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San Bernardino Removes Explicit Manga Book after ChallengePrompted by a request from a Victorville, California, parent to consider the appropriateness of Paul Gravett’s Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics, the San Bernardino County Library decided to remove 13 copies from all its branches April 12.SBCL Director Ed Kieczykowski told American Libraries that “99% of the book is perfectly okay, but there are a couple of pretty graphic scenes, especially one showing sex with a big hamster, that are not especially endearing to our community standards.” He said that after seeing those pages, it was hard to defend keeping the book on open shelves, adding that it was a “telling fact that only 20 public library systems in the state owned the title” despite getting very positive reviews. Victorville resident Cynthia Jones had written to the library and the county supervisor’s office in early April requesting the title be removed after her 16-year-old son checked it out, the Victorville Daily Press reported April 12. “I like Japanese cartoons,” Matt Jones told the paper, “but I did not expect to see those images and I returned the book the next day.” Kieczykowski told AL that the library brought County District Supervisor Bill Postmus in and made him a part of the review process. “It was a real educational experience for him on the mechanics of reconsidering a book,” he said. “We took him through the challenge request, we showed him the book reviews, showed him the book, and made him a part of the entire process.” Kieczykowski added that adult patrons who want to read the book would have convenient access through interlibrary loan from the neighboring Riverside County system. Posted April 14, 2006. |
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