Library Pornography

Free speech is an American right even if we don’t agree with what we hear. Everyone is entitled make poor choices and be vocal about them using whatever medium they choose, baring breaking the law. Free speech seems to be checked when it is used as a hate crime, or if it is part of vandalizing someone’s personal properties, or when matters of church interfere with issues of state, aside from those (and several others I’m sure I’ve left out) the ACLU works hard to ensure that the Bush administration doesn’t take over everyone’s right to speech or blog freely.

Libraries, as institutions which keep printed speech, are constantly faced with the choices of what material to purchase, which periodicals to subscribe to, what books to keep on the shelves and what to discard. Should libraries keep material of holocaust deniers on the shelf? What about books describing the inferiority of Blacks as a race? One can argue that these are merely issues of free speech; this is America after all.

Librarians’ jobs become even more complicated because libraries provide free unrestricted access to the internet. As with all sources, internet sources must be evaluated for accuracy and bias; however, the internet at libraries does not have the built in filters of librarians deciding if materials is worthy of being part of the library’s collection. This can clearly be looked at as an issue of free speech; the internet merely being uncensored material.

Unrestricted internet usage at the library can also cause problems. Despite libraries’ best efforts to privatize what those browsing on the internet by sinking computers into private desks, one can look over someone’s shoulder and view whatever he or she is looking at. Whereas most libraries do not subscribe to Playboy or other pornographic magazines, pornography (and I don’t mean scholarly sex articles or sex-self help books) is now readily available at your local library. I suppose this a victory for the common man or woman. If you can’t afford to access your own porn-it is now available for free. This is truly a victory for the American way. I am proud to be an American, because I believe porn should be accessible to everyone for free, without the government or local libraries deciding which porn is appropriate for viewing.

With that said, here are 5 words of wisdom to those using the library for viewing pornography.

1. Please keep your hands out of your clothing.
2. Please be aware of other patrons in your area, who you may be affecting.
3. Please exit the screen when you are done.
4. Please do not say thank you to the librarian for your fantastic afternoon
5. Please use the library for pornography infrequently preferably when I’m not there

For the rest of us, my only advice is to wash your hands after using the keyboards at the public library. What kind of ads will google put on my site now?