Collecting Sex Materials for Libraries

This article analyzes data gathered over a year-long survey of library employees’ opinions of sexually related materials in library collections. Surveys generally examine patron attitudes rather than the attitudes of library employees, whose attitudes and beliefs can have a strong effect on the collection. The researchers discovered themes in the data such as: varying definitions and differences between pornography and erotica, legality issues and misconceptions, differing perceptions of censorship dependent on library type, and a possible unacceptance of non-heteronormative material. The survey and analysis serve as a contribution to the ongoing discussion of the appropriateness of sexually related materials in libraries