Fifty Shades of Censorship?
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Editor: Henry Reichman, California State University, East Bay Founding Editor: Judith F. Krug (1940–2009) Publisher: Barbara Jones Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association ISSN 1945-4546 July 2012 Vol. LXI No. 4 www.ala.org/nif It did not escape the notice of Tim Cole, collections manager for the Greensboro Public Library in North Carolina, that Fifty Shades of Grey was “of mixed literary merit,” as he politely put it. He ordered 21 copies anyway. His patrons had spoken, Cole said, and like other library officials across the coun- try, he had gotten the message: Readers wanted the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. They have besieged libraries with requests for the books, signaling a new wave of popularity for these erotic novels, which became the best-selling titles in the nation this spring. In some cases demand has been so great that it has forced exasperated library officials fifty shades of to dust off their policies — if they have them — on erotica. In April the trilogy, which includes the titles Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades censorship? Freed, was issued in paperback by Vintage Books, part of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, sending sales through the roof when the publisher printed and dis- tributed the books widely for the first time. That enthusiasm has carried over to libraries. At many, Fifty Shades of Grey, by the previously unknown British author E. L. James, is the most popular book in circula- tion, with more holds than anyone can remember on a single title, including 2,121 as of May 18 at the Hennepin County Public Library, which includes Minneapolis, up from 942 on April 9. At the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio, a system that includes Cleveland, 454 holds were placed on the book in early April; by mid-May there were 1,399. Robert J. Rua, an official with the Cuyahoga library, said they had bought 539 cop- ies of the trilogy’s first book. There is no section for erotic fiction in the library, he said, so Fifty Shades was placed among the other trade books for adults. Despite misgivings about the subject matter — the books tell the tale of a domi- nant-submissive affair between a manipulative millionaire and a naïve younger woman — most library officials feel that they need to make it available. “This is the Lady Chatterley’s Lover of 2012,” Cole said. “Demand is a big issue with us, because we want to be able to provide popular best-selling material to our patrons.” (continued on page 147) Published by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee, Martin Garnar, Chair In Our Mothers’ House ..................................................155 in this issue l8r, g8r ............................................................................149 Lockdown America .........................................................185 fifty shades of censorship? .............................................145 Looking for Alaska ........................................................158 My Mom’s Having A Baby! ..........................................149 most frequently challenged books of 2011 ....................149 Nickel and Dimed ...........................................................179 Occupy Wall Street librarians sue NYC over confiscated The Perpetual Prison Machine ......................................185 books ..............................................................................150 Prison Masculinities ......................................................185 Smack .............................................................................160 movement to protest Israel’s policies triggers fights over Soledad Brother .............................................................185 U.S. scholars’ speech .....................................................150 Street Pharm ..................................................................160 Stuck in Neutral .............................................................154 state climatologists face free speech challenges ............152 To Kill a Mockingbird ....................................................149 Totally Joe ......................................................................156 Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 .......................152 ttfn ..................................................................................149 ttyl ..................................................................................149 censorship dateline: libraries, schools, student press, What My Mother Doesn’t Know ....................................149 colleges and universities, blog, publishing, beer, Women Behind Bars .......................................................185 foreign ............................................................................153 blog from the bench: U.S. Supreme Court, libraries, schools, “Brainstorm” by Chronicle of Higher Education ..........163 colleges and universities, Internet, surveillance, police, prisons, sidewalks ..........................................................165 periodicals The Captain’s Log [Christopher Newport U.] ...............160 is it legal?: libraries, schools, colleges and universities, The Maneater [U. of Missouri] .....................................160 social media, Google, terrorist speech ...........................171 Prison Legal News .........................................................185 success stories: libraries, schools, colleges and film and video universities .....................................................................179 Advanced Sexual Techniques, Volume One ....................180 The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality and targets of the censor Relationships .............................................................162 books technology The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian .........149 myOn virtual library ......................................................153 Alice (series) ..................................................................149 Allah, Liberty and Love [Malaysia] ...............................183 And Tango Makes Three.................................................156 Views of contributors to the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom Bloomberg on Bloomberg ..............................................150 are not necessarily those of the editors, the Intellectual Freedom The Body of Christopher Creed ....................................180 Committee, nor the American Library Association. Brave New World ...........................................................149 (ISSN 1945-4546 ) Carter Finally Gets It ....................................................179 The Catcher in the Rye ..................................................180 Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom is published bimonthly (Jan., The Color of Earth (series) ............................................149 Mar., May, July, Sept., Nov.) by the American Library Association, The Dirty Cowboy .........................................................153 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. The newsletter is also avail- able online at www.ala.org/nif. Subscriptions: $70 per year (print), The Family Book ...........................................................157 which includes annual index; $50 per year (electronic); and $85 Feed ................................................................................159 per year (both print and electronic). For multiple subscriptions Fifty Shades Darker .......................................................145 to the same address, and for back issues, please contact the Fifty Shades Freed .........................................................145 Office for Intellectual Freedom at 800-545-2433, ext. 4223 or [email protected]. Editorial mail should be addressed to the Office of Fifty Shades of Grey .......................................................145 Intellectual Freedom, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, Illinois 60611. Gossip Girl (series) ........................................................149 Periodical postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing The House on Mango Street .........................................180 offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Newsletter on The Hunger Games trilogy ............................................149 Intellectual Freedom, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. 146 Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom system,” according to Library Services Director Cathy Schweinsberg. fifty shades of censorship? …from page 145) “Earlier this month, a decision was made to pull Fifty Shades of Grey from our libraries as a result of published reviews and our own initial analysis of the book and But some libraries have been caught on the other its controversial content. Since then, we have begun a side of the issue. The Brevard County Public Library review of our selection criteria and that review continues in east central Florida pulled copies of the books from even as the decision has been made to supply the book in its shelves after library officials decided they were not response to requests by county residents.” appropriate for the public. “We have always stood against censorship,” “We have criteria that we use, and in this case we Schweinsberg said. “We have a long history of standing view this as pornographic material,” said Don Walker, a against censorship and that continues to be a priority for spokesman for the Brevard County government. this library system.” Vintage, which is part of Random House, said in a But some other library systems maintained their statement, “Random House fervently opposes literary refusal to carry