brain blurry...eyes hurty

I have spent my day scouring the interwebs for top feature films, documentaries, and tv shows for what will hopefully be a small yet popular DVD collection for the teen department.  A fun project, but also frustrating as there is no guarantee I'll actually get to order the majority of items I have picked out due to a library policy that prevents anyone without a drivers license from checking out PG13 and R rated films.  Now, I'm not unreasonable. I'm not wanting to pack the shelves with The Hangover II and Bridesmaids and Paranormal Activity 2.  This collection is for 6-12th Grades. Fine.  But you know what I do need to have on the shelves?  Harry Potter.  Transformers.  The Twilight Series.  All of which are rated PG-13.  Adding to my frustration is the way we handle documentaries.  Documentaries are able to be checked out by anyone.  Sweet.  Bowling for Columbine seems like a no-brainer for a teen DVD collection.  Except it's rated R.  As is Exit Through The Gift Shop-the documentary about Banksy which is, again, a no-brainer for a teen DVD collection.  How the #$%@! does that make any sense?  Right now, anyone can go downstairs to our AV department and check these documentaries out, but I'm not supposed to order them UPSTAIRS because they're rated R and we shouldn't have rated R materials on our shelves up here?!?

Messed.up.

This is what the ALA has to say on the subject which one would think we would follow given...well...it's the American LIBRARY Association:

"Parents-and only parents-have the right and responsibility to restrict access of their children-and only their children-to library resources. Parents who do not want their children to have access to certain library services, materials, or facilities should so advise their children. Librarians and library governing bodies cannot assume the role of parents or the functions of parental authority in the private relationship between parent and child."

To the parents of the world:

1.  What is appropriate for one 13 year old may not be appropriate for another 13 year old.  It is YOUR responsibility as a PARENT to decide what is appropriate for YOUR 13 year old.

2.  Welcome to the 21st Century.  Your children have access to so much more information than you ever did.  More likely than not, your 13 year old is not watching Justin Bieber's rendition of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."  She's probably looking up Pink's "Fuckin' Perfect."  (She also probably has no idea that the word "fuckin" is not really a word.) Regardless, her having access to a copy of the latest Harry Potter DVD?  Nothing compared to what she's already accessing on the internet.

3.  What is appropriate for one 13 year old may not be appropriate for another 13 year old.  It is YOUR responsibility as a PARENT to decide what is appropriate for YOUR 13 year old.


I know I repeated that one twice, but that's because THAT'S THE WHOLE EFFING POINT.  I have parents who come up to my desk asking for the latest Gossip Girl novel for their 7th graders and I have parents who come up to my desk asking for Mossflower for their 16 year old sons.  When unaccompanied by a parent, I attempt to steer the child to what I think they would enjoy based off a brief reference interview.  If they liked Harry Potter?  They might want to try Skellig or the Artemis Fowl books or The Rangers Apprentice series.  Would I suggest Gossip Girl to a 7th grader?  No.  But if YOU think it's appropriate for YOUR 7th grader, go crazy.

YOU ARE THE PARENT.

Know what your child is reading, watching, and listening to.  Know that the library is here to provide unbiased access to a variety of materials. At the end of the day, only YOU and YOUR CHILD can decide what is appropriate for THEM.

And please let me order "Restrepo" and "Flight of the Conchords" for the teen department.  Because even if YOU don't want YOUR kid to watch them?  I'm fairly certain there are parents who do.

Rant over.