The meteoric sales of Fifty Shades of Grey and its subsequent banning from public libraries around the country–in particular in Brevard County, FL, has been all over the news this week. One of the most notable of the media pick-ups was a story in The New York Times on Monday about the debate over stocking the book in public libraries.
The article quoted our joint letter with ABFFE and five other free expression groups.
NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin was also quoted in the article:
“There are some possible arguments for trying to keep kids away from certain kinds of content, but in the case of adults, other than the restrictions on obscenity and child pornography, there’s simply no excuse. This is really very much against the norms in the profession.”
On Thursday we joined forces with the Florida branch of the ACLU in issuing a demand letter to the Brevard County Commission. The letter appeals to the commission to overturn the Library Director’s decision and return the books to library shelves:
Many Brevard residents rely on the library. Some cannot afford books; they don’t own e-readers or
tablets to which they can download books. They rely on the “over one million, two hundred and fifty
thousand books, periodicals and newspapers,” in your seventeen brick and mortar branches, to “think
more and become smarter.”