Monday, October 13, 2003

LIBRARIANS AS CENSORS The cold war was an incredibly significant period in world history. One would expect major libraries in the United States to maintain an extensive collection on the gigantic historical struggle between freedom and communist tyranny. Furthermore, given the shrill statements of librarians, one would hope that censorship would not be one of their favorite activities.

One would be wrong!

We frequently use the services of a public library which serves a city of over 1,000,000 people, in an area of over 3,000,000. I won't name it here because I would hate for the librarians to vengefully start denying us service! Such is the power that these government employees hold.

We have noticed an enormous bias in their selections. For example, consider the wildly popular, if controversial book by Anne Coulter: "Treason", while they had about 50 copies of Hillary Clinton's boring screed, they had 2 of Coulter's (they have since gotten a bunch more). Both were best sellers. Coulter gives a vast number of facts (amidst the very witty polemics) about the behavior of the left in the US during the cold war and terror war times. Coulter's wit and writing style makes facts accessible and the reading pleasurable for casual readers. Hillary provides little original information and has benerally been viewed as boring and hagiographic.

But most disturbingly, the library has NO copies of "In Denial: Historians, Communism, and Espionage" by John Haynes and Harvey Klehr, distinguished writers and experts on their subject; a book widely reviewed, and, of course, controversial. Furthermore, they claim that "few libraries own" it.

Most librarians, especially in large cities, adhere to the leftist American Library Association. So its not surprising that they don't carry enough conservative books.

They are, of course, self rightous about their efforts in preventing censorship. The ALA proclaims "Celebrate Your Freedom to Read September 20–27, 2003." Why don't they give me the freedom to read, from their libraries, critical books about the left?

Regarding their "Library Bill of Rights" they say:

Article II maintains that “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” Library services, materials, and programs representing diverse points of view on gender or sexual orientation should be considered for purchase and inclusion in library collections and programs. (ALA policies 53.1.1, 53.1.9, and 53.1.11). The Association affirms that attempts to proscribe or remove materials dealing with gay or lesbian life without regard to the written, approved selection policy violate this tenet and constitute censorship.

Okay, that's nice for gays and lesbians, but how about Conservatives? Are we going to have to parade down streets in our underwear and throw feces at leftist icons to get our rights?

The next time you hear a librarian brag about protecting your rights; about defending against censorship; about hysterically shredding records in fear of the dreaded Patriot Act; or about protecting the rights of their patrons to sit at a terminal next to children and view pornography (they don't put it that way), just remember:

Many of them are hypocrites! (also posted on Useful Fools blog.

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