>Hop-Count: 1
>Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 08:14:00 -0600
>Reply-To: Title of LISTSERV list is LLA_GEN_MEM
> <LLA_GEN_MEM@EC36.ENRG.LSU.EDU>
>Sender: Title of LISTSERV list is LLA_GEN_MEM
> <LLA_GEN_MEM@EC36.ENRG.LSU.EDU>
>From: Charlene Cain <llcain@LSU.EDU>
>Subject: Outcome of meetings in St. Tammany
>To: LLA_GEN_MEM@EC36.ENRG.LSU.EDU
>X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by
pelican.state.lib.la.us id JAA10524
>
>The following article will be expanded for the association's newsletter,
Inside
>LLA:
>
>
>It all began when Parish Policy Jury President/ex officio library board
member
>Steve Stefancik asked the library director to explain the current policy
>regarding circulation of videos and how long it has been in practice.
Library
>director Jan Butler replied that there is no "policy," but there is a
procedure
>in place whereby parents filling out applications for their children to
have
>library cards may place restrictions on what the kids can check out. These
>restrictions can take whatever form the parent wishes, from Goosebumps
books to
>videos. Butler noted that the procedure has been in place for twelve years
>with no problems in all that time.
>
>Stefancik argued that the procedure was not of the board,s making, and
>therefore its validity was somewhat in question. He believes that the
lack of
>a policy opens the library up to lawsuits. He then moved that no children
>under 17 years of age be allowed to check out R or NC-17 rated videos unless
>their parents have specifically granted permission for them to do so. (Note:
>Several individuals pointed out several times during the course of the 3 «
hour
>meeting that the library owns no X or NC-17 rated videos, nor has any
plans to
>buy any, but the point kept coming up anyway.)
>
>About 150 people attended the meeting, with the anti-censorship group
slightly
>outnumbering those who supported Stefancik,s motion. Each board member
stated
>his/her position on the subject, with Barbara Morgan, Kristin Lyons, and
>Suzanne Villar categorically opposing Stefancik,s motion, and Kristin Scott
>opposing it in part. Public comments were heard from alternating
sides--with
>each speaker limited to 2 « minutes. In my remarks, I supported Ms. Lyons,
>well thought out and moving speech against restrictions (I couldn,t have
said
>anything better), but I also complimented those present on the civility of
>their exchanges, and the wonderful "democracy in action" feeling of the
>meeting. I asked the parents to trust themselves to make choices for
their own
>children rather than ask librarians to police them.
>
>Finally, the board voted four (Morgan, Lyons, Villar, Scott) to three
>(Stefancik, Hart, Muller) against changing the procedure. (Newly elected
board
>President Mark Johnson abstained, although he made a powerful speech later
>condemning the motion as constitutionally prohibited censorship by a
>governmental entity. He also called the entire discussion a tempest in a
>teapot since no complaints had been filed.) But it wasn,t over. Mr.
>Stefancik then put another motion on the table which would have disallowed
>check out of videos by children under 17 on the grounds that the medium is
too
>fragile to be entrusted to children. It was pointed out to the board that
the
>tenor and discussion surrounding the preceding motion would call into
question
>the motivation of the new one, making it subject to serious legal
challenge.
>This resolution also failed.
>
>So, that day, the anti-censorship group won, but two days later the Police
Jury
>took up ordinance no.3254, which will require the library board to impose
MPAA
>restrictions on video check-out. The previous Saturday, the state
chapter of
>the Christian Coalition ran a quarter page ad in the Times-Picayune urging
>citizens to contact their jurors in support of the ordinance . And, at
their
>meeting, the Police Jury voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance. The
next
>issue up for discussion will be Internet access.
>
>For local newspaper coverage of these meetings, see http:// www.tamnet.com.
>
>Charlene C. Cain, Chair
>LLA Intellectual Freedom Committee
>
--------------------------
Sally S. Wellman
Asst. Coordinator, Special Services
& Manager, Audiovisual Resource Center
State Library of Louisiana
701 North 4th St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Phone: (225)-342-4939
Fax: (225)-342-6817
email: swellman@pelican.state.lib.la.us