Library reshuffle seen as answer to comic concerns

NICHOLA LOBBAN | 30th April 2007

RELOCATING the teen section in the Davis Library has been recommended to Wanganui District Council as a way to stop younger children accessing sexually explicit graphic novels.

Cultural and Community manager Sally Patrick submitted the late item report for today's meeting at the request of Mayor Michael Laws, following publicity about censorship at the library.

Last week library borrower and part-time teacher Julie Gordon told the Wanganui Chronicle of her concerns that young people could access graphic containing sexually graphic material at the library.

Over the last two years Mrs Gordon had submitted four of the library's novels to the Office of Film and Literature Classification.

Three of these had received R13 ratings and one had been rated R16.

In a report to the WDC Ms Patrick said she had made a request to the Davis library to relocate its teenage area and the graphic novel collection to an place which was clearly separated from the children's area in order to "eliminate" future confusion.

In her recommendation to council she said that councillors should agree that the matter would be resolved once the teen area and graphic novels were moved.

The crux of the issue with the novels lay with "age-appropriate" access to library material, the report says.

While the graphic novels fell within the 13 ? 18 year-old age range catered for by the teen section, the collection was presently displayed at the point where the teen and children's' area intersect, the report says.

The graphic novel collection was popular among teenagers.

Access to the four graphic novels submitted for classification had been withdrawn from public access areas as soon as they were classified and anyone requesting to borrow them was required to provide proof of age, the report says.

Library stock selectors regularly reviewed recent classifications to identify items which might fall within new classifications and removed them from library shelves, the report says.

Yesterday Mayor Michael Laws said the question of inappropriate reading material at the library ought to be "put to bed" at today's meeting, with the "commonsense" solution being offered by Ms Patrick.

"In essence, this is to ensure that contentious material, available to teenagers, is located further away from the children's section?my pick is that Council will not want to play censor but alert library management that a heightened sensitivity is in order," he said.

Mrs Gordon could not be reached for comment yesterday.