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Palahniuk's horse story among books, material challenged by library patrons
In early February, a library patron didnt like a short story in Chuck Palahniuks Make Something Up: Stories You Cant Unread. He thought it was far too graphic for most readers and wanted Multnomah Countys Belmont Library to rate the book X putting it out of reach for young people.
He also wanted it removed from the library branchs Lucky Day shelf, where patrons find current titles and popular books that can be checked out each day without landing on a long wait list.
County library officials didnt agree, acknowledging that Palahniuks book probably was not for most readers, but didnt deserve to be rated X. The book stayed in normal circulation, and on the Lucky Day shelf.
Palahniuks response? Sort of a shrug. No sweat about the ban thing, he wrote in an email when asked about the book challenge. Id prefer not to know more. No comment, I guess.
Make Something Up was one of nine books and periodicals challenged this past year by library patrons across Oregon. Thats one of the lowest number of challenges in nearly a decade, as recorded by the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse, a program maintained by the Oregon Library Association.
Katie Anderson, youth services consultant for the Oregon State Library in Salem and clearinghouse coordinator, isnt sure why there were so few book/periodical challenges between July 1, 2015, and June 30 of this year (the states fiscal year). Libraries voluntarily report challenges to the clearinghouse, so the group doesnt know if the number is low because of fewer actual challenges or just fewer libraries chose to report challenges to materials, she said.
Library association members work with local libraries on ways to handle challenges, and other issues, so they could be getting better at dealing with patrons complaints, Anderson said.
Our goal is to help library staff get better at keeping materials selection and reconsideration request policies up to date and using those policies effectively to select materials and assist patrons who express concerns about those materials, she said. We havent surveyed library staff so cant say for certain, but informal conversations with a few library directors and other library staff indicate some are more comfortable and confident dealing with challenges to library materials.
Finding merit
Besides Palahniuks 2015 collection of short stories, other challenges hit material in three public libraries and one school library. Patrons didnt like the raw sexuality of Sam Taylor-Johnsons video Fifty Shades of Grey (video was retained); the homosexual themes of Mark Millars Chrononaut, Vol. 1 (book was retained); and the values expressed in David Laphmans Crossed (retained).
All the challenges were outlined in the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse's four-page report published in late August. The report is used to bolster the groups censorship fight and for annual Banned Books Week displays (Sept. 25 to Oct. 1).
Three of the challenges were to books and periodicals in Multnomah County libraries. In July 2015, a Woodstock library patron complained that children shouldnt be given Bill Cosbys Little Bill books as rewards in the summer reading program. The patron said the library shouldnt offer books by a rapist who to date has admitted in legal testimony that he drugs women to rape them.
Katie ODell, the librarys youth services director, disagreed, pointing out that the county library system offers hundreds of toys, gift certificates and books as prizes to the nearly 100,000 children who participate in the annual summer program.
The library entrusts parents to decide for their children what is best suited to them, given their personal family values, ODell wrote to the patron, explaining the librarys decision to continue offering the Little Bill books. While you may find the author of these books offensive, there are other families who may find merit in the content of the books themselves.
It was Portland author Chuck Palahniuks 19-page short story Red Sultans Big Boy, that touched a nerve for a Belmont Library patron. The story revolves around a man who buys his daughter a horse, only to discover a very disturbing online bestiality video involving the horse.
The patron, whose name was not released, said the story made the book not fit for most readers. It should at least be rated X, the patron argued.
Library Director Vailey Oehlke told the patron in a late February letter that even though library staff comes across materials with content we personally find distasteful, she would not remove the book from general circulation because that would be at odds with the librarys commitment to intellectual freedom.
At the Kenton Library, it was the Portland Mercurys October 2015 Oregon Cannabis Guide that prompted one patron to demand the alt-weekly newspaper be removed from the librarys free publication rack. The patron, who was with a homeschool group and highly disagrees with pot being legalized, told library staff that this is not info that should be available to any age range to see or take. I find this very irresponsible.
Oehlke told the patron that the library system wasnt endorsing the information, but would not remove it from the branch. While this publication may not be something you would seek out, it is very popular with many of our patrons and they expect to find copies in our libraries, she wrote.
2015-16 library challenges in Oregon
Fifty Shades of Grey by Sam Taylor-Johnson (video)
Objection: 1. Sexual (sexually explicit) 2. Values (anti-family)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Artichoke Tales by Megan Kelso (book)
Objection: Sexual (unsuited to age)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Unknown
The Brimstone Journals, by Ronald Koetge (book)
Objection: 1. Sexual (unsuited to age) 2. Values (violence)
Type of library: School
Decision: Retained
Chrononaut, Vol. 1 by Mark Millar (book)
Objection: 1. Sexual (homosexuality) 2. Values (religious view)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Crossed by David Laphman (book)
Objection: 1. Sexual (sexually explicit) 2. Values (violence)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Five, Six, Seven, Nate! by Tim Federle (sound recording)
Objection: Sexual (unsuited to age)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Little Bill by Bill Cosby (book)
Objection: Other (criminal charges against author)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Make Something Up: Stories You Cant Unread by Chuck Palahniuk (book)
Objection: Sexual (sexually explicit)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
Oregon Cannabis Guide, insert in The Mercury, by Marjorie Skinner (newspaper)
Objection: Social issues (drugs)
Type of library: Public
Decision: Retained
The Top 10 most challenged books nationally in 2015
1. Looking for Alaska by John Green
2. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
3. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings
4. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
6. Holy Bible
7. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
8. Habibi by Craig Thompson
9. Nasreens Secret School: A True Story From Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
10. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Source: www.bannedbooksweek.org/node/9417