A library is not a daycare center

"A Library's Approach to Books That Offend"
Alison Leigh Cowan
August 19, 2009
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/a-librarys-approach-to-books-that-offend

In today's politically correct world libraries are seeing an increase in complaints about books deemed inappropriate by concerned parents. All libraries have ways for patrons to express their qualms concerning questionable content, and while it is important that these voices be heard it is also important for librarians to do all they can to keep books in the library. There are many ways to acknowledge legitimate complaints and still house them in the library, for example: a change in shelving, moving the book to a harder to access area, or possible revisions (as was the case for Herge's "Tintin.") As Alice Knapp says, "You do walk a fine line, making sure your materials are accessible, while being respectful of community standards." Knapp was the president of the Connecticut Library Association where she had to handle many such complaints. The secret of how to accept a complaint about a book and avoid censorship is an art most librarians know by heart: simply explain, politely, the library's policies about complaints and objectionable subject matter. Often times a patron wishes only to be heard -to send his/her complaint out into the world and be on their way; unfortunately, this technique does not always work.

Reading this article helped me understand what a difficult job librarians have, having to speak up for books and other information which some people find horrifically offending. There were some books named in the article as being challenged that surprised me a lot, specifically "Eloise in Paris" by Kay Thompson and "Looking for Alaska" by John Green. How people have come together with the intention of removing these books from their children is a little disturbing. It is one thing to not allow your own child to not read a certain type of book but to then assume that all other children are not capable of dealing with say, depictions of art from the Louvre with images of naked people ("Eloise in Paris") is ridiculous. A library is not a daycare center and I don't think its contents should be catering to the perceived innocence of today's youth. Information is not inherently dangerous. If a parent doesn't want their child to read a book that deals seriously with the issues of death and adolescence ("Looking for Alaska") then that is something they need to communicate to their child, not to the library.