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Controversy

Controversy and libraries are excellent friends.  My perspective on that is that I'm to remain neutral on the controversies surrounding materials and let my patrons be the judges.  This weeks' readings reminded me of the scandal of the 50 Shades of Grey books and my hesitation to buy them.  My chosen direction was to not purchase them until they were requested and the article I read about the series in American Libraries somewhat backed that decision up.  At the time, I worked with two women in their mid 70s who were both highly conservative.  Imagine my laughter when the more reserved of the two left me a note, requesting the titles, touting their popularity, and speculating on how well they'd circulate due to the media buzz.  In stitches, I ordered the series, knowing she had NO IDEA what she'd just asked me to do.  Correctly so.  Her blush and embarrassment were priceless; the first patron to check them out brought them back within 15 minutes in utter horror; another patron checked them out repeatedly and had to replace them for damages twice.

The Somers' article did ring some bells as I remember when A Million Little Pieces was making news for its inflated tales.

Angela Liao's article regarding celebrity book clubs was also something that I hold some familiarity with.  I refuse to read anything recommended by Oprah as the first two titles I tried were garbage (in my opinion) and I'm not investing anymore time in her direction.  The use of celebrity to elevate titles (or the use of titles to elevate and expand celebrity) is an idea that I can't find myself too mad at.  Any avenue that drives people to read more is one that I can't get worked up about.  Particularly when the celebrity appears to live what they're promoting.  I recall reading SJP (Roberts, 2017) talk about how her mother required each child to take a book with them so they always had something to entertain themselves.  I was so personally irritated that I hadn't been doing that with my own kids.

Ultimately, for me it comes down to knowing what's out there and then making buying/weeding decisions based on what aligns with our missions.  Yes, I weeded all the Bill Cosby kid's books this past fall, but they hadn't been touched in years. 

**PS- Today was the day that I learned about controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss.  I don't know if I should be disappointed in myself for that.

Liao, Angela. (2017) Celebrity Book Clubs Create Virtual Reading Community. Retrieved from https://www.bookstr.com/celebrity-book-clubs-create-virtual-reading-community

Roberts, M. B. (2017, June 23). Book lover Sarah Jessica Parker reveals her deep love of the stacks. Parade. Retrieved March 1, 2020, from https://parade.com/581130/m-b-roberts/book-lover-sarah-jessica-parker-reveals-her-deep-love-for-the-stacks/

Somers, Jeff. (2017) 5 Hoax Memoirs Still Worth Reading. Retrieved from https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/5-hoax-memoirs-still-worth-reading/

Comments

  1. Erin CataldiMarch 4, 2020 at 11:45 AM

    Great job addressing a ton of different controversies. 50 Shades still cracks me up, we're on our NINTH set - the paperbacks get checked out so frequently and damage easily! Full points on a great response! Also, Dr. Seuss is always a shocker when you first learn about it!

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