Carrying on from the previous post about graphic novels, for anyone who may be interested, the graphic novels in question were the
"Crying Freeman" series. Now I should point out that these are perfectly legitimate and respected examples of the genre (I actually found them to be quite good reads myself), and on reflection I probably wimped out big time by removing them from the collection. To be perfectly honest, if it had been a written book, or a movie, I would not have had any problem with it, it's just the immediacy of images and the possibility of some sensitive person or child innocently being exposed to it
in my library that was the clincher. Perhaps libraries in Japan don't have this dilemma, given how widely accepted explicit manga are there. I guess I could have made them "kept at desk" material, for adults only, but - where would it stop? Then I got to reflecting on the place of public libraries in providing sexually explicit resources in general.
Let's make one thing perfectly clear - I am not here to arbitrate on the morals or sex lives of my customers! Consenting adults and all that ! As an older human being, I am more than aware of the increasing "sexualization" of society, and I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing (compared for instance to the repression and shock horror attitudes that I remember from my not too distant youth). In so far as libraries deal in resources of popular culture (books, movies, music), we can't be expected to hold back the tide. And a lot of sexually explicit/erotic materials are very very popular with library customers!!
Here are a few anecdotal examples:
Some years ago I bought an American book called "Gay Blades", a novel about the gay ice skating scene. While cataloging this book I was a bit surprised to find several very graphic scenes of joyful, rollicking, going for it gay sex, which frankly, at the time, was quite personally educational (as it was for all of the library staff at the time)! I wondered how this would go over with the customers, and whether it would generate any complaints. Well that book has been out many many times to many many of our regular (adult) customers both male and female, young and mature, without one murmur of complaint! The staff tell me that another novel, "It's my f___ing birthday" has also been a big hit.
It's no secret that Mills and Boon novels and the associated genre, historical "bodice rippers" (with titles like "I was kidnapped by a pirate" and "What's that under your kilt, Dougal ?" -sorry I just made them up but you get the idea) are becoming raunchier in response to popular tastes. Even I was surprised, when, flicking through a recent Mills and Boon title to the end where the lovers, all misunderstandings now swept aside, are preparing for a blissful future together, and having a bit of a kiss and a cuddle, when the man pauses momentarily "to roll on a condom'!!!! - I'm glad to see even Mills and Boon are promoting safe sex.
After the success of
Linda Jaivin's literary erotica in the 90s, customers (interestingly mainly female) started to ask for "any more books like that." So we tentatively started experimenting with the purchse of novels frankly badged as "erotica". We didn't put them into their own section or anything like that, just in with the rest of the adult fiction, but it became frustrating (pardon the pun!) to both us and customers seeking that kind of material. We use genre stickers for other stuff like historical, humour etc to help customers identify material, so why not a genre sticker for these as well? But what symbol to use (the imagination runs riot). Our most mature staff member came up with the perfect solution - the universally recognized 'X' discreetly affixed with the spine label. Please note, the primary function of the X is a guide, NOT a warning!
Recently a customer did complain about some sexually explicit material - not because he didn't approve of it, but because he was concerned that young adults should not be unknowingly exposed to it. The offending material was the scifi/fantasy novels by
John Ringo. I read the passages involved, and, I had to agree. What was involved here was not erotica, it was sadistic violent non-consensual degrading and graphically described sex. But it could be argued that this is perfectly legitimate in the context of the storyline. This is not the first time I had come across personally offensive material in this genre - I read the first book in the wildly popular
"Wheel of time" series by Robert Jordan and I dearly wish I had not. There was a scene of such mysogynistic violence in that book that it has haunted me for many years. As a discerning adult, I can put that into perspective and choose not to read any more Robert Jordan, while not denying the enjoyment of clearly millions of adults who love Robert Jordan. As for objections about young people reading this material, I could say: It's catalogued in the adult section. Parents are responsible for the monitoring of their child's reading. However, given the undeniable reality and acceptance that young adults freely access the adult section, and in particular, the SCIFI /Fantasy section, I do feel there is a compromise position - perhaps we can assist parents with that duty. Not by affixing our beloved X - remember we decided it's a guide not a warning. To confuse the two would no doubt be confusing to our customers. So after discussion amongst the staff, we think we might affix a label on the inside of the book along the lines of "This book may contain material not suitable for younger readers. Parental review is recommended" or some such. It's a funny irony isn't it that there's a national classification system for movies, but for books we have to think up something ourselves?
So what's next. If our customers start to ask for (real) X rated materials and porn, should we comply? It would be undeniably popular, and we might reach a new audience of non-users! Of course, the answer (currently) is no. But as a parting irony, take the case of the recently published novel "Killing Johnny Fry: A Sexistential Novel." A recent reviewer for the Australian made the point that if it was a movie, it would be x rated, but in respectable book format, it passes as literature. Now I have that book beside me as I type, and I've also liberally dipped into it (for professional purposes only - NOT!) and it is very very steamy. Not something I could continue to read at work and expect to get any productive work done afterwards, if you get my drift. It involves erotica of a kind some people would find very offensive. But it's had good reviews as a piece of storytelling, and I'm betting it's going to be very very popular...
