HomeALA president disappointed in Sports Illustrated denying swimsu

Macey Morales
Manager Media Relations
312-280-4393
mmorales@ala.org

For Immediate Release
March 9, 2007

ALA president disappointed in Sports Illustrated denying swimsuit issue to some subscribers

CHICAGO - Leslie Burger, president of the American Library Association, issued a statement today regarding the announced decision of Sports Illustrated magazine not to distribute its annual swimsuit issue to academic, public and school libraries.

"The policy decision by the publishers of Sports Illustrated to selectively deny this year’s 'swimsuit issue' to some of its paid subscribers is outrageous-patronizing and paternalistic in the extreme. To read (or not to read) a published issue of the magazine is a decision that belongs solely to subscribers, and in the case of institutional subscribers such as libraries, to the individual patrons of that library.

"Limiting access to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in response to alleged, anonymous, and amorphous expressions of concern is an unwarranted attempt to censor the materials available in our nation’s libraries.

"Not all library materials appeal to all library users, but an essential component of living in a democracy is respect for the right of individuals to choose reading materials suitable for themselves and their families.

"We hope the publishers of Sports Illustrated will take another look at this ill-advised decision and send the issue to all of its institutional subscribers without delay."