Emrys
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Its a familiar song that, if youve been around comics long enough, sadly know the structure and words by heart.
Following a parents complaint after her 16 year old son checked out Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics from the Victorville, CA library, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of San Bernadino County, CA has ordered all libraries within the country to remove the book, which is a scholarly work by Paul Gravett. The book was published in 2004 by Harper Design.
According to The Desert Dispatch, the tempest began when Michael Jones checked the book out, which was located in the adult section of the library. The book, which, as its title suggests, covers Japanese comics through inception until present day, and includes a broad look at all forms of manga, including those that are graphically violent and graphically sexual. As usual in these instances, it was the sex that got the ball rolling. The 16 year-olds mother complained to the library.
The library noted that she was the only person to have complained about the books content since it joined the collection in May of last year, and had been checked out over 100 times since.
Nannett Bricker-Barret, the County Library Collection Development Coordinator told the Desert Dispatch that ultimately, parents should be responsible for that their children view.
It is the parents' responsibility since the library does not act as a parent. It is the library's responsibility to offer a broad spectrum of materials, not to exclude materials, Bricker-Barret told the paper. Library policy affirms the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements"
The Dispatch heading towards the well-trod comics are for kids! ground, pointed out that Charlie Brown, Calvin and Hobbes, and Incredible Hulk collections are also found in the adult section of the library, and also asked other parents if they would like their children looking at the images, with the expected outcome.
The story (with the librarys plans not to remove the book) ran in the Dispatch on April 12th, and by the 13th, Miguel Gonzalez, who wrote the initial report, followed up in the Daily Press, with a story of rapid governmental action, writing that Bill Postmus (R), Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of suburban San Bernadino County, California, has ordered all the county's libraries to remove the book.
In a press release on the countys website, Postmus stated: That book is absolutely inappropriate for a public library and as soon as I was made aware of it, I ordered it to be removed."
Postmus also commented: I have directed our County Library System to research and report back to me regarding what methods the county may employ to better control which materials are available to be checked out by children. We have a responsibility to protect our children and this type of material should not be so easily accessible. We also need to take a closer look at what kind of material is appropriate to be purchased with taxpayer dollars."
According to the Daily Press, Postmus influence is in its final days, as the individual cities will take over the libraries from the county on July 1st. Although, as the paper reported, a similar gauntlet is apparently already being constructed.
Victorville Councilman Bob Hunter is quoted as saying that, I want the city library to be a family-friendly place."
Continuing on the slippery slope of censorship/not censorship/save the children that usually follows in situations such as this, from the Daily Press: The councilman was quick to say he does not believe in censorship of books, but was also clear to point out the need to protect underage library members from explicit content.
"When the city takes over we are not just going to look at books, but movies and Internet filters that could also pose the same threat," Hunter said.
Apple Valley Councilman Rick Roelle said sexually graphic material does not belong in a public library in the first place.
"They don't have any educational value. The county should enforce the obscenity laws that we have in California," he said"
Following a parents complaint after her 16 year old son checked out Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics from the Victorville, CA library, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of San Bernadino County, CA has ordered all libraries within the country to remove the book, which is a scholarly work by Paul Gravett. The book was published in 2004 by Harper Design.
According to The Desert Dispatch, the tempest began when Michael Jones checked the book out, which was located in the adult section of the library. The book, which, as its title suggests, covers Japanese comics through inception until present day, and includes a broad look at all forms of manga, including those that are graphically violent and graphically sexual. As usual in these instances, it was the sex that got the ball rolling. The 16 year-olds mother complained to the library.
The library noted that she was the only person to have complained about the books content since it joined the collection in May of last year, and had been checked out over 100 times since.
Nannett Bricker-Barret, the County Library Collection Development Coordinator told the Desert Dispatch that ultimately, parents should be responsible for that their children view.
It is the parents' responsibility since the library does not act as a parent. It is the library's responsibility to offer a broad spectrum of materials, not to exclude materials, Bricker-Barret told the paper. Library policy affirms the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements"
The Dispatch heading towards the well-trod comics are for kids! ground, pointed out that Charlie Brown, Calvin and Hobbes, and Incredible Hulk collections are also found in the adult section of the library, and also asked other parents if they would like their children looking at the images, with the expected outcome.
The story (with the librarys plans not to remove the book) ran in the Dispatch on April 12th, and by the 13th, Miguel Gonzalez, who wrote the initial report, followed up in the Daily Press, with a story of rapid governmental action, writing that Bill Postmus (R), Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of suburban San Bernadino County, California, has ordered all the county's libraries to remove the book.
In a press release on the countys website, Postmus stated: That book is absolutely inappropriate for a public library and as soon as I was made aware of it, I ordered it to be removed."
Postmus also commented: I have directed our County Library System to research and report back to me regarding what methods the county may employ to better control which materials are available to be checked out by children. We have a responsibility to protect our children and this type of material should not be so easily accessible. We also need to take a closer look at what kind of material is appropriate to be purchased with taxpayer dollars."
According to the Daily Press, Postmus influence is in its final days, as the individual cities will take over the libraries from the county on July 1st. Although, as the paper reported, a similar gauntlet is apparently already being constructed.
Victorville Councilman Bob Hunter is quoted as saying that, I want the city library to be a family-friendly place."
Continuing on the slippery slope of censorship/not censorship/save the children that usually follows in situations such as this, from the Daily Press: The councilman was quick to say he does not believe in censorship of books, but was also clear to point out the need to protect underage library members from explicit content.
"When the city takes over we are not just going to look at books, but movies and Internet filters that could also pose the same threat," Hunter said.
Apple Valley Councilman Rick Roelle said sexually graphic material does not belong in a public library in the first place.
"They don't have any educational value. The county should enforce the obscenity laws that we have in California," he said"
