a library conversation

[zenithblue]

Today I worked at a library branch where an inordinate number of staff members are older ladies of a let's say reserved nature.

I was in the back room checking in materials when Old Lady #1 asked me: "Do you read comic books?"

"Yeah," I said. "Some of them."

"Have you seen...oh, what's it called?" Judging by the look on her face, one of utter disgust and contempt, I could already tell what comic book she was talking about, but I didn't say anything. "The Lovely Girls? Lovely Girls?"

"Oh, you mean Lost Girls?"

Her face widened out in recognition. "Yes! Have you seen this?" Her voice a hiss, invitation to my outrage.

I grinned at her. "Actually, I own it!"

Her eyes got really big and she turned bright pink. "Oh! Oh. Oh, never mind then." I relished the moment. I could see in her face that she was embarrassed for her assumptions, but also that she was a little revolted. It would have been satisfying to leave the conversation right there, with her foot up in her mouth and her opinion of me completely tainted. But I like to think of myself as an ambassador of the obscene. I like to believe if I conduct myself with logic and humanity and kindness I can be a welcoming force to the vanillas out there who have already made up their mind. That my good behavior makes them realize they cannot force all pornophiles  and deviants and perverts and licentious sluts and rent boys and what have you into a simple little good versus evil box. So I kept the conversation going.

"I don't think the purchasers quite knew what they were getting into," I laughed. "It's not an erotic fairy tale or a story with some sex. It's porn, plain and simple." I said "porn" loud and clear. Both the Old Ladies present flinched when I said it, so I said it again louder. "Porn."

"It's not just porn," said Old Lady #2. "It's incest! Incest!"

"No," I said cheerfully. "It contains incest. The book itself is not incest. It's porn."

Old Lady #2 here left the room.

But Old Lady #1 stayed, and we had a quite civil little conversation on intellectual freedom. Because, you know, it is a little troubling that the hard core crotch-shot cum-spurting booty-licking PORN is nestled on the shelves right next to nice innocent Superman. I would rather not have small children encounter it by accident. This is not to say I think it should be pulled, by any means. Her point, which was stupid, was that the comic books were right next to the young adult books. My response of course is, "But why don't you move them?" Anyway, I don't know that I convinced her of anything or won any battles. I certainly didn't earn a Homeric  epithet ("Zenithblue, Breaker of Library Pages"), but it was a pretty satisfying little battle regardless. Ultimately, I think she'll think twice before arguing again with someone who will shamelessly and gleefully belt out the words "porn," "sex," and (OMG) "anal" without a second thought.    

I did not mention to her that my comics are in fact in the possession of one of their coworkers. The poor biddies would have felt beset by deviants.

Victoly!

Comments

[somethinghead.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Fucking with the squares... I really like the one phrase in here, I think it should go on a t-shirt: "Ambassador of the Obscene."

[blozor.livejournal.com]

Your library puts shelves it with the comics and not with the erotic fiction? What kind of morons do they have working there? Even my local comic store has the common decency and sense to put the adult comics behind the counter. Not that I get adult comics. I mean, why bother when you have the Internet at your disposal?

You could have also pointed out that the Bible itself contains incest, (Lot & his two daughters prominently, and there are other examples to cite), then ask what her point is.

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately cataloging in a library is more complicated than shelving in a bookstore, especially if you're a library that's made a big stink over the years about intellectual freedom. The issue becomes how to determine what is "appropriate" and what's not. There's a pretty broad spectrum of sex and violence in comic books, so what would we put with comic books v. what would we put elsewhere? It can be a slippery slope.

Lost Girls, though, is a curve-wrecker. It's not a story with sex, as I've said before, it is flat out 100% pornography. I think cataloging it elsewhere probably would have been completely acceptable. Which of course the catalogers would know if they bothered respecting comic books as any kind of adult medium whatsoever.

[zugenia.livejournal.com]

This is hilarious. And it's good to know that someone is out there keeping the biddies on their toes.

OMFG!

[librarygrrl]

Laughing so hard...

I really need to get those back to you. *snort* *giggle*

of course...

[librarygrrl]

I should finish reading them first! Damn graduate school...

[scarredbyitall.livejournal.com]

The old ladies in my cataloging department would drop dead from shock :)
We get a lot of graphic novels, and sadly, many of the challenges to the GNs come from staff. This is pretty tame stuff they're objecting to. Lost Girls would destroy them.

We also have what my co-workers call a "secret censor," someone who alters the graphic novels by blacking out any naughty words. She (we think it is a she but could be a he) lengthens the skirts on the female characters and has even been known to draw black skirts over superhero's packages. We would kill to catch this person in the act.

[johnnybrainwash.livejournal.com]

I'm picturing all the Nice Library Ladies there (and one who's not so nice), and every one I picture being involved in this conversation is hilarious in a totally different way.

[helpimarock.livejournal.com]

Wait, your library system circulates comic books? That's pretty sweet. Cincinnati has one of the best (read: large and diverse) library systems in the nation and aside from a few things like Frank Miller's Sin City, comic books aren't on the menu.

Anyway, yeah, like somethinghead said, good job fucking with the squares. :)

[zenithblue.livejournal.com]

We've got a pretty great system. We get ranked number one or number two every year by the ALA for a city of our size--we're fairly cutting edge and very well supported by the voters.

There are sometimes problems with this, of course, not least of which are the fact that we have way too much work to do for how much manpower we're allowed. All the clerks' bodies are falling apart pretty dramatically as a result. But, you know, it's not a bad job otherwise.

[helpimarock.livejournal.com]

Oh, are you in the Multnomah County system? I see that place near the top of the list of a lot, but I didn't know where it was. You guys always fight for the top spot with Cleveland, Columbus and Denver. The thing is I know the first of those two don't circulate comics either. I think that must be pretty unique to your system. I'm jealous b/c the only reason I'm not huge into comics and graphic novels anymore is that it's way too expensive.

Regarding work vs. manpower, our system is the exact opposite. We've got about 40 branches and all of them have a full staff and tons of high school interns and volunteers doing shelving and stuff. Plus there's major rumors about nepotism and apparently any relative who wants a job gets one. I've tried four times since 2001 to get a job there and after calling them back a few times they basically told me to get lost. Oh well, I'm outta here in a couple weeks, so I could care less.