Philadelphia Councilman Calls for
Review of Library's Videos
A Philadelphia city councilman has asked the Free Library for a list of all its R-rated videos so that experts can determine if they are “appropriate” for children.
Councilman Frank Rizzo said in the February 25 Philadelphia Inquirer that if children under 17 can't view restricted movies in theaters, they shouldn't be able to check them out from the library. The paper reported that library policy allows anyone 14 or older access to the entire collection; younger patrons need parental permission to borrow from the adult collection, including R-rated films.
Rizzo also told the Inquirer that libraries should promote reading, not watching. “Why would we in a public library want to encourage people to watch more television when we're trying to teach them the value of reading a book?” he asked.
“I understand the concerns that Councilman Rizzo has, ” library president Elliot L. Shelkrot told the Inquirer, “but my answer to him is that it's up to the parents, not the library, to supervise what youngsters read.”
Posted March 1, 1999.
|
