Group urges ban on sex books

The Daily Times (PA) ^ | 01/08/2004 | LESLIE KROWCHENKO

[brityank]

Group urges ban on sex books

LESLIE KROWCHENKO , Times Correspondent

01/08/2004

MARPLE -- A one-man crusade to remove sexual instruction manuals from the shelves of the township library has apparently gained some community-wide support.

A meeting to address the appropriateness of the titles -- including "Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide," by Rachel Venning -- is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Pius X Church, 220 Lawrence Road. The session will be called to order by Kathy Coll, founder and president of the Pro-Life Coalition, headquartered in Havertown.

"These books are absolutely horrific," she said. "The purpose of the meeting is to discuss concerns about the library making available books which are seriously objectionable in text and pictures due to sexually explicit material."

The volumes were brought to the attention of the commissioners last month by John Whoriskey of Glen Mills. Asked by his wife to find a title on the Atkins diet, he discovered it in the "new book" section adjacent to several recently purchased volumes on sexual instruction.

Whoriskey checked out seven books, which he subsequently showed to the Marple board of commissioners, local clergy and legislators.

"They are all pornographic and there is no way they should be in a public library with my tax dollars," he said. "I am a father and a grandfather and thanks be to God they weren’t there when my children were young."

The Marple Public Library, with more than 80,000 books and additional items in its adult and juvenile collections, serves as the public library for the township, an area resource center for the Delaware County Library System and a participant in the ACCESS Pennsylvania program.

The collection development policy, revised in 1999, states materials are selected by various criteria such as purpose, subject matter, audience, timeliness and credibility of the author and/or publisher.

Works are not excluded due to "frankness of expression, race, nationality, political, sexual orientation or religious views of the author."

The books in question, bought in the last 18 months, were a result of the "weeding" conducted each year in diverse categories, said library Director Deborah Parsons. A portion of the $108,000 budgeted for book purchases in 2003 was earmarked to specifically target the sections on sexual instruction, computers and critical analysis of literature.

New books were acquired after consulting the Library Journal and other professional publications, which recommend volumes suitable for public libraries. The final purchasing decisions rested with the degreed librarians responsible for the fiction and non-fiction sections, she added.

"One of the books mentioned, ‘The Joy of Gay Sex,’ is considered to be the definitive book on the subject," said Parsons. "The books purchased are sexual instruction manuals for adults, not sex education books for children’s consumption."

The library has a responsibility to obtain materials that present opposite sides of certain issues and has an equal number of books on sexual abstinence, she added. The volumes are housed in the 200 (religion) and 300 (social sciences) sections.

As an area resource center, the Marple Public Library serves a larger community than the 25,000 citizens of the township and many of its materials are requested by other libraries. It has the highest circulation in the county and the new books have been checked out frequently.

"Great Sex Tips," by Anne Hooper, has left the shelves 10 times, while "The Illustrated Guide to Extended Massive Orgasm," by Steve Bodansky, has been checked out five times.

A search of the online catalogue of the Delaware County Library System revealed recently published titles on similar topics have been purchased by other branches. The Radnor and Springfield township libraries own "Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm" by TV’s "Sex in the City" star Kim Cattrall and Mark Levinson, while "365 Days of Sensational Sex" by Lou Paget, is on the shelves in the Haverford, Marple, Radnor and Springfield township libraries.

Patrons who feel strongly about the inclusion or exclusion of certain materials may complete a "Citizen’s Request Form for Re-Evaluation of Library Materials." The inquiry asks several questions, such as whether the material has been read in its entirety, the objections, and recommended action. The form is reviewed by the library board, composed of seven township residents, and responded to by the library director within 30 days.

"We have an obligation to present both sides of issues and have a process in place to follow if books are challenged," said Parsons.

Whoriskey is aware of the procedure, but has chosen not to complete the form, he said.

"I’m not about to read the books," he added. "I hope to get them taken out of the library but what I didn’t want to do was go through them."

Coll, who said she saw the covers and made a cursory check of the contents, found the volumes "offensive to the max," adding she is investigating other ways in which the titles can be removed from the shelves.

"It is very natural for our organization to fight pornography, as is it the antithesis of a life-supportive society," she said. "We are interested in making sure the community knows what is going on at the library."

©The Daily Times 2004

Prior Post:
Glen Mills Man Says Marple Library Carries Pornography (Check the titles of the books) ^

[brityank]

Update to your prior story.

[Eris]

God forbid adults read adult material.

[Support Free Republic]

	Linda Carter is completely unrelated to Free Republic. But if I am going to have to post donation begs until the Freepathon is over, I'm going to occasionally post something I want! And there is only one way you can stop me!

[mylife]

Whoriskey checked out seven books,

This is a joke isnt it? Come on! Its just gotta be.

[Phantom Lord]

Whoriskey is aware of the procedure, but has chosen not to complete the form, he said.

Such a dedicated person. Not even willing to follow established procedures.

There is NOTHING wrong with these books as long as they are in the adult section.

[BenLurkin]

"The collection development policy, revised in 1999, states materials are selected by various criteria such as purpose, subject matter, audience, timeliness and credibility of the author and/or publisher."

Ah, so the librarians decide who is or is not credible? Good luck finding any exposes of politicians they personally favor.

[AdequateMan]

I check out books like these regularly, and I, too, am horribly offended by their ease and availability.
Sex is something you should, even at age thirty, know little to nothing about. It should happen only on your birthday, in the dark, and should forever be an awkward mingling of near-virgin flesh.
Sure, your women won't orgasm. That's good because orgasm is of the devil.
Neither my wife, nor my girlfriend, know anything about sex at all. Sure, they're young, but I bet they'll still be innocent when they hit their teen years.

[AdequateMan]

But we have four more years before that happens.

[Clintonfatigued]

Couldn't the library put the offending books in a back room where they can't be seen, but still be available to adults who request them? If so, that would end the trouble right there.

[Eris]

Whoriskey checked out seven books, which he subsequently showed to the Marple board of commissioners, local clergy and legislators.

"Mr. Whoriskey, is this hair gel on these pages?"

[goldstategop]

Sex makes people blush? I tell ya, there's worse on cable TV! <grin

[Catspaw]

It gets better:

Whoriskey checked out seven books, which he subsequently showed to the Marple board of commissioners, local clergy and legislators.

Over and over and over....

[jagrmeister]

Ewww.sex is icky!!! Waah! What is wrong with these people?

[WackyKat]

The session will be called to order by Kathy Coll, founder and president of the Pro-Life Coalition, headquartered in Havertown. "These books are absolutely horrific," she said.

I'm sure "absolutely horrific" would also describe sex with this woman, which would be limited to the missionary position, in the dark, for procreative purposes only, and gotten over as quickly as possible.

These fanatics are comical.

[Redcloak]

What an odd reaction this fellow had. Personally, I don't check out library books I find offensive; I just leave them on the shelf.

[little jeremiah]

The final purchasing decisions rested with the degreed librarians responsible for the fiction and non-fiction sections, she added.

Those very same pedigreed librarians who are fighting tooth and nail to keep internet pornography avaiable for one and all, especially the young.

If books detailing how to have "gay" sex and all are necessary in libraries (paid for with our tax dollars) they should not be located where children can read them. But they are.

[cyborg]

I wonder if some of these protestors have gotten any lovin' lately.

[cyborg]

fair enough... I think having them located in a special over 18 area of the library is reasonable. I just question why these people want them removed entirely.