Two patrons want changes made in the video collections and policies of the Weld Library District in Greeley, Colorado.
One asked that a BBC video production of Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary be removed from the library. The complaint stated that the movie should carry an R-rating due to its adult themes and nudity; since it does not, it should not be available. Many foreign distributors do not seek a rating, which is optional for all films. The library owns a copy of Flaubert’s book, but it is not part of the complaint, the August 20 Greeley Tribune reported.
In early August, patron Tracy Selanders sent a letter of complaint to the library district when her 10-year-old son was able to check out the R-rated film Training Day. In her letter she asked the library to add a note to her child’s patron record stating that he could not check out R-rated videos, and to make this an option available to other parents. This would be a change in the library’s current policy.
Library Director Steve Cottrell told American Libraries that while there are videos in the children’s area of the library, “It’s not our policy to restrict materials based on age. Anyone is free to check out any of our materials, regardless of age,” he said.
A subcommittee of the library board is expected to make a recommendation on both complaints at its next meeting September 16.
Posted August 26, 2002.