[Publib] Periodical challenge

[Patty Wanninger]

When I was the Assistant Director at the Hedberg Public Library in
Janesville, WI, we received a formal challenge on the magazine
Fangoria, which was shelved in our YA collection. The complaint was
based primarily on the violence depicted on the cover, which was a
gory picture of some kind of alien being pierced by some kind of large
lance.

We treated the challenge to the title the same as we would have
treated a book challenge. The selector of the title reviewed the
magazine and past issues, and we looked at circulation and reviews of
the title. We found that the magazine, an internationally distributed
horror film fan magazine, was well within our collection guidelines
for popular materials, despite the often violent and disturbing cover
images.

However, as the magazine is intended for a general adult audience
rather than being specifically a YA title, we chose to move it from
the YA area to the adult magazine section. This decision seemed to
satisfy the petitioner, as we heard nothing further from her, and many
years later the title continues to circulate at that library.

Patty Dwyer Wanninger
Regional Account Manager
Integrated Technology Group



On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Margaret Neill <mneill at las-cruces.org> wrote:
> Speaking of periodicals, one of our patrons has challenged a YA magazine:
> GamePro. He is claiming that it promotes violence and is inappropriate for
> the YA department. He also annotated the copy of the Library Bill of Rights,
> Freedom to View and Freedom to Read statements that we gave him. His agenda
> is clear and is greater than his initial challenge. So, in order to
> effectively address his challenge, I have the following questions:
>
>
>
> Do you have a collection development policy that deals specifically with
> periodicals? What are your criteria for purchasing periodicals?
> Have you had patrons challenge a periodical title? On what basis and how did
> your library address it?
> Do you subscribe to GamePro and if you do, what was your reason for choosing
> the title?
>
>
>
> Your responses will help us formulate an effective policy and help us to
> respond to this challenge. Thanks!
>
>
>
> Margaret M. Neill
>
> Library Manager, Technical Services and Systems
>
> Thomas Branigan Memorial Library
>
> 200 E. Picacho Ave.
>
> Las Cruces, NM 88001
>
> Office: (575) 528-4043
>
> Fax: (575) 528-4030
>
> mneill at las-cruces.org
>
>
>
> "Everyone who knows how to read has it in their power to magnify themselves,
> multiple the ways in which they exist, to make their life full, significant,
> and interesting."
> - Aldous Huxley
>
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