Censorship in Libraries -Reply

[KAREN SCHNEIDER]

When *I* was a child, growing up in San Francisco
in the 60s and 70s, I read piles and piles of
lurid murder mysteries from the age of 6 on (this
was not a limit imposed by anyone, but how old I
was when I was first taken to the library). 
Neither my parents (who took me to the library) or
the librarians (who gave me my card, wound me up
and set me loose in the library) ever gave me any
advice on what to read, other than to point out
the newest, shiniest mysteries. Everyone seemed
quite happy that I was reading "above my grade
level" (though I also consumed the usual stacks of
horse books, dog books, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
etc.--if it had print on it I read it).  The
message I got was that it was ok to read just
about anything, as long as I read critically.

Did I grow up to be an ax-murderer?  A depraved
maniac?  A child-molestor?  No.  I grew up to be a
tax-paying, church-going, sensibly-shod librarian.
 And between piles of things I read for
self-improvement, I still read a cheap old
whodunit now and then, lurid scenes and all.  

K. Schneider