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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it is wrong for libraries to have violent material/porn e.g. Chucky?

34 replies

Jules2008 · 21/08/2009 20:56

I was in the kids section of my local library with my kids. My DS aged 3 passes me a copy of Chucky (cover shot: a huge dagger dripping with blood), the one which was claimed to have a role in the James Bulger killers' turning to violence. My DS says innocently "can I have this one, I like it"? I then saw he had been browsing through 3 other truly horrifically violent books. I went ballastic at the library assistant who was very apologetic that this material had found its way into the kids' section ... as it was meant for the teenage section and they sometimes went and read it in the kids section so no one could see them. Apparently, this is the council's way of making the library relevant to teenagers. By the way, the area I live in (Clapham/Stockwell) is rife with teenager violence (knives/guns). I realise that all this disgusting stuff is on the net but should we be almost condoning this by providing it free of charge in libraries? These kids need protecting - they need to be set better examples surely? Or am I just turning into a fuddy duddy?

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 21/08/2009 20:59

Censorship of any kind is wrong. Not that it should be in the kid's section, but it should be in the library.

Thunderduck · 21/08/2009 20:59

YABU.

It shouldn't be in the children's section of course but often people will put things back in the wrong section because they're too lazy to put it back where they found it.

And do you really think that the library should stock only items that are suitable for children? Does that apply to books too?

ShowOfHands · 21/08/2009 21:04

You went ballistic at a library assistant? Is nobody quiet in libraries anymore? It's bad enough that most libraries have turned into email knocking shops with a constant tap tap tap of keyboards without people raising their voices at underpaid staff.

I jest. Almost.

I don't like censorship. The item was in the wrong place within the library but had its place there generally.

I'm a librarian you know. You should see some of the stuff you can get in special collections kept in the locked dungeon basement. Archaic fetishistic literature. Fascinating.

LovelyTinOfSpam · 21/08/2009 21:08

was there porn?

cancantcan · 21/08/2009 21:09

if we are banning violent books can we please ban mills & boon too? I dont see how anyone could possibly enjoy reading that

Back to the point though, YANBU to complain to the librarian that the stuff was in the wrong section, especially if they know that the teenagers take them in there to read, but YABU to think it should not be in the library. Libraries have to cater for all sorts, no matter how unpleasant their literary preferences.

Morloth · 21/08/2009 21:10

YABU, they shouldn't have been in the kid's section though.

You don't get to decide what adults watch/read. I loved the Child's Play movies, hehe I remember watching them at a retro horror night at the drive-in with DH - well when I say watching...

Do you have drive-ins in the UK?

serendippity · 21/08/2009 21:13

YAdef NBU that it was in the kids section, I have to say I would not be happy if dd picked that up. But YABU to say librarys shouldn't carry that sort of stuff. Tis for adults as well after all.

ShowOfHands · 21/08/2009 21:17

No drive-ins here. I love the idea of them. They seem so romantic and the staple US first date/first base location. We are British though so it wouldn't work here. We'd get so wound up with the queuing to get in that we'd create a traffic jam.

Tidey · 21/08/2009 21:19

Shouldn't be in children or teenage sections IMHO, but you can't possibly think that any books or DVDs you don't approve of shouldn't be there at all? There are a number of books and films in my local library I absolutely detest but I would never tell a librarian that they shouldn't be available for other people.

As for porn.. Surely your local library doesn't have shelves full of Escort?

LovelyTinOfSpam · 21/08/2009 21:21

I'm sure the library would be a lot more popular if the shelves were stocked with porn.

Was there porn?

Nearest in our library is jilly cooper

GypsyMoth · 21/08/2009 21:22

oh god...another petty thread

of course yabu!

and why are you demonising teenagers?? fgs

Morloth · 21/08/2009 21:23

That is a shame serendippity they are a lot of fun. Even later on when you are old and married and want to go to the movies with a little baby/kids.

serendippity · 21/08/2009 21:45

..morloth got confused there I thought you were telling me horror movies in the kids section were a lot of fun, as I didn't mention drive- ins
But I agree they look great fun.
We do have an enourmous screen put up twice a year in Cambridge for people to go sit on a common and watch movies tho, which is great fun.

Morloth · 21/08/2009 21:55

Sorry! That response was for ShowofHands.

Right, am off to bed. Am being very stereotypically dumb this pregnancy, took me 10 minutes to tie my laces this morning.

pickyvic · 21/08/2009 22:37

libraries gave us power, according to the manic street preachers so im all for them and ours is shite. no porn (!) no nothing much anymore in fact.

horses for courses - what you might find distasteful someone else might enjoy and vice versa. dont agree with censorship either, so imo yabu.

JodieO · 21/08/2009 22:41

Isn't the films Childsplay 15 rated? Hence it could be placed in the teenagers section?

Original poster
Jules2008 · 21/08/2009 22:45

Sorry for not making it clear that I am talking about restricting material available to older kids/teenagers - not adults. (The bit about young kids like mine is a no brainer.) The debate about censorship is a bit muddled though don't you think - we all do censorship all the time for our kids - what is appropriate at different ages. The views I was really seeking was about whether it is right for kids/teenagers to see this stuff.

PS re: the porn - I didn't see it. The library assistant (who agreed with me by the way but said it was council policy ...) said that there was porn in the library. You will have to go and seek it out yourselves...

Thanks for all the responses - has helped me to see the other view. Hasn't changed mine though! Am signing out now.

OP posts:
Thunderduck · 21/08/2009 22:46

Yes we censor our own children but that doesn't give us the right to try to censor other people's and particuarly adults.

Thunderduck · 21/08/2009 22:48

Of course BOF.Just let me know when so I can stock up on goodies.

Thunderduck · 21/08/2009 22:48

Ignore that.

Thunderduck · 21/08/2009 22:49

That was intended for the horror film thread.

GibbonInARibbon · 21/08/2009 22:54

What an odd thing to say 'sorry bout the whole vile film in the kids section, btw porn to be found too if you know where to look' did she tap her nose and wink knowingly?

On a serious note, a vote for no censorship here. Also, anyone could pick that a film up and change their mind, leaving it on nearest shelf. Not the librarian's fault, tad harsh to take it out on him/her.

jemart · 21/08/2009 22:58

Just go stoke up the bonfire shall I?
Yabu obviously.

Original poster
Jules2008 · 21/08/2009 23:00

It was a comic not a film. Unlikely they would change their mind and walk over and leave in the toddler section. And it is her job to mind the toddler section as she admitted. But we really are getting off the main issues now ...

OP posts:
GibbonInARibbon · 21/08/2009 23:06

Well however it got there, the poor librarian did not put it there. You did not say how the porn came up in convo?

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