Cook library weighing video policy for children

Should children be able to borrow R-rated DVDs or copies of "The Sopranos" from their local library?

That's the question Cook Memorial Public Library District officials are considering as they weigh whether to create a new video checkout policy for kids.

During an earnest discussion Tuesday night, the library board's policy review committee debated whether librarians should regulate the types of movies and TV shows young patrons can borrow, such as PG-13 or R-rated films or unrated recordings of TV shows containing adult content.

The committee was leaning toward creating a policy that would allow parents to choose whether their kids' borrowing abilities should be restricted, but it made no formal decision.

Library Director Dan Armstrong said the district staff should study the issue and the full board should discuss it before the committee drafts a policy.

"This is a big issue," Armstrong said. "This is a philosophical issue."

The library district, which has facilities in Libertyville and Vernon Hills, has no video restrictions now.

Suburban libraries' video checkout policies vary. Some don't let anyone under 17 or 18 check out movies. Others allow parents to request special library cards for their children that limit what they can borrow.

Many don't limit access to videos at all, just as most libraries don't limit children's access to books, CDs, magazines or other media.

Cook Memorial officials last discussed enacting an age-specific video policy in 2003 after a patron asked about such rules, but the board serving at that time never drafted rules.

At Tuesday's meeting, Armstrong recommended a policy that would allow kids to check out any videos unless their parents request limitations.

"We're telling parents, 'It's your responsibility to monitor your children's reading and viewing habits,'" he said. "We don't want the staff members making any judgment calls."

Policy committee leader Ann Oakley suggested preventing all children from checking out certain videos unless their parents specifically gave permission for unlimited use, but members Mary Ann Phillips and Chris Dalton strongly opposed that concept.

"There's no reason we have to restrict everybody," Dalton said.

Armstrong questioned the effectiveness of an all-encompassing ban, too.