Porn at the library

I take Twinkie and Tater to Preschool Story Time at our local library every week. This week, Mr. Man was with us. He was pushing Tater around in her stroller. He came and told me that a man at the computers was watching porn. I thought surely not. Sure enough, I was just walking down the aisle and BAM. It was quite in your face and graphic. I told the librarian that does story time. She wasn't surprised and said that he comes in often and does the same thing. I was shocked. She said that it was his right and that they couldn't censor the Internet.

I am all for free speech. I am not even anti-porn. However, I think that there is a time and place for it. The public library during children's story time is not one of those times. So my very nervy sister in law walked up to him at tapped him on the shoulder. She asked him if she could have his name so that she could check the sex offender registry. She told him it wasn't appropriate to do that during story time. He left.

The problem is that the librarian said he's had people confront him and they've had several complaints. But it's his right. Ugh. I get that but at the very least the library should move the computers or use some kind of monitor shield. I looked up the statutes and basically it's up to individual libraries what kind of Internet access they want to give. I called the other libraries in this area and they all have filters on their computers and would not allow patrons to look at porn.

Our library is in between head librarian and director so there is seriously no where to take the complaint except up to the library board. I spoke with a reporter for our town newspaper and she said that I should write a letter to the editor and go to the next board meeting. If nothing happens then she will take it up. I am so not pro-active but it's just so wrong for children to be exposed to things like that. Just while we were at the library that day, two little girls walked right past him and his huge screen filled with porn.

Geez.