In my Monday night class we were talking about the Children's department in the library and the best ways to keep younger patrons safe in the library. One of the other students started talking about a library in Wisconsin that is in danger of being shutdown. She heard the story on the local news while visiting the state for the week end . Unfortunately I couldn't find an Internet article about the story. I have e mailed to ask what news station so hopefully I can provide more information later.
The details of the story is that the library has a pornography room. Because of space issues the room is located in the children's department! The room is monitored and only adult patrons are allowed to visit the room. But how well can the room be monitored and wouldn't its location make younger patrons very curious about the room?
This made me think about the rights of the library. Are they allowed to have a room with this type of materials in the library? If they are allowed, is the room protected under IF policies?
After hearing the story I wasn't sure where I stood. At first I felt the room should never be allowed so close to the children's area and why would the library even need a room with only adult materials. Next I thought about IF and the need to serve all patrons. If it gets you into the library and reading , doesn't that support most libraries missions?
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How many people READ porn?? And if they are READING porn, why would there need to be a closed room? Why not just put it on a top shelf in the adult section and take the curiosity away from children who would see the room? Isn't reading porn the same as reading a Harlequin romance novel? This pornography room is NOT getting people into the library to read. I don't think it's much of a surprise that I am in NO way supportive of allowing anyone to view porn in a public library. I think that using taxpayer money to purchase, supply, and maintain pornography in a public library is a severe misuse of funds.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand that I am not in line with what the ALA expects me to believe or advocate, I cannot understand a policy that strongly discourages an action, calls it inappropriate, but turns a blind eye to let it happen. I would love to know what the ALA says about the appropriateness of a pornography room.
There has been a lot in the news about the West Bend Public Library. See more details at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/ozwash/42239872.html
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time believing that any library has a pornography room. Come on now. Think about it! Either the news was sensationalizing something or the student wasn't paying attention. In West Bend it's an issue of a local couple calling some books we're discussed in this class pornography, Perks of Being a Wallflower, one of them.