LOCAL LIBRARIES CELEBRATE BANNED BOOKS WEEK

Michelle Poe stands in front of one of the Jackson Public Library's displays for Banned Books Week. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

One of the Banned Books Week displays at Riverside Regional Library. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans

Controversy over the appropriateness of books has not been a problem local librarians have had to deal with. Despite this, they support the concept of Banned Books Week and the freedom to read material of choice.

"We have had very little of that here," said Paula Gresham-Bequette of Riverside Regional Library. "That's mainly been parents at school libraries, trying to protect children from things they don't feel are appropriate.

"Since I've been here (six years) I've never known of any incidents. We do have a form for patrons who do want to express a concern in writing."

"We have patron comment forms," said Michelle Poe, of the Jackson Public Library. "If somebody has a challenge, we ask the patron to fill out a form. If they've only heard about it, but haven't really read it, it generally forces them to read the book."

The comments then go to the library director, then to the board of directors, for a decision.

"The objective is to keep the book on the shelf," Poe said. "Sometimes patrons will request some books be moved to a different part of the library."

"The most we ever get here is someone bringing a book back and saying 'It was a little too sexually explicit for me,'" Gresham-Bequette said. "It goes on a lot more in other places."

Most challenged books result from complaints about sex, violence, language and racism. Librarians sometimes find themselves caught between right and left-wing groups, each with their own hit list.

"A public library has a lot more freedom than school libraries," Poe said. "I know for a fact, in school libraries, if a certain amount of dirty words or sex scenes are there, then even though the book could possibly be an award-winning book, the school librarian and principal are sometimes afraid to get the book and keep it in their library, so they just pass on it. It's a case of being afraid of something before you know what it is, or being afraid of something for the wrong reasons."

Out-of-date or unpopular racial portrayals are becoming more frequent. The objectionable race references can be what "makes it an important book in a lot of cases," in Gresham-Bequette's words.

A case in point is the Alice Walker classic, "A Color Purple." It has been targeted for vulgar language and promoting lesbianism by some and for negative portrayal of black males by other groups.

"We as a library staff don't feel it is our job to assess the content," Gresham-Bequette said. "Our job is to provide books to our patrons and to see that they have freedom to read. Our policy gives us guides, but gives us a lot of latitude."

Both libraries have had displays for Banned Books Week, which ends today.

"I pulled books (for the display) that are very surprising," Poe said, "books you would not think would be on a banned book list. It shocks you."

The "Ten Most Challenged Books of 1999" reflect a wide variety of themes. The books, in order of most frequently challenged are:

* Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, for its focus on wizardry and magic.

* Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.

* "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier (the "Most Challenged" fiction book of 1998), for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.

* "Blubber," by Judy Blume, for offensive language and unsuited to age group.

* "Fallen Angels," by Walter Dean Myers, for offensive language and unsuited to age group.

* "Of Mice and Men," by John Steinbeck, for using offensive language and being unsuited to age group.

* "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," by Maya Angelou, for being too explicit in the book's portrayal of rape and other sexual abuse.

* "The Handmaid's Tale," by Margaret Atwood, for its sexual content.

* "The Color Purple," by Alice Walker, for sexual content and offensive language.

* "Snow Falling on Cedars," by David Guterson, for sexual content and offensive language.

Off the list this year, but on the list for several years past, are The "Goosebumps" and "Fear Street" series, by R. L. Stine, which were challenged for being too frightening for young people and depicting occult or "Satanic" themes, and "It's Perfectly Normal," a sex education book by Robie Harris, for being too explicit, especially for children.

Both librarians support the wildly popular Harry Potter books.

"We totally stand behind them," Poe said. "Kids love them. Adults love them. People on staff here have read them; they're no different from Tolkein or any other science fiction book you've ever read.

"They're about friendship and about problem-solving. They contain beautiful language and imaginative scenery. Like fairy tales, they're really cautionary tales -- you're supposed to be careful is the message of the story."

The books have been challenged because the heroes of the series attend a school of witchcraft. Gresham-Bequette said they have also been criticized because the lead characters talk back to and disobey parents at times.

"We have to protect everybody's freedom of speech; pretty soon yours might be challenged," Poe said. "You have to protect it so it doesn't ever come home to you."

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation of Free Expression, the American Library Association (ALA), the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Library of Congress Center for the Book.