[Publib] Assault on Reason?/Censorship

[George Hazelton]

Wowzer!  It's hard to imagine that a board in this day and age would risk
the sort of legal action that that question could bring down on their heads.

 

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From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of brad thomas
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 6:45 PM
To: Paula Laurita; 'James Casey'; 'Hubert Thompson'; publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Assault on Reason?/Censorship

 

Of course this happens! I interviewed once with a library in Arkansas that
was simply a beautiful facility. After a 5 minute tour of the stacks and
meeting the members of the ruling library board, I thanked them for having
me come in, and made my exit. Why? The first question they asked was "what
church do you attend?" - and then while browsing the stacks, I noticed that
the the library's fiction collection was 75-80% christian fiction. When I
inquired as to why this was so, the answer was "Well, that's all that people
really need around here." Not "what they want" or "what they ask for," but
just "what they need."
 
No thanks!
 



 

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From: plaurita at athenslimestone.lib.al.us
To: jcasey at oaklawnlibrary.org; hthompso at chipublib.org;
publib at webjunction.org
Subject: RE: [Publib] Assault on Reason?/Censorship
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:29:35 -0500
CC: 



Let me toss into this mix--There are libraries in the US that do censor
through selection based upon philosophy of the library staff.  

 

In the 80s, prior to library school I volunteered in a public library (not
in Alabama, but a more "cosmopolitan" area).  Any and every book published
that was critical of Catholicism was purchased.  When I asked that the
library order
<http://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Moment-Paradox-Church-Postmodern/dp/00606609
7X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222723233&sr=1-5> The Catholic Moment:
The Paradox of the Church in the Postmodern World by Richard John Neuhaus I
was derided for my lack of intellect.  

 

This experience has helped to color my own selection ideals.  

 

Paula S.W. Laurita, MLIS
Coordinator of Public Services
Athens-Limestone Public Library
Athens, AL 35611

plaurita at athenslimestone.lib.al.us

We have found that a library is not an end in itself, but a means to many
ends.
Charles E. Rush, 1939 

 

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