Community Update

No check on the Self-check

It is apparent that the Berkeley Public Library is not just about books anymore. There are no controls on Self Check-Out. Along with their computer expansion, they are not taking into account the concerns of parents and others for youngsters. People under 18 are welcome to check-out DVDs that are rated "R, NC 17 (no one under 17 allowed) and explicit content." The library card has the power to exclude adults from computers meant for youngsters, so they could exclude youngsters from checking-out "adult" material meant for "adults only."
When the library carried Playboy magazine, a library assistant told me how embarrassing it was for her to hand over copies to teenage boys (when they couldn't even buy them in stores). Employees have heart, soul, and moral standards whereas the library, being an institution, does not. The community as a whole must do something. Individual complaints do not work. Freedom of speech can exist in conjunction with moral responsibility.