One Librarian's Story By Heidi Borton

[CMUNSON]

     It should come as no surprise that I don't see Porn on the 
     Internet(tm) to be much of a problem. These culture wars, such as the 
     current hysteria over porn in libraries, only serves to distract us 
     from more important trends affecting our profession.
     
     Some trends worth getting mad about:
     1) The increasing consolidation of the publishing industry and the 
     radio industry. Both of these problems have severe impacts on the type 
     of information available to the public. How many of the book titles 
     being acquired by your library are published by Bertlesmann AG and its 
     subsidiaries?
     2) The chronic underfunding of libraries. This ties in with the 
     ongoing attempts by corporate elites to privatize the public sphere. 
     The porn in libraries hysteria is a symptom of this disease. The 
     ruling elites are using this wedge to see if they can continue using 
     the specter of "tax moneys" being wasted on "harmful" things. You see 
     evidence of this in calls for libraries "to stop wasting tax payer 
     dollars on filth and pornography." We all know how public libraries 
     have large erotica collections. ;-)
     
     Submitted for your approval.
     
     Chuck0