Playboy at the library

[Hetherington Information Services]

Sorry Ronnie but your ending points are illogical.

>Even if local laws allow it, no adult bookstore is going to allow a child
>to walk into thier store.  

Barnes and Nobles sells Playboy and similar material, not just "adult"
bookstores.  

>If you allow porn to be accessed *by kids* in the library, you might as
>well have the entire line of material that an adult bookstore has.  Why
>don't you?  And again, I realize there is space and budget limitations.  

Hawthorne Public Library, NJ, in the heart of a very conservative
neighborhood had amongst it's periodical collection Playboy.  It was kept
behind the reference desk for patrons over the age of 18.  However books by
Anais Nin and the Marquis de Sade are on the shelf for the taking.  Perhaps
their would be more pornography if they were reviewed in our library
journals.  I haven't seen anything really racy in Publisher's Weekly
lately.<G>  

Now I'm curious... Are there any other libraries that have Playboy in their
collection?


>But just like the adult bookstore will get ridiculed if they allow a child
>in thier store, the library is going to get ridiculed for not having filter
>programs installed, or some other control measure. 

We've never been ridiculed in the several months we've run the 'net without
filter software.  We use permission slips.  I'm a librarian, and not a
parent, I do not know what is appropriate for children and what's not.  If
I were making decisions I'd say "yea" to sex, and "boo" to violence.  Hence
the decision is best left to the parent.


>If you are a store owner, and you have porn of any kind in your store, you
>*will* have to watch who looks at or buys the stuff.  The library is no
>different.  

Actually for public libraries there IS a significant difference.  We do not
'own' the store.  We are merely the employees of the townships that do.
That is why, however frustrating at times they can be, we use a Board of
Trustees (townsfolk) to decide what they want in THEIR library.  I'm sure
it's different in private, academic or corporate libraries.  


>I just find it down right disgusting that I can't bring my coke (the soft
>drink) into the library.  What about coke's freedom of speech, they have a
>right to, you know! 

Actually several libraries, Fair Lawn Public, NJ for one, are now
sponsoring coffee shops similar to Barnes and Noble stores.  

I've had too much success not filtering to start putting faith in
technology that is not fail safe.  I think the best adult decision is to
take responsibility of the situation and not let software do it for you.

--Cyn
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