SafeLibraries Loves Authors and Opposes Censorship; Please Visit Brent Hartinger's New Fantasy Venture: TheTorchOnline.com

SafeLibraries firmly opposes censorship and supports authors. My efforts to educate the public about how the American Library Association [ALA] misleads local communities into allowing children access to inappropriate material leads my opponents to claim otherwise.


These "intellectual freedom" people call me all sorts of names like Hitler, the Taliban, an un-American censor, a Christian nut, a right-wing commentator, a pro-filter activist, an anti-porn activist, you name it. The Holy Bible is frequently a target as well, like one person calling it a "salaciously smutty, pornographically perverted tome." That's okay, my friends like Know Your Library (St. Louis, MO) thank me and cases like US v. ALA are my support.

Be that as it may, I have the pleasure of corresponding with a number of authors. Really, this is part of the fun I have running SafeLibraries. Here are some of the authors, in alphabetical order, whom I now consider my email friends:

• KL Going, author of "Fat Kid Rules the World."
  
• See "Another Book Challenge," by KL Going, Collected Wisps of Thought, 16 August 2007.
  
• John Green, author of "Looking For Alaska."
  
• See "Porn Pushers - The ALA and Looking For Alaska - One Example of How the ALA Pushes Porn On Children," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries.org, 27 March 2006.
• Brent Hartinger, author of "The Geography Club."
  
• See "What to do About Sexually Explicit Teen Books?," by Brent Hartinger, AS IF! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom, 28 March 2006, wherein I am referenced by my old moniker, plan2succeed.org.
  
• Felice Picano, author of "The Joy of Gay Sex."
  
• See "Dear Felice Picano, 'The Joy of Gay Sex' Co-Author," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 12 October 2008, including comments.
• Jason Rich, author of "Growing Up Gay in America."
  
• See "Speaking With Jason Rich, Author of Growing Up Gay in America," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries, 22 August 2008.
• Jordan Sonnenblick, author of "Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie."
  
• See "Medford Parent Wants Book Banned...Eeeek," by Arthur Slade, AS IF! Authors Support Intellectual Freedom, 20 November 2007.
  

Sometimes the authors themselves question me even as I support them, like when Arthur Slade said:

Thanks for recommending our books to readers. Though I assume you don't mean to recommend the ones with swear words and sex in them.

to which I responded, evidencing total consistency in my message and my joy in corresponding with authors, in this case KL Going:

As to recommending your books, parents should check some of them out first, but I'm not the judge or censor people claim I am so as to defend the ALA's propaganda. I do know you authors are genuinely interested in writing interesting and relevant material, and that is yet another reason why it is so interesting to have this conversation with you.

KL Going's book, "Fat Kid Rules the World," for example. I would not give that book to my kid, but certain children are really reached by that book, and parents will know if the book is right for their children. But it should not be shotgunned out on all children without warning by public institutions. I think even KL Going believes that, and I have corresponded with her on this. It's on her own web blog. She, like the rest of you, is a really fine author reaching out to many children. None of this would even be happening if you folks weren't writing good books. Keep it up.

Anyway, I enjoy what I do and I'm happy to have corresponded with a number of authors whom I now consider my friends and with whom I occasionally correspond.

Speaking of my support for authors, allow me to highlight the efforts of Brent Hartinger. Brent has just begun a new venture and it's very interesting. He has created:

a brand spanking new website, TheTorchOnline.com, devoted entirely to fantasy: movies, TV, games, theater, books, web series, graphic novels, etc. I'm the editor, and we will have daily-updated reporting of fantasy-related news, commentary, interviews, and reviews in both text and video format.

Please go visit TheTorchOnline now, right now, and subscribe to get the latest fantasy news, etc. And check out Brent's new book, Project Sweet Life.


Thank you to all authors for helping make life so interesting for so many. Please don't let my efforts to balance the ALA's misinformation in local communities let you think I do not support you 100%, no matter what you write.

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Playboy for Children Says Gina Millsap, Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Executive Director

The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library's executive director Gina Millsap has recommended children have unimpeded access to Playboy magazine. She is also the President-Elect of the American Library Association's [ALA] Library Leadership & Management Ass'n [LLAMA].

"I respectfully submit that I believe that the Board of Trustees should affirm its current Library Materials Selection, Circulation and User Confidentiality policies with two changes. 1. Lift the restriction on R-rated films in the Circulation policy. 2. Discontinue the practice of putting certain magazines behind the service desk, including Playboy. That will ensure that we are consistent in the way we provide access to all library materials and ensure user confidentiality."

Source: "Letter From Gina Millsap, Executive Director; To Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library Board of Trustees; Dated February 13, 2009; Re: Expression of Concern from Mrs. Kim Borchers," by Gina Millsap, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, 13 February 2009, 4 pp, emphasis added.

Need I say more? This reminds me of the ALA's de facto leader saying, "Parents who would tell their children not to read Playboy 'don't really care about their kids growing up and learning to think and explore.'" And why is the ALA still considered authoritative?

As president of the ALA's LLAMA, will Gina Millsap recommend the same for libraries nationwide? Playboy for children—what a fine example for a LLAMA president to set.

As Gina Millsap said in her letter, emphasis in original, "What if the national media focuses on the issue? There is also our reputation to consider." Fine job, Gina Millsap, recommending children have access to Playboy and R-rated flicks despite the interests of the local community whom you obviously do not serve. This as a reaction to the subsequently successful effort to restrict children without parental consent from accessing "The Joy of Gay Sex" and three similar books. I'm certain your recommendation will help your community's national reputation.


NOTE ADDED 7 SEPTEMBER 2011:

Gina Millsap is now running for ALA President!  Playboy for all children in the whole country!

• "Millsap, Stripling Seek 2013-14 ALA Presidency," by JoAnne Kempf, American Library Association, 2 September 2011.

SafeLibraries says vote for Barbara K. Stripling.


NOTE ADDED 15 MARCH 2012:

Gina Millsap is now teaching her technique for ensuring children retain access to Playboy to the PLA 2012, a convention for the ALA's Public Library Association.  Can there be any doubt if she becomes ALA President what she will promote?  Look how it is worded, "recent library board attempts to limit access to library materials by age in Topeka."  Look at the title, "When Trustees ... Collide!"

Intellectual Freedom Update 2012: When Trustees and Meeting Rooms Collide! Friday, March 16, 2012 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM Venue: Pennsylvania Convention Center Room: 115-C Join Gina Millsap, Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library Executive Director; Kathy Middleton, Contra Costa County Public Library Senior Community Library Manager; and Kent Oliver, Freedom to Read Foundation President for a spirited intellectual freedom discussion. This program will focus on recent library board attempts to limit access to library materials by age in Topeka and the public meeting room policies challenged by the Faith Ministries Church in Contra Costa County. Subject Track or Type of Session Administration/Management

Speaker : Kathy Middleton, Senior Community Library Manager, Contra Costa County Library

Speaker : Gina Millsap, Chief Executive Officer, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library

Program Organizer and Speaker : Kent Oliver, Executive Director, Stark County District Library

Reminder about what the US Supreme Court said in a case the ALA lost big:

"The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree."

Apparently Gina Millsap knows better than the unanimous US Supreme Court on that issue, and better than the citizens and even the library board of trustees of Topeka.

I'm an not being sensational.  I am merely reporting on and republishing what she is doing at PLA 2012.  She is the one, not me, who is reaching over the heads of the community and the library board of trustees to bring the ACLU/ALA policy into Topeka.

And in attachments being handed out at her lecture, indoctrination training is being given on how to get librarians to ignore their own innate sense of right and wrong.  It is a propaganda technique, the name of which escapes me at the moment.  Contact her.  Ask for the handouts.  See for yourselves.

Imagine if she becomes ALA President.  She'll know better than the entire nation!  Already the ALA forces its way on a third of the nation's libraries in a manner that harms children, says the author of the Children's Internet Protection Act.  Gina Millsap will just pile on.

Remember, if librarians survive the indoctrination, please report to me what happened, and join those librarians willing to work together to stop this very kind of child-unfriendly behavior.


NOTE ADDED 5 MAY 2012:

The ALA avoids near disaster by electing a president who has NOT publicly supported Playboy magazine and R-rated movies for children in public libraries.  Hooray!!

• "Stripling Wins 2013–14 ALA Presidency," by Beverly Goldberg, American Libraries, 4 May 2012.

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Dear Felice Picano, "The Joy of Gay Sex" Co-Author

Dear Felice Picano, co-author of "The Joy of Gay Sex":

Hi. I'm Dan Kleinman from SafeLibraries.org. Would you mind if I asked you some questions?

First, let me tell you that I am aware of various library controversies regarding one of your books, namely, "The Joy of Gay Sex." I have read the email you wrote to Paul Cohen of Helena, MT, dated 23 Sept 2008. I have written on this matter myself, including republishing your email in the comments (since it was already published), and I included my own back and forth with Paul Cohen, with his permission. You can see that all here: "Lewis and Clark's Gay Adventure; Helena, MT, and the Homosexuality Red Herring," by Dan Kleinman, SafeLibraries.org, 21 Sept. 2008.

My questions for you are these, and all of these are seeking your opinion:

1. What is your recommended minimum age for a reader of "The Joy of Gay Sex"?
2. Would it be appropriate for a public library to restrict access to your book to those who fall below that minimum age?
3. How best do you think access should be restricted?
4. To your knowledge, how have various libraries restricted access to your book and for what reasons?
5. Do you believe a community may decide for itself at what age a book is inappropriate for children in that community's public library?
   
6. If not, who should make that decision and why?
   
7. Do you believe a community may decide for itself the method of restricting access to material for those under a certain age?
8. If not, who should make that decision and why?
9. I personally feel the issue of homosexuality is irrelevant to the matter of what material may be inappropriate for children vis-a-vis public libraries. Do you feel similarly? Why or why not?
   
10. The US Supreme Court said, "The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree," while the defendant and losing party in that case, United States v. American Library Association, said despite that, policy will remain unchanged, children must be about to access any and all material without any age restriction whatsoever. Do you believe "protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling"?
11. If not, why not?
12. Is there anything else you would like to add?
    

May I publish your responses? Perhaps co-author Dr. Silverstein would care to answer these questions as well?

I thank you very much for your time and attention.

Lewis and Clark's Gay Adventure; Helena, MT, and the Homosexuality Red Herring

Many on both sides of an issue at the Lewis & Clark Library in Helena, MT, are taking a common library concern and exacerbating it by raising the red herring of homosexuality.  The library's collection contains "The Joy of Gay Sex."  Access to it by children is not restricted in any way, causing a controversy.  However, obvious overtones of homosexuality are causing people to lose focus on the underlying legitimate interest.  As the US Supreme Court put it in United States v. American Library Assocation, "The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree."  Apparently, like "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," we are now on "Lewis & Clark's Gay Adventure," and US v. ALA is just a George Carlin joke.

Paul Cohen is the person who raised the matter about the book in the first place.  He realizes "this principle applies whether homosexual or heterosexual."  But many of his supporters, detractors, and those in the media are turning this issue into one about homosexuality.  Linked here are a number of media reports on this Helena, MT, library matter.

It is my opinion those who support his position are raising concerns about homosexuality out of a misunderstanding of the purposes of public libraries.  But those who oppose his position raise concerns about homosexuality knowing it is a red herring.

For example, in an analogous situation, parents in a public school in Howell, MI, complained about a book because it contained, among other things, bestiality.  The American Library Association [ALA] implied those parents were racist for opposing the book containing bestiality because the author is "black."  The public school, now chastised by the ALA for being racist, chose to keep the bestiality book available for students.  So much for local control.

And look at the title of that article: "Group Targets Black Authors' Books."  It is like the titles of stories now circulating, e.g., "Library Holds Hearing on Gay-Sex Book," Associated Press, 18 September 2008.  What a difference it would make if the titles were unbiased: "Group Targets Books Containing Bestiality"; "Library Holds Hearing on Book Deemed Inappropriate for Children."  I made this very observation evident to the Howell community, but the ALA is too intimidating, so it often gets away with bullying tactics, such as calling people racist.  

Do the people of Helena, MT, want to suffer the same fate?  Does the existence of some "anti-gay" people or an inartfully-framed argument mean children should continue to be exposed to inappropriate material despite the US Supreme Court, the law, and common sense?  There are perfectly reasonable and legal means to restrict children's access to inappropriate materials in public libraries.  If Paul Cohen did not make this case well enough, that does not mean nothing should be done.  Helena citizens should set aside library misinformation and biased media reports and editorials and take action accordingly.  (One editorial even promoted the ALA's "Banned Books Week," which Thomas Sowell calls "National Hogwash Week.")

I recommend people on all sides drop the issue of homosexuality since it is irrelevant to the matter of protecting children from material inappropriate for minors.  I realize those who support Paul Cohen will find this tough medicine to swallow, and those who oppose him will continue to use the homosexuality angle as the red herring it is.  After all, calling parents racists worked in keeping the children exposed to bestiality, so why not follow the ALA's lead and call people bigots?

By the way, Paul Cohen has created an excellent resource on this "Joy of Gay Sex" matter.  It is excellent because it contains the opinions of people on all sides of this issue.  See "Summary of the Public Hearing with Paul's Commentary."  A similar article presenting all sides of an issue that I had made available, "Ban the Bunnies," was used as course material in the #1 library and information science Ph.D. school in the USA.  Thank you, Paul Cohen, for making this useful resource available.