Restricting Minors' Library Access

These articles actually date back to earlier this year, but they tell a story that seems to be one of the more common intellectual freedom challenges American libraries face. In February, a Kansas public library board voted to restrict access to four books about sex in order to prevent minors from viewing them. A group called Kansans for Common Sense and a local pastor spoke in favor of the new restrictions, while other citizens and the library director argued vehemently against the proposal. In April, the board modified its opinion, possibly fearing lawsuits. The board voted to retain the four books on the shelves with the non-fiction health books but to post public service statements acknowledging sex-related materials in the collection.

Materials dealing with sex appear to be among the most frequently challenged items in libraries, and minors' access is often the key point of the argument. I agree completely with the library director that the initial decision was ludicrous and may have opened the library up to potential lawsuits. Besides the obvious issue of violating patrons' intellectual freedom rights, this story exemplifies the concept of fruitless endeavors on the part of the pro-restrictions group. The library director indicated that there are more than 600 books dealing with sex, but these restrictions only accounted for 4! I certainly would not want the group to advocate the restriction or removal of all of these books, and it would seem completely impractical. However, if their mission is to "protect" minors, I do not think that these four titles are the only books that they would find objectionable.

Whatever their motivations, I am pleased that the board members revisited this issue. Libraries should allow patrons and parents to make their own individual decisions regarding materials rather than forcing their entire patron base to encounter difficulty accessing certain materials. This story also highlights the importance of public library boards and the need for responsible, informed people to hold those seats.

Link to original article from February: http://cjonline.com/stories/022009/loc_395979087.shtml

Link to follow-up article from April: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6652322.html