We include the rating in the MARC record, tag 521. We also try to make sure that the barcode does not get placed over the rating if at all possible. Children's DVD's are shelved separately from the adult DVD's, and we do not put any rating except for G in the children's section. Everything from PG to R is in another section, and parents who choose to let their young children select from this area do so at their own risk. Beyond this, we feel it is in the parent's hands to decide what is appropriate or not. And, if you think about it, doing too much to distinguish those items with PG-13 and R ratings can make them much more attractive to children. By not over-emphasizing that we have these materials, we feel that it keeps the few young children who come here on their own from really thinking much about the possibility of checking out something inappropriate for their age level.
Deanna Deanna Frazee Director of Library Services Killeen City Library System 205 E. Church Ave. Killeen, TX 76541 254-501-8995 [email protected] From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Suzan Nyfeler Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 11:08 AM To: Jan Steele; CTLS Subject: Re: [ctls-l] Movies in Libraries Friends - Jan Steele in Lago Vista asks the following: Could we ask other libraries how they handle ratings? Do they include ratings on spine labels and/or in catalog details? What about children or teens wanting to check out PG-13 or R-rated movies. Jan Steele Librarian/Director Lago Vista Public Library [email protected] Jan - My short answer is: Strive to maintain the library's traditional role of protecting privacy and advocating open access for everyone. Set in writing what you buy and why you buy it (translation - have good policies). Err on the side of openness. Buy what you think your community needs. Don't restrict based on age. Avoid acting in loco parentis. And finally, consider my opinion - and the advice listed below - in light of your community's needs. Review ALA's interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights <http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfm> for movie access for children <http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=interpretations&Template=/Conte ntManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=31870> and labeling and rating systems <http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpreta tions/labelingrating.cfm> . TLA has a Texas twist on the issue in their Intellectual Freedom Handbook <http://www.txla2.org/pubs/ifhbk.html> . Within the TLA Intellectual Freedom Handbook is A MODEL LIBRARY CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY <http://www.txla2.org/pubs/ifhbk.html#POLICY> which states, "The Constitution of the State of Texas provides that "no law shall ever be passed curtailing the liberty of speech or of the press". A corollary of those constitutional guarantees is the corresponding freedom to read what is written, hear what is spoken, and view other forms of expression without fear of intrusion, intimidation or reprisal. The guarantee of privacy for readers, hearers and viewers will ensure this freedom." MPAA ratings <http://www.mpaa.org/ratings> are not a governmental system and are in fact one of several private ratings systems, with no force of law. ALA's position is that libraries should not include MPAA ratings in their bibliographic record. I believe an argument can be made that this is common information regularly associated with movies. People know many movies have MPAA ratings and may look for that as they search your catalog. The upshot of all of these is: 1. The library provides materials for a wide range of users 2. Parents control what their children can borrow/see/read, not the library 3. Using age to restrict the use of any library materials is not OK 4. Deleting or adding rating system info to a movie case is not OK. Most of the time it's there anyway. 5. Policies that restrict who can check out a movie based on its ratings are not OK Libraries do, however, sometimes have policies that do not allow children under 17 from checking out an R-rated movie. No matter what, local situations require local solutions. Much food for thought. Our CTLS libraries will have more info to guide us. --Suzan Nyfeler CTLS ________________________________ From: Laurie Mahaffey Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 8:31 AM To: Suzan Nyfeler Subject: FW: Movies in Libraries This came in late yesterday. Want to reply? Or we can throw it out to CTLS-L. Thanks. L. Laurie Mahaffey, Deputy Director Central Texas Library System, Inc. 1005 West 41st Street Austin, Texas 78756 www.ctls.net [email protected] 512-583-0704 x18 800-262-4431 x18 ________________________________ From: Jan Steele [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 5:46 PM To: Laurie Mahaffey Subject: RE: Movies in Libraries Laurie, Thanks for your reply. Your question about ratings is a good one. Could we ask other libraries how they handle ratings? Do they include ratings on spine labels and/or in catalog details? What about children or teens wanting to check out PG-13 or R-rated movies. Jan Steele Librarian/Director Lago Vista Public Library 5803 Thunderbird, Suite 40 Lago Vista, TX 78645 (512) 267-3868 [email protected] From: Laurie Mahaffey [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 3:32 PM To: Jan Steele Cc: Suzan Nyfeler Subject: RE: Movies in Libraries Hi, Jan! Great question! Yes, most of our libraries offer movies on DVD. We could ask on CTLS-L if you wish to determine just how many. I'm including Suzan in this reply because she can speak to the legal issues. As I understand it, unless you are showing the DVDs at the library (a public performance), the library is not responsible for what the patrons do in their own homes with the materials. Or are you asking about ratings? Last month, I visited La Grange, and their video store had closed recently. The store offered the library some of their collection. The library suddenly became The Place to get movies, and they were doing a brisk business. Budgets vary in complexity. Some libraries will have a line item for DVDs and others will just include the purchasing of them in "library materials". Take care. Laurie Laurie Mahaffey, Deputy Director Central Texas Library System, Inc. 1005 West 41st Street Austin, Texas 78756 www.ctls.net [email protected] 512-583-0704 x18 800-262-4431 x18 ________________________________ From: Jan Steele [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 3:25 PM To: Laurie Mahaffey Subject: Movies in Libraries Laurie, Do most libraries in our area offer movies on DVD in their collections. If so, do they have a special budget for purchasing them? I would imagine circulation statistics of movies would be high. Are there any legal issues to be aware of in offering them in a public library? We have always had a collection of children's videos and a few DVDs, but not many adult movies. We've never had a budget for movies, so we depended on donated copies. Since the only video store in town closed down, we have begun to offer a collection of movies for adults. As expected, the collection is very popular. Jan Steele Librarian/Director Lago Vista Public Library 5803 Thunderbird, Suite 40 Lago Vista, TX 78645 (512) 267-3868 [email protected]
