Community conflicts about public library collections

[iris lilies]

When I was a kid I was encouraged to investigate the library as thoroughly as I wanted. No books were off limits. And I can't imagine my parents trying to prevent me from reading anything I found and checked out with my very cherished library card. If I had shown up at home with the Anarchist Cookbook or some such book it might have made for interesting/uncomfortable dinner conversation but I don't think my parents would've ever tried to say "no, you can't/shouldn't read that..." They would have likely read it themselves in order to arm themselves with arguments about why certain suggestions/ideas made in the book were not a good idea for me to implement/act on.

Thinking about florida's 'don't say gay' bill and efforts to prevent teens from having easy access to LGBTQ books all I can say is that I didn't turn out to be a gay man because I read books about being a gay person. I read books about gay people because I had figured out that I was a gay person and was looking for validation that people like I knew myself to be existed. Denying kids that opportunity is about as cruel as cruel can be.

My parents were of the “she can read anything..go to the library, kid!” mindset.

I remember 30 some years ago when there were great debates within my own large urban library about eliminating the restriction on what kids under 12 could check out. Many staff members honestly thought they were protecting children by limiting artificially what they could read.


We moved to a system where the child’s card could be toggled on or off for for check out privileges from adult collections. The toggle was controlled by their parents. Then finally in recent years we moved to a “no restrictions at all” model and told parents it was their job to monitor their children’s checked out materials.

Looking back, these activities were quaint. Considering the thousands of god-awful sites on the Internet, all of these library materials are quite tame.

[Alan]

I remember going to the library during the summer between 6th and 7th grades and being escorted out of the adult collection section by a helpful librarian.

[JaneV2.0]

I don't remember ever being restricted to certain books at the library; as a kid, I particularly remember perusing the cryptozoology section in adult non-fiction.

[catherine]

Looking back, these activities were quaint. Considering the thousands of god-awful sites on the Internet, all of these library materials are quite tame.

Honestly, that's what I think. Do parents really think the LIBRARY is going to expose their kids to all the things they consider inappropriate? The library is the LAST place kids are going to learn about all the different facets of life, good and bad. They don't even read these days.

Maybe the local libraries should actually research what kids are ACTUALLY checking out before getting their knickers in a twist. I'll bet there is a lot of dust on all the books that are so prohibitive.

[iris lilies]

Honestly, that's what I think. Do parents really think the LIBRARY is going to expose their kids to all the things they consider inappropriate? The library is the LAST place kids are going to learn about all the different facets of life, good and bad. They don't even read these days.

Maybe the local libraries should actually research what kids are ACTUALLY checking out before getting their knickers in a twist. I'll bet there is a lot of dust on all the books that are so prohibitive.

Well, I will say there is an element of “my tax dollars at work, buying and promoting this drek” so I can sort of see an argument that public libraries and school libraries are different from content creators/providers on the internet.

[jp1]

There’s always going to be an element of ‘my tax dollars shouldn’t be supporting X, Y, or Z’ no matter what X, Y, or Z is. For some people it’s the industrial war complex. For some Mainers it’s religious private schools. For some people it’s public health issues. The list is endless. But in a case like the library, which exists to serve everyone in the community the books purchased should be for the entire community not just a narrow subset of religious folks.

[iris lilies]

There’s always going to be an element of ‘my tax dollars shouldn’t be supporting X, Y, or Z’ no matter what X, Y, or Z is. For some people it’s the industrial war complex. For some Mainers it’s religious private schools. For some people it’s public health issues. The list is endless. But in a case like the library, which exists to serve everyone in the community the books purchased should be for the entire community not just a narrow subset of religious folks.

Individual titles purchased for “the entire community “would be a very bland collection indeed. But I don’t think that’s what you mean.


Individual titles will serve specific tastes within the community. There’s not one size fits all.

[jp1]

Individual titles purchased for “the entire community “would be a very bland collection indeed. But I don’t think that’s what you mean.


Individual titles will serve specific tastes within the community. There’s not one size fits all.

Yes. I personally would just as soon not have my library waste their money on a book as stupid as the Bible. But I’m not going to be a 12 year old who screams and yells about it. Some folks will be happy that it is there and I’m good with that.

[iris lilies]

That's a trend now--loud, intrusive people invading local school district meetings, threatening people who disagree with their often radical views ("I know where you live!"), running for office to gain power over libraries and curricula. People need to be aware.

Ummm, running for office “to gain power over libraries and curricula” is kinda the point of being on school and library boards.

I am not threatened by that exercise in democracy.

[iris lilies]

I remember going to the library during the summer between 6th and 7th grades and being escorted out of the adult collection section by a helpful librarian.

Ah librarians, such a beacon of intellectual freedom!