still be in the system’s online card catalog and available to check out.

The move, part of a new collection management procedure for the library system, comes after months of contentious library board meetings. Parents and residents have taken library management to task over content available on shelves, including a soon-to-be removed book titled “Bang Like a Porn Star� that features interviews with gay adult film stars and photographs detailing sex acts.

Books were not being removed from the children and teen sections, Kuhl said.

Library board members lauded the new procedure.

“I think it does a good job of balancing the interests that we have to consider here in the district,� board Chair Staci Alvarez said. “I think this is a good step forward.�

Parents and politicians have, over the past several months, attacked a list of books found in district libraries.

Several are in the adult section. “Gender Queer: A Memoir,� for example, is an illustrated novel that explores gender identity and sexuality. It’s been in the library district’s collection since September 2019 and has been checked out 143 times, Kuhl said.

Others are in the children’s section. “Sex is a Funny Word,� for instance, is a comic intended for children between 8 and 10 that describes body parts and their names, talks about sex, and guides readers through romantic crushes and heartaches. It has been checked out 174 times, according to district documents.

Tuesday’s decisions came after another round of public comments that were, at times, vitriolic.

County resident Luke Cameron suggested that allowing children to access such books will “make it harder for them to stay faithful to a marriage partner in the future.� State Rep. Adam Schnelting, a Republican from St. Charles, called for an investigation of library materials. Resident Vanessa Hagedorn said children are already “hyper-sexualized by social media, music, video games, and movies.�

“You don’t need to show them pictures of this filth,� she said.

Francis Howell School Board member Jane Puszkar alleged the library staff was pushing a sexual agenda.

“To expose our children prematurely to subjects that they cannot understand — and I’m talking about pornography and gender dysphoria — is pure and simple sexual indoctrination,� she said.

Kuhl said libraries across the state, including in conservative areas such as Springfield and Cape Girardeau, carry these books.

“Large libraries, small libraries, urban libraries, rural libraries,� Kuhl told the trustees after the public comment period. “However you want to position it, these are standard books that are held in public libraries everywhere in this country.�

Some in attendance Tuesday night defended the district.

“I believe it should be the responsibility of parents to protect their children, not the libraries or taxpayers to fulfill a particular parent’s religious or moral views,� said Nial Horner, of St. Peters. “I am a strong Christian myself, but I believe God created people of all shapes, sizes, sexualities and even gender identities.�

In the end, the district’s new procedure was announced to a near-empty meeting room. Almost all of the public speakers had left after the public comment period.

Lori Beth Crawford, a spokesperson for the library district, said she does not expect the new process will result in delays getting the books to patrons who want to check them out.