One-on-One: Library Director Kathryn Wisinger on Books, Trust, Audits, and Serving the Community

Editor's Note: The following article is based on an approximately three-hour audio-recorded interview conducted in November 2025 between Highlands Insider Publisher & Editor Clarissa Williams and Putnam County Library Director Dr. Kathryn Wisinger. The interview took place prior to the launch of Highlands Insider's print edition. Portions unrelated to the topics discussed in this article have been condensed for length.

Since this interview was conducted, the library has remained the focus of ongoing public discussions involving challenged materials, trustee appointments, governance policies, reconsideration procedures, and compliance questions related to guidance issued by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. While some circumstances have evolved, the interview provides insight into Wisinger's perspective during a pivotal period in those discussions.

Over the past several months, the Putnam County Library has found itself at the center of one of the most discussed public issues in the community.

Questions about age-appropriate materials, book placement, library governance, public funding, and letters issued by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett have brought record attendance to Library Board of Trustees meetings and sparked discussion throughout Putnam County.

While much of the public conversation has centered on challenged books and public comments, Highlands Insider sat down with Library Director Dr. Kathryn Wisinger for an extended interview to better understand her perspective, her background, and how the library is navigating the challenges ahead.

For Wisinger, the library is not simply a workplace.

It is part of her own story.

Born and raised in Putnam County, she remembers visiting the library as a child and developing a love of reading at an early age.

"The library exists to serve the community," Wisinger said. "I love the library. I was born and raised here. I remember going to that library."

That connection remains at the center of how she views her role today.

Wisinger has served as director for a little more than four years and recently completed her Ph.D., an accomplishment recognized by the Library Board of Trustees during her annual evaluation in 2025.

She acknowledged that much of her professional experience has been rooted in library administration, education, and service rather than public controversy.

As library discussions increasingly moved into public meetings, social media debates, and political discussions, she found herself navigating situations that many librarians never expected to face.

She described herself as a rule follower and someone who prefers working quietly behind the scenes.

During the interview, she laughed when asked what she would say if given a "megaphone moment."

"It’s a library," she joked. "We're not super loud."

But she quickly became serious.

"We work quietly, maybe too quietly," she said. "Maybe we need to be more loud about some things."

One of the most common questions raised by residents concerns how books enter the library system and how they are categorized.

Wisinger explained that libraries traditionally rely on established publishers, vendors, and industry review systems when selecting materials.

For many years, publishers provided age recommendations and classifications that librarians trusted when determining where books should be shelved.

However, she believes that process has become more complicated.

"We can't really depend on those publisher guidelines anymore," she said.

According to Wisinger, changes in publishing, marketing practices, and evolving classifications have created challenges for libraries across the country.

Young adult materials, in particular, have become increasingly difficult to categorize.

She noted that some books may be labeled for readers ages 12 and up, while others are marketed for ages 16 and up, creating significant differences within the same broad category.

"There is a huge difference between an 11-year-old and a 17-year-old," she said.

Because of those concerns, the library has increasingly relied on internal review and staff evaluation.

Wisinger confirmed that challenged books brought to the library's attention have been reviewed by staff.

"We've pulled books, we've looked at them," she said.

Rather than relying on one person's opinion, she explained that staff members often review materials together.

The library employs several professional librarians with decades of experience in children's services, youth programming, and collection management.

"We have an incredibly experienced staff," she said.

That collaborative approach allows multiple perspectives to be considered before decisions are made.

Some books are easy to evaluate.

Others involve more subjective questions.

"Literature and art are very subjective subjects," she said.

One of the most significant developments discussed during recent board meetings has been the relocation of some books from youth collections into adult collections.

Wisinger confirmed that age-appropriate placement remains a priority.

"We always want things placed age appropriately," she said.

She explained that books recommended for older teens often receive additional scrutiny.

"If it's 16 and up, we're probably going to put it in the adult section."

She emphasized that the goal is not removing access but ensuring materials are located in appropriate sections.

Throughout the interview, Wisinger repeatedly returned to the role of parents.

"We don't work in loco parentis as a library in place of a parent," she said.

Instead, she believes parents should remain actively involved in decisions about what their children read.

At the same time, she wants parents to feel confident that the library is making reasonable decisions regarding placement and classification.

The balance between parental involvement and public access is one of the most challenging aspects of modern librarianship, she said.

One of the most debated phrases surrounding the controversy has been "book banning."

Wisinger offered her own definition.

"If you ban a book, you're preventing access to that book."

She does not believe relocating a book to a different section constitutes a ban.

"I don't think relocating a book is a ban."

That distinction has become one of the central disagreements in public discussions.

Some residents view relocation as a common-sense solution, while others see it as a form of restriction.

Wisinger believes the conversation is more nuanced than either side often portrays.

ERIC, PLEASE EMPHASIZE THIS PART

One of the most debated phrases throughout the Putnam County Library discussion has been the term "book ban."

During Highlands Insider's November interview, Library Director Dr. Kathryn Wisinger was asked directly whether she believed residents raising concerns about library materials were attempting to ban books.

Wisinger responded by first explaining how she personally defines a book ban.

"I think I would define a book ban — and I don't have the encyclopedia term — but I would say if you ban a book, you're preventing access to that book. That's what I would call a book ban."

She then addressed the issue of relocating books from one section of the library to another.

"I don't think relocating a book is a ban."

When asked whether anyone had attempted to ban books during her tenure as library director, Wisinger said:

"Since I've been there, we haven't. We've had other book challenges like the Request for Reconsideration form, but not that they have tried to ban this book."

The distinction has become an important part of the public discussion.

Citizens who have filed reconsideration requests, including Cookeville Vice Mayor Luke Eldridge, have consistently stated their goal is not to remove books entirely from the library system but to relocate materials they believe contain sexually explicit content into age-appropriate sections.

Eldridge has repeatedly stated:

"We are not asking to ban books. We are asking for them to be placed appropriately and for the board to follow its own policies."

The question of whether relocation constitutes a restriction or simply age-based placement remains a point of debate among residents. However, Wisinger's comments indicate that, from her perspective as library director, the reconsideration requests filed during her tenure have not been efforts to ban books from the Putnam County Library system.

Public discussion intensified after letters were issued by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett to library directors across the state.

The letters addressed compliance requirements regarding materials purchased with state and federal funding.

Wisinger said the library immediately began working on compliance.

"We have taken that very seriously."

The library began identifying materials purchased with state and federal funds and reviewing those collections.

According to Wisinger, the process involves examining thousands of titles purchased over multiple years.

The work is being completed alongside regular library operations and preparations for the library's upcoming expansion project.

"It is a big job," she said.

Despite the workload, she remains confident.

"We are going to be in compliance."

While recent headlines have focused on challenged materials, Wisinger noted that the library serves many roles within the community.

Among its services are:

• Children's programming
• Story times
• Summer reading initiatives
• Public computer access
• Job-search assistance
• Outreach collections
• Senior center collections
• Child Advocacy Center collections
• Genesis House collections
• Jail outreach programs

She also acknowledged the challenges libraries face when serving vulnerable populations.

The library regularly works with residents experiencing homelessness and often serves as a safe public space for individuals seeking access to resources, technology, or assistance.

"We see it every single day," she said.

Staff members receive training and remain attentive to safety concerns, particularly in children's areas.

Perhaps the most personal part of the interview came when Wisinger discussed public trust.

"I hate that so much trust, I feel like, has been eroded in the library," she said.

She understands that residents have concerns and believes those concerns deserve consideration.

"We are here for the community."

That commitment, she said, is why the library responds when concerns are raised.

"If there is a book that has been brought to my attention or anyone's attention, we're going to respond to that."

And perhaps her strongest statement of the entire interview came when discussing children and explicit content.

"We do not ever want to put sexually explicit material in a child's hands, ever," she said. "We would not do that."

As the library continues working through state compliance requirements, public concerns, and future policy discussions, Wisinger hopes residents will continue engaging with the library and participating in the process.

The coming months will likely bring additional conversations about governance, collections, appointments, and policy development.

For Wisinger, however, the mission remains unchanged.

"The library exists to serve the community.

Depending on Space 

Pull Quotes

"We do not ever want to put sexually explicit material in a child's hands, ever. We would not do that." — Dr. Kathryn Wisinger

"I don't think relocating a book is a ban." — Dr. Kathryn Wisinger

Sidebar:

Six Things We Learned From Our Interview With Kathryn Wisinger