nampa public library-related stories
The Joy of Sex in the public library
Teens & Tweens, That's Entertainment
When I was a young teen, I was snooping around in my parent's stuff when I found a copy of the book The Joy of Sex. What I remember most about the book was the illustrations, of course. But while I was fascinated by what the man and woman were doing in the pictures, I remember mostly being grossed out that the woman had armpit hair.
Seeing that book at such a young age didn't change my life or make me want to go out and have sex. And while it did satisfy my natural curiosity, I knew that book was not meant for me to be reading at that age and I never told my mother I had found it.
I had to look hard to find that book when I was a kid - in a box, under some junk, on the top shelf of my parent's closet. In other words, a place I wasn't even supposed to be. But today, you can find an updated version of that book - as well as The Joy of Gay Sex - on the shelves of the public library in Nampa, Idaho.
In 2005, Nampa resident Randy Jackson tried to have the books removed after a friend's 14-year-old son came across The Joy of Gay Sex on a library table. His efforts failed, although the library board did agree to move the books to a higher shelf. The library staff also agreed to regularly check to make sure the book wasn't left lying on a table.
That was the end of the story until a recent change in board members prompted Jackson to try again. He says he might be happy with the board agreeing to keep the books behind the desk, but would rather have them removed altogether. He says he doesn't have a problem with explicit dialog or descriptions in library books, but is against these books because they have graphic images and photographs. "These are things you'd expect to find in a magazine in an adult bookstore, not in a publicly funded place with access for kids," he said. "Somebody could be sitting at a table reading it, and if my kids walked by they'd see the pictures."
What do you think about this? Do you agree with Jackson that explicitly illustrated books such as these don't belong in a public library?
Seeing that book at such a young age didn't change my life or make me want to go out and have sex. And while it did satisfy my natural curiosity, I knew that book was not meant for me to be reading at that age and I never told my mother I had found it.
I had to look hard to find that book when I was a kid - in a box, under some junk, on the top shelf of my parent's closet. In other words, a place I wasn't even supposed to be. But today, you can find an updated version of that book - as well as The Joy of Gay Sex - on the shelves of the public library in Nampa, Idaho.
In 2005, Nampa resident Randy Jackson tried to have the books removed after a friend's 14-year-old son came across The Joy of Gay Sex on a library table. His efforts failed, although the library board did agree to move the books to a higher shelf. The library staff also agreed to regularly check to make sure the book wasn't left lying on a table.
That was the end of the story until a recent change in board members prompted Jackson to try again. He says he might be happy with the board agreeing to keep the books behind the desk, but would rather have them removed altogether. He says he doesn't have a problem with explicit dialog or descriptions in library books, but is against these books because they have graphic images and photographs. "These are things you'd expect to find in a magazine in an adult bookstore, not in a publicly funded place with access for kids," he said. "Somebody could be sitting at a table reading it, and if my kids walked by they'd see the pictures."
What do you think about this? Do you agree with Jackson that explicitly illustrated books such as these don't belong in a public library?
