An Anonymous Patron shares this news story
“Parents who send their kids to one of many Multnomah County libraries around town to pick out some books or maybe a movie may be surprised at what they bring home.
John Nelsen says he was shocked when his 12-year-old son headed to the library and came back with two ‘R’ rated movies.
Try getting away with that at any video store or movie theater around town and kids quickly get turned away.”
Oh boy, another one
These stories really grate my cheese, as they say. I don’t know whether they’re common all over but they seem to crop up in the Pacific Northwest every year or two. Let’s send a kid into a library and into Blockbuster and see who turns him away!
Blockbuster is a business–they can choose not to serve customers much more easily than a library can. When I was growing up, our local Blockbuster wouldn’t rent videos to ANYONE under 18 regardless of what they were checking out.
Secondly, when I was a circ clerk, I was instructed not to comment or even really note what kind of materials people where checking out. If they circulated, it was fine for anyone to take them out. And all my job consisted of was to check materials out, not pre-screen them. That’s what parents are for.
When will parents learn that libraries are public places with all kinds of wild and crazy information resources?!?! Why is it our job to parent their children?!?!