The Denver Public Library has canceled its subscription to four series of Spanish-language fotonovelas, but library officials said they won't be reviewing similar publications in other languages unless someone files a complaint....

Although CAIR appeared to have achieved a victory with the books' removal, the group was far from declaring peace with library officials....

A proposal in Denver would have more Spanish-language books and increase the number of bilingual staff members at public libraries in the city's neighborhoods with large Latino populations, but some local citizens are against the idea, saying it favors undocumented residents.

"Somebody has an agenda that says 'you all can come on over and we'll change our library system for you and we'll do it at taxpayer expense,'" said Fred Elbel of the Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform....

... Diane Lapierre, the library's director of strategic initiatives (more on what that title suggests later), prefers to call these comic books "illustrated novellas" and says they are very popular among Latino library users. She claims, "They are targeted at people who don't have strong reading skills and are trying to improve." I can think of many other ways to improve your reading skills.

Regarding the job of "Director of Strategic Initiatives": Positions so titled in the private sector usually are responsible for meeting the challenges of competition and protecting market share. In the Internet age, most research is more conveniently and comprehensively conducted on one's personal computer... In order to justify their existence and protect their jobs, are librarians "strategically" responding by replacing quality reading matter with comic books, popular video tapes and DVDs, hip-hop CDs and the like, dropping their standards to pander to the lowest common denominator? Should libraries be in the business of competing with Blockbuster? Is this really how we want to spend our tax dollars?...

Officials of the city's system, which this month pulled 6,000 racy Spanish-language picture books from its shelves, are worried that a full review of its 2.5 million books, CDs and videos may follow....

"We didn't bring up the other stuff in the library because we didn't get that far," said Mike McGarry, a CAIR spokesman. "That wasn't our issue. We're immigration-reduction people, and we're interested in the reduction of that."...

...The proposal has been roundly criticized by those who oppose public services to illegal aliens and support making English the nation's official language.

Mauro E. Mujica is chairman of the board of U.S. English, Inc.

"Denver's action is a dubious first in American history: A major U.S. city is creating a public institution that intentionally excludes native-born Americans," said Mujica in a statement. "This action goes against the model of assimilation that has successfully served the United States for centuries.

"In a nation of immigrants, focusing on a single non-English language is the type of favoritism that we should have abandoned years ago. The taxpayers of Denver – residents who speak 68 languages – should not stand idly by while their money goes to support immigrants from El Salvador or Colombia over immigrants from Vietnam or Egypt."...

Protesters demanded the resignation of Denver city librarian Rick Ashton at a noon rally Monday after their recent discovery of what they call "pornographic" Spanish-language fotonovelas on library bookshelves.

Representatives from a number of Colorado groups "concerned about illegal immigration issues," led by local radio commentator Michael Corbin, met outside the Central Library to hand-deliver their letter to Ashton...

...Under the [labrary] proposal, all libraries would retain a core of basic services and materials, city librarian Rick Ashton has said. But many collections at a particular branch would be tailored to the interests of its patrons. Among the "service styles" are "Learning and Language" branches with both English and Spanish materials and services. These branches would feature a bilingual staff, more Spanish-language books and magazines, adult classes and language materials for Denver's burgeoning immigrant community.

Other library models would include a children's library and a "contemporary" library, with extensive DVD and CD collections, casual seating and multiple copies of books on shelves, as seen in bookstores.

... the Language and Learning idea has been criticized by those who oppose public services to illegal immigrants and support English as the national language.

"This is America. Our language is English. It's important that our public institutions adhere to a single language," said Fred Elbel, a Lakewood resident and president of Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform....

This article discusses mismanagement of the Denver Public Library by administrator Rick Ashton. It covers budget problems, abolishment of book sales, and throwing out of library books. This article provides an excellent background for understanding Ashton's intent to convert Denver's libraries to Spanish-language libraries.

A plan to redesign seven Denver Public Library branches with a Spanish-language focus has created a row over the library's role in light of the city's growing Spanish-speaking population.

At a series of public meetings last week, library officials said the "Language and Learning" branches would feature an increased Spanish-language book and periodical collection, a bilingual staff and classes for Spanish speakers on subjects such as English acquisition, high school equivalency and computers.

Head librarian Rick Ashton said the Language and Learning concept, which is being reviewed by the Library Commission and a 50-member advisory board, was required to address the needs of Denver's growing Spanish-speaking population....

...Language and Learning idea has met with resistance from those who say that the proposal is another step toward placing Spanish on an equal footing with English as the national language.

"The library is a purveyor primarily of written information, and it should be provided largely, say 95 percent, in the native language of our country, which is English," said Fred Elbel, president of Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform....

The Library Commission and advisory board are slated next month to give final comments, but critics contend that the plan is already in place.

Few monolingual Spanish-apeaking people attended the recent series of meeting organized by the Denver Public Library (DPL) to explain the new plan to expand services in Spanish. The lack of support could mean changes in the plan, and perhaps even its cancellation....

"I am truly sorry that, in sipte of our best efforts, so few Latinos came to our mettings," said Agnes Talamantez Carroll, an independent consulting helping DPL to promote the new plan...

Voters in Colorado failed to pass an initiative this fall that would enforce English-only education programs. Meanwhile, 60 percent of the voters in Massachusetts passed a measure to get rid of bilingual education. Sadly, the electorate in Colorado has missed the boat. History is full of examples of societies being torn apart by linguistic differences and it would be a needless shame were the same to occur here. My generation, and countless generations of immigrants, was exposed to a system that encouraged assimilation and did not consider it to be a negative.

English can be learned without destroying diversity... It is a system that has worked, will continue to work, and should never have been abandoned in the first place.

Three weeks ago, Colorado heiress Pat Stryker donated $3 million to try to defeat Montero's effort, Amendment 31 on the ballot, which until then was leading in the polls nearly two to one. Stryker's money has paid for the ugliest ad campaign in the state's history. The radio and TV ads now saturating the Colorado airwaves attempt to scare Anglo parents into thinking that if the measure passes, hordes of Mexican immigrants will invade their children's classrooms. Apparently, the bleeding-heart liberals opposing Amendment 31 aren't above using a little racism to achieve their aims.... if the voters of Colorado have any sense, they'll reject this coalition's fear and hate-mongering.

"Failed educational programs, like bilingual instruction, have no right to eternal life. Coloradans have every right to dictate how taxes should be spent and can rest assured that it is entirely possible to have parental choice, local control of education and Amendment 31 all at the same time."

"The sponsors of Amendment 31 included language that makes individual teachers and administrators financially liable if they grant, "in error," the request of parents who ask to have their children enrolled in bilingual classes. This is not, as opponents suggest, a Draconian provision. The amendment is clear. Exceptions to "English immersion" are to be rare. Only three categories of students can request a waiver. Administrators, school board members and teachers can easily avoid problems by following the law.... Importantly, without some enforcement provisions, administrators, board members and teachers would be virtually invited to undermine the intent of the amendment."