Honestly, my main concern as a children’s librarian is that inappropriate material not get shelved in my room where browsers can easily come across it. If you are seeking it out elsewhere in the library, go right ahead. Hopefully your parents are taking an active enough interest in your reading life to make reasonable limits, if such limits are warranted.

Also, as to the circ people who got fired – well, we don’t know the whole story. This may not have been a first offense. If it was, firing seems harsh, but I’m betting there’s more to this story.

I was that kid.

At 9 I was reading *way* over my “appropriate age” level. I read whatever my Dad read (which explains a lot about my reading habits today.) I was reading books that were high school and college-level, as well as all manner of scifi and what would in like 4 years become known as the “Fantasy” genre – almost all of it had some adult content. Violence, sex, whatever. At 11 Watchmen wouldn’t have even be slightly shocking for me. Kind of a bore, really.

When I was 7, my library required a note from my parents to let me in the main section of the library and once they got that, I was on free rein. My parents never once limited what I could read and I love and adore them for that. In fact, the only comment I can remember was my mother once kvetching that I didn’t take out enough fiction as compared with non-fiction. lol At the time, there was a limit of 10 fiction and 10 non-fiction books at a time that you could have out. I maxxed out on every visit.

On another note, I’ve personally run into more issues with the paraprofessionals that staff the front desk of libraries more than any other people in the industry. They are often older, part-time and, well, kinda nosy or not really well trained in the role of the library. I’ve had some Circ. desk paras argue with me about books, talk about where I live (yes, really! No HIPAA at libraries) and generally give me a hard time over the years. Not all of them, but enough that it made an impression.

Clearly this is a lot of different issues, not just one. The role and training of paraprofessionals and the rights of kids as readers, as well as parental control. I’m on the side of librarians who reject the role of arbiter. It’s up to parents to watch what their kids read and to determine if it’s appropriate.

It *is* up to libraries to make a distinction between YA and adult GNs. Classification is part of the job, after all.

As for kids – stand up for your right to read above your age, kids!

Cheers,

Erica

Robin I would be upset if an 11 year old was permitted to check out Lady Chatterly’s Lover and no one thought it prudent to contact the child’s parent to make sure they were permitted access to such titles. I’m not holding graphic novels to a higher standard than novels.

I’m all for agreeing to disagree. Talking out the issues helps each of us clarify our position and better understand where the other person is coming from. And I’ll include my standard note. Just because I disagree with you doesn’t mean I don’t hold you and your opinions in the highest regard. Because I most certainly do.

@alschroeder I too have read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the scenes you describe are precisely why, in my library, that title is shelved in the adult collection. Anyone can check it out, but we show it’s content by where we place it in our collection. If you were to implement such a plan for parental permission, how do you decide when that decision is made? Does it depend on the age of the child? When do you ask for a parent’s consent? What items would trigger asking for a parent’s consent? How would a library staff person (who may be from any part of the library) ensure they had parental consent for every particular book that’s being checked out? It’s not only a logistical nightmare, but it once again presumes that it is the library and library staff person’s responsibility to monitor the situation. As I work with teens, I know very well how maturity level changes from teen to teen. I am happy to consult with anyone on the content of graphic novels, and do frequently, but I cannot do for every single title that gets checked out to every single patron.

A final question — what if this were a prose book? Would that make a difference in the discussion? What if a library staff person had decided that, for example, Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Edgar Allen Poe was too adult for an eleven year old patron and canceled the reserve without checking with the person? If staff started deciding what was too much for particular patrons, however they defined it, I can just imagine how much of an uproar we would have. Why is it ok with a graphic novel? Is it just because it’s visual? Why is that more acceptable to limit? We live in a world of visual media everywhere we look, from television to movies to magazines to the Internet. Parents are generally left in charge of deciding on those media for their children, so why are books suddenly the library or librarian’s responsibility?

@alschroeder, I have read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and agree that it is not pornography and that it does have a place in a public library, which is why I can’t stress enough that libraries need to have separate collections for children’s, teen, and adult graphic novels. In my experience, most children, once they find out the book they want is in the adult section, will find another book to read. If not, they’ll flip through the book, decide the book really isn’t what they thought it was, and put it back.

Keep in mind, these library workers didn’t attempt to advise their customer or her parents. As far as we know, they didn’t even try to find out if the customer was, in fact, the girl and not one of her parents using her card. They just canceled the hold. They didn’t just “hesitate about the eleven-year-old checking this out,” they made the decision for her and they made the decision for her parents. And that’s not okay.