libraries Banning books

Okay i was reading this book called Boy meets boy. By the tittle you can probaly tell what it is about. I recomended it to my friend and she went to her librarn to recomnd it and the libraran told her it was baned
What do you think is this fair or unfair?

I think it is really up to the Library. If your friend really wants to read the book, she could buy it from a store. So, my answer is that I think it is fair.

i disagree, i don't think books should be banned based on what only a certain group of people think about the book.

My opion is that when books are banned the libaries are babing us from these types of topics. So my answer is unfair

Well, it's the library's property, and they are the ones spending the money to run it. So I guess it's only fair that they choose the books that get to be a part of it.

> 6

That's not necessarily true. If it is a public library, as opposed to a private one, it is the taxpayers' money.

However, it is certainly true that, on a limited budget, choices must be made. But they should be made on the basis of what serves the needs of the community, rather than on a political or religious agenda.

Was it a school library?

I think it's unfair too.

I mean come on it's the real world stop protaceting us

exactly.
and what ever book it is we'll read it eventually.

It's a good book
everyone should read it.

Okay this is my opinion, so no offense or hard feelings.

>11 ragulto101: You cannot possible think that is true. You will not read every book in the world, this is what I am implying from your statement.

>10 nele95: You need protection-again my opinion- the world is a vile place and it is seething with sin and wrongness. And if you listen to its lies, you will eventually follow its ways also. What was "weird" will become "normal" to you. So beware.

Small note: SPELLING

i get what u mean Tevety but to ban a book, especially if its a public library, is a little bit over the top. i mean if they choose not to purchase it that's one thing, but to refuse to get it because of its homosexual content is wrong to me. i mean it could be a very good book even if it's against ur morals or religion. and to ban it would be putting ur beliefs on others who should be able to think and believe for themselves. that's my opinion anyways

"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame." ~Oscar Wilde

yueah i mean you can choose not to read it

i think its unfair. i would understand if it was elementary, but at the middle and high scool age i think we can handle that.

i work at a library and when one of our books is being banned it is b/c the board (which is made up of regular citizens and taxpayers) decided that they dont want to pay for that and they dont think it's appropiate material for others to be reading. So if you think it's unfair for certain books to be banned, find out who exactly makes the decision and then if you can do something about it, then why not do it. I'm just saying.

u say good words. but i havent found ny banned books yet so cant do nything

we already went to the higher peroson and protesteed agaisnt it but it didn't work :(

mm.... id protest to...

you can check the book out through another library. have you heard of interlibrary loan?? sign up for that and you can check out books that your library doesnt have.

no never heard of that

Just ask your library and they'll give you further information.

kay i will thanks

Couldn't you just go to another library?

You could totally go to Library-R-us!

(That was just to be funny, I don't mean to be offensive)

You can go here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
to read about the American Library Association's Banned Books Week. Also this should be reported to them! They estimate that less than 25% of bans/challenges are reported, so it's not a small problem.

Wow

To just say "it is banned" implies that there is some authority other than the library, and superior to the library, which has banned it. And I canʻt conceive of such an authority.

"Itʻs banned" is misleading --probably false, though I donʻt know the details of this case. Tevetyʻs argument "itʻs the libraryʻs property and they are the ones spending the money...." is irrelevant, because since theyʻre NOT acquiring it, it of course is NOT their property, and they have NOT spent any money on it. What is probably meant by that argument is that the DECISION -- buy it or donʻt buy it -- is their RESPONSIBILITY.
As a librarian I would never give a requester the argument, "you can always BUY it". We have enough trouble about how to spend our own (usually inadequate) funds without telling others how to spend theirs.

To most libraries, the most important factor is DEMAND. And most libraries will not regard one personʻs recommendation as adequate demand. But they should be giving the requester the answer that they donʻt CHOOSE to acquire it, not that it is "banned".

To answer the question "fair or unfair" my answer is "UNfair", assuming that this is a typical acquisition case with no unusual qualifying factors about it.

WOW nice suporting your answer!

nice Mr. Perkins :)

Thanks,
nele and VetaTorres

To clarify, the ALA considers a book "banned" when it has actually been removed from a library, school curriculum or bookstore because some person or group objects to it. A book is "challenged" when a person or group makes the complaint but the book is not removed (or has not yet been removed).
So in that first post, the questions are:
Did the library have the book and remove it because of complaints? It's banned.
Did the library decide not to buy it because they knew it was controversial and they didn't want the hassle? Sad.
Did the library decide not to buy the book because some books just become casualties of budget limits? That's the real world, no one can buy every book.

well put.

Was is a public or school library?? Really there are so many places to go and find that book. Maybe the library did spend money on it. Isn't it their choice to include a book in the library. I ask again, what type of library was it?

you tell 'em Tubbles,

Wait! What? Where's Tubbles!

Don't stick him up your booty-hoo. and you stick it down you're pants and it won't come out ... little *****r

sry. that was inappropriate.

but funny

Bahaha!!

It was in a school.

It is different if it was a school library then if it was a public library. It might have been the school's choice to not include that book in the library and if there is a public library then you could check it out from there.

there was a jr high school in Southern California that wanted to ban a book by Maya Angelou because it contained a scene where an 8 yr old girl was raped, obviously it is not something young people need to read about. The district did not ban the book but instead made it that for a student to check out the book they had to have parent consent. personally i think this ruling it fair since parents should know what their kids are reading, it should be their decsion to allow their student to read the book or not.

yeah that is still a good compermise. but still don't we have the right to read whatever we want. For example right now in my college prepatory class we are The Freedom Writers. We had to get parent permisson to read it becasuse of mature content. I can understand that because we are kind of force (don't think that's the right word but beare with me)to read it. But if we want to read it why can't we be able to go to a library to go and cheak it out.

43. yea, thats a good idea.

I am agreeing with VetaTorres. The library or school should have the right to do so.