Parents should decide what kids watch, not libraries
Cook Memorial Public Library board member Karen Broms says parents should decide what videos kids check out, not libraries.
Our children: At birth they need us for the most basic elements of survival. As they grow, we nurture, teach and help to shape the adults they will become. Our children are our future and our passion. Rightly we protect them.
But what role does a public library play in protecting our children? Can libraries choose what types of DVDs children may check out? Should parents have the right to make that choice?
Libraries develop collections to meet the needs of the communities they serve. DVD collections may appear much like their Blockbuster counterparts, but appearances can be deceiving. Library collections include educational, cultural, foreign and feature films. While a significant portion of a library's DVD collection is not rated, the Motion Picture Association of America's ratings or the age of majority are often suggested as a basis for borrowing restrictions. Private and public organizations have refuted these suggestions.
Developed in 1968, the MPAA ratings are voluntary and "intended to provide parents with advance information so they can decide for themselves which films are appropriate for viewing by their own children." The MPAA itself has repeatedly argued against the incorporation of MPAA ratings in public policy restricting the loan or dissemination of motion pictures to minors declaring it unconstitutional. The courts agree.
The American Library Association has also taken a clear stand. The 1953 Freedom to Read statement and the 1979 Freedom to View Statement address freedom of expression and the need to protect this basic tenet of our democracy. Adopted first in 1948, the Library Bill of Rights provides that a person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background or views. Our courts have upheld similar positions.
State law charges public library districts and their boards of trustees to "render the use of the library of the greatest benefit to the greatest number of those residents and taxpayers." Library policy must respect the community at large, fairly representing a multitude of cultures, faiths, values and beliefs. Policy that unilaterally restricts what type of DVDs children can check out imposes one set of values on every member of the community.
There is a better way.
Parents should have the right to choose what their children borrow. Libraries can and do provide tools parents may use to guide their child's reading and viewing. By selecting the appropriate tools, parents can direct their child's use of the library and protect their own family values.