Friday, April 23, 2010

Libraries and censorship

A story from the online version of Florida Today discusses libraries having R rated movies in the library. Apparently, an older patron (story says she's 69) had an issue with the movie "The Informers" due to the content (language, nudity, etc.) and is "concerned" that children under 18 will be able to access the movie.
I have multiple problems with her complaint. First of all, parents have the ultimate responsibility to know what their children are watching/renting/checking out from the library. It should not be the purview of any other patron or the library to dictate what can and cannot be accessed at the library (within reason) by any other patron. Just because patron A believes that an R rated movie is "inappropriate" does not mean that others should be prevented from seeing the movies and being allowed to judge for themselves. The only time we can dictate what material others people are exposed to are when we are the parent of said minor (i.e. under the age 18) children. Otherwise, you have no business dictating to others what is and is not "appropriate".
Problem number 2 is the argument about use of tax dollars. Libraries are the stewards of public money, but at the same time we serve the "public interest". I would no sooner be able to justify removing the genealogy databases and materials from our library -despite my personal questions about the suitability of acting as a repository for genealogy and not for other historical documents - than I can to remove/restrict access to a movie like "Saving Private Ryan" due to it's excessive and pointless (in my opinion) violence.
Problem number three, the membership of the county library advisory board. The newest member is apparently unaware that the library had R rated movies. That doesn't say much for the members of a board that is to advise the library own usage of the library. I find it odd that you would be a member of an advisory board and have so little knowledge of what the business does or offers. A library advisory board should be made up of library advocates and not career politicians looking for a stepping stone.
Finally, does the woman who filed the complaint not see the inherent arrogance of trying to dictate to the public what they can and cannot watch? Most if not all grown adults are capable of making rational decisions for themselves. We do not need the local "busybody" dictating what is and is not appropriate. If you had children you had the opportunity to be the dictator until they were 18 and judge what was and was not appropriate. If you did not have children, you missed your opportunity.

No comments: