Huntington Beach city leaders will convene Tuesday to vote on whether to approve a new plaque design to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the city’s library.
The plaque, which would be located at the city’s Central Library on Talbert Avenue, describes the library system of being a “beacon of education, a catalyst for dreams, and a sanctuary for children to feel safe, valued, and free to grow.”
It also features an acrostic message in the form of a slogan: Magical, Alluring, Galvanizing, Adventurous — MAGA.
The acronym, synonymous with President Donald Trump and the Republican party, does not appear to be part of the official verbiage or brand identity of Huntington Beach or its public library system. A search for the terms on the city’s website yielded no relevant results.
The use of divisive acronym in an official capacity on a government building has garnered mixed reviews from Huntington Beach residents on social media. One Reddit thread in particular features comments from users calling the plaque “stupid,” “ugly” and a waste of taxpayer money.
The estimated cost of the plaque, according to the city’s website, is $7,000.
Users have also called out the Huntington Beach City Council’s complicated, arguably adversarial, relationship with its library system.
Last year, the City explored the possibility of privatizing library operations and allowing an outside company to run them.
In 2023, former Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark raised concerns about what she called “sexually explicit” content in books, which led to an edict for library staff to review books from the children’s section and move them to another location within the library. Those books, according to LAIst, primarily dealt with the subjects of the human body, health and puberty.
Voters will likely decide whether to repeal that review process in a future election, as well as limit the city’s ability to outsource library operations, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The names of the entire current City Council, as well as executive leadership at the city, are listed on the plaque alongside the slogan and an image of an eagle carrying the American flag.
The vote to approve or deny the proposed library plaque will take place during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Community and Library Services Commission.
A sizeable contingent of the public was expected to be in attendance for the commission meeting to voice their opposition for the plaque’s approval.
KTLA has reached out to the City of Huntington Beach media team for comment.
