The Delaware County Times reports that some citizens are not pleased that a Philadelphia-area public library has books like The Joy of Gay Sex, Great Sex Tips, and Sex Toys 101 on the adult nonfiction shelves.
But the members of the Pro-Life Coalition recognize that, even though they’d prefer not to look at those books, the sex guides serve an educational purpose for other taxpayers.
Just kidding. They’ve carefully analyzed the books and have filed requests for re-evaluation with the library board and director.
Just kidding. They’ve condemned the books as pornography and are holding a meeting at a church.
The article does a pretty good job of explaining the library’s, er, position on the sex books.
Completely uncalled for!
Quote from the article, which is a quote from the woman setting up the meetings.
“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss concerns about the library making available books which are seriously objectionable in text and pictures due to sexually explicit material.”
People getting together to discuss concerns about books in the library. Man, that it terrible. I would hate it if in my town people got together to discuss concerns about library books. Discussing concerns is like burning books and is completely uncalled for. I don’t know why any american thinks they should be able to get together with fellow citizens and discuss concerns about library books. Why some librarian should put a stop to this. Let them know that what they are doing is wrong.
His tax dollars?
You know it’s really sad the way religionists who object to something piss and moan about their tax dollars as if knee-jerk reactionary WASP ultra-conservatives are the only ones who pay taxes.
And if you want pornographic, where do you get off with a name that close to “whore”. Come to that, isn’t “whore is key” kind of close to the Lord is King? Has anybody done a loyalty check on this guy?
Intellectual freedom at our cities’ PLs
Ask your city public library for public documentation about long range
planning for the city public library.
Are intellectual freedom principles flouted or observed when asking for
disclosure of public long range planning documents about your city
public library?…
Collaborative WebLog/ faq
A guide to problematical library use
http://GuideToProblematicalLibraryUse.WebLogs.com
http://GuideToProblematicalLibraryUse.WebLogs.us
I can’t help it… 😉
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Cook your meat until it’s well done“
Re:Completely uncalled for!
Well, in this case, it looks the meeting might actually be more like a book-burning rally than a get-together to “discuss concerns”:
In other words, “We don’t want to look at these books, so no one else should be able to, either. And we’re not about to follow due process in our efforts to get them off the shelves.”
Even so, I saw no reason to classify this news article under Censorship, so I put it in the topic of Public Libraries.
from the department of judging other people.
So, the guy goes to the library to get a book to help his wife change the shape/size of her body and is offended by the books that encourage him to appreciate and celebrate her body (never mind encouraging her to appreciate and enjoy her own body!). There deprivation in that household probably goes far beyond calories, me thinks.
Re:His tax dollars?
But the rich WASPS ARE the only ones paying taxes. Rush told me so. All the rest of society sponges. And we are taking our ball and going home!
It’s not just WASPS who complain…
I have heard the “it’s porn” argument from people from all backgrounds and walks of life.
The public just loves to give us the old I-pay-your-salary routine.
That seems to cut across all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic lines.
The old we want them gone but don’t want to go
through channels routine. I suspect they’ll do what so many people do…find some way to conveniently ‘lose’ them from the system. Of course, if they do it by checking them out first, thinking that it’d be worth it to pay any fines to keep others safe from such reading.
Of course, then the library should make them pay for a new copy and then put a donor’s plate thanking them for the replacement, by name. 🙂
Story regarding Marple Public Library
As a resident of Delaware County (although not of Marple Township), I would like to point out that the Delaware Times newspaper doesn’t generally support the Delaware County Library System with any great vigor or intelligence. Whether reporting on filtering software, book banning initiatives such as this one in Marple, or even local library events such as book discussion groups, I have never seen this paper publish any story that showcased the libraries in a positive way. There’s no attempt to get the full story from the librarian or to provide a balanced account. It’s absolutely infuriating.
Discrimination in Delaware
>> We have an obligation to present both sides of issues and have a process in place to follow if books are challenged
Both sides?
You means there are only two types of sex???
What about the polygamists, group sexers, swingers, S&M’ers, fetishers, voyeurs, exhibitionists, etc. found on their web terminals? (Surely this library doesn’t take the e-rate discount as a matter of principle??)
Someone needs to inform Polly Puritan that Delaware is a “free” state. If it’s consensual, it’s legal.