While Mayor, Did Palin Ban Books?

And Did She Fire The Librarian?
Like many Internet sound-bites, there is more nuance than truth behind the assertion that in 1996 then-Mayor Sarah Palin fired the Wasilla librarian for refusing to ban books. My colleague Tom Head writes: Palin "fired Mary Ellen Emmons, allegedly (according to multiple press sources) for refusing to remove books Palin considered offensive from the library."

But that statement does not reflect the press reports that I have read. In fact, Emmons kept her job until she resigned, almost three years after Palin became mayor. But not only did Palin not fire Emmons, Palin did not ask Emmons to remove a single book from the public library. Not only did Palin not force Emmons to leave her job (the connotative and "web" meaning of "being fired" is "having lost your job") there is no evidence that after being elected mayor Palin asked Emmons to remove (ie, ban) a single book from the public library.

Moreover, the meme doesn't include the niggle that Emmons "publicly supported" the incumbent mayor in the 1996 election when Palin unseated him. Or that the position was not civil service, but patronage.

The 12-Year-Old Story
Palin, then 32, was elected mayor after four years on the city council. Incumbent mayor John Stein, 52, had held the position for nine years.

According to contemporaneous news reporting, Palin asked for the resignation of all six city department heads, who served at the pleasure of the mayor. One of those was the police chief; another was the museum head; and another was the librarian. Palin asked everyone for a letter of resignation, saying that "she would then decide which to accept." In other words, she was not "picking on" Emmons, even though Emmons had "publicly supported" the prior mayor during the campaign.

Firing people who hold patronage positions is within the norms of political mores. That said, the backstory is not black-and-white.

Prior to taking office as mayor on 14 October 1996, Palin talked to Wasilla librarian Emmons. Palin says she "rhetorically" asked Emmons about "how she would respond to censorship." Emmons answered that she'd oppose it. (As she should, in my opinion.)

According to Emmons, Palin talked to her again on 28 October 1996, two weeks after Palin assumed the mayor's office. From FactCheck: "Emmons reported that Palin pressed the issue, asking whether Emmons' position would change if residents were picketing the library." And I believe that question, coming from someone elected by the community, is valid. Moreover, in another framing, the question could be perceived as positive, ie, the mayor would want the librarian to stand firm on her convictions not to respond to public pressure.

In January 1997, Palin delivered letters to Emmons and police chief Irl Stambaugh, telling them that they were fired effective 13 February 1997.

Thus, it is "true" that Palin told Emmons that she would be fired. However, in order not to be misleading, that statement must be accompanied by the fact that Palin immediately reversed her decision. Reportedly, Palin's change of heart was administrative: Emmons agreed to "support efforts to merge the library and museum operations."

Emmons remained on staff until she resigned in August 1999 (for almost the full three years of Palin's first term as mayor). As far as I can tell, there is nothing in the Internet rumor mill about pressure on Emmons after Palin became mayor.

Let me note again that, according to contemporaneous news reports, both Stambaugh and Emmons "publicly supported Palin's opponent, long-time mayor John Stein during the [fall 1996] campaign." Stambaugh had been Wasilla police chief since 1993, when the police department was created; he had retired from the Anchorage Police Department. His wrongful termination suit was tossed out; according to the judge, "even if Palin's reasons for firing him were political, she had that right."

I have yet to read any Internet hand-wringing over the firing of the police chief.

And although opponents were talking about a recall election in February 1997, not only was Palin not recalled, she was re-elected. As to that first term as mayor, Palin says: "I grew tremendously in my early months as mayor." And Vicki Naegele, who wrote a Frontiersman editorial criticizing Palin in those early days, later said, "As a community newspaper, we held her feet to the fire. This was one of those scorching editorials. I remember the need for such harsh words diminished as the months wore on."

Wow. That's a lot of information, isn't it? My rule of thumb is that there is almost always far a lot of nuance hiding behind catchy political soundbites, from Al Gore's claim to have "invented the internet" (false) to the latest on Palin (also false).

Added at 9.51 pm Pacific:
What does it mean to "ban" a book? This is from About's Classic Literature Guide: "A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict material. A book ban goes even further--the work is removed from the classroom or library circulation."

Sources:

• Wasilla keeps librarian, but police chief is out   - 1 February 1997
• Palin: Library censorship inquiries 'Rhetorical'   - 18 December 1996
• Sarah Palin had turbulent first year as mayor of Alaska town   - 7 September 2008
• FactCheck.org: Sliming Palin   - 8 September 2008

This is the first in a series of nuggets that attempt to debunk Net rumors and misleading campaign ads.