Frequently Asked Questions
Q. The librarian at my library told me that that pornography is "Constitutionally
protected speech." Does that mean it is unconsitutional for the library filter
pornographic websites?
A. No. No one is Constitutionally guaranteed unfettered access it Internet
pornography at public libraries. This issue was decided by the Supreme Court
in 2003. You can read the Supreme Court's decision here. Any public library can
filter Internet pornography if it chooses to.
Q. What is the Library Bill of Rights? Are they laws that libraries must follow?
A. No. The Library Bill of Rights is simply a private organization's (The American
Library Association's) opinion. Libraries have no legal obligation whatsoever to
adhere to this document. In fact, many people take issue with this so called "Bill of
Rights" because it demands that children have access to all library materials,
including those solely intended for adults.
Q. I found the most disgusting, offensive book on the shelf at my library. When I told the
librarian I thought it should be removed, she told me the library does not "censor."
Does that mean that it's illegal for the library to remove a book based on my
objection?
A. No. Your library board members have the power, with a simple majority vote, to
remove any material they believe the community, as a whole, does not want in the
collection.
Q. I hear librarians talking about censorship a lot. What is censorship?
A. By definition, censorship is government suppression of information. The American
Library Association uses (or misuses) the word censorship to
deride the ligitimate activity of citizens in determining the contents of their own
library collections. A librarian explains this issue best right here under
Local Libraries, "Censorship," and "Information."
Q. What is "Banned Books Week" all about?
A. Banned Books Week is an annual publicity campaign promoted by the American
Library Association condemning requests made by citizens in local libraries for
books to be relocated to a section aimed at older readers or removed due to
objectionable content. The American Library Association directs local librarians to
report citizen requests, which they refer to as "challenges" to ALA authorities.
Based on these reports, the ALA creates its annual "Banned Books" list. It should
be noted that it is perfectly legal and legitimate for books to be relocated within or
removed from any library based on the wishes of that community. Additionally, the
ALA admits that most of the reported requests used to generate the
annual "Banned Books" list never result in the actual relocation or removal of a
book from a local library. A librarian explains the hypocricy of "Banned Books
Week" here.
Q. Where has all the classic literature gone? I don't see much at my public library
anymore.
A. The quiet disappearance of classic literature from public libraries has been noted
for several decades and was documented in a 1995 study titled Discarded
consist predominantly of "popular materials" despite taxpayer objections to this
focus. Library professor Kenneth Shearer sounded the alarm on what he called the
"crisis in public library priorities" in an article discussed here.
