Sex In The Library

It's a beautiful thing.

For at least 5 years now, with the blessing of my library manager and in cooperation with Shoreline school librarian Mary Jo Heller, of Einstein Middle School, I've been conducting a workshop entitled "SEX IN THE LIBRARY."

Really, the title says it all.

Let me 'splain:

Several years ago, Mary Jo purchased a book called Deal With It :a whole new approach to your body, brain, and life as a gurl.  The book contains information for young adolescent girls about growing up, coping with school, parents, homework, friends, boys, and their own changing bodies.   It also covers some information NOT covered in the school health curriculum.

The health teachers recommended that the middle school library not carry this book.  So Mary Jo called me at the public library.

Some of the information not covered in the school health curriculum is information that kids really want -- and maybe need -- to know.  It was very popular at the public library before the school library pulled it off the shelf...so I ordered extra copies for the public library.

This event started a long dialogue (which evolved into a 50-minute booktalk and workshop) about libraries, and acquisition policies and mission statements.  

We librarians are nothing if not realistic:  nobody wants to attend a workshop about acquisition policies and mission statements.  However, everybody wants to attend Sex in the Library!  

For the past 5+ years, we've presented our workshop about policies and mission statements with concrete examples of books dealing with teen sexuality from the school and the public library collections--focusing on the differences between the school and public library collections and reasons for the difference. 

We talk about the lastest, hottest books written for teens, and we ask for audience input about which books are appropriate for school libraries or public libraries or both--or neither.   We are continually learning from the people who come to learn from us.

We present our SITL booktalks to 8th grade students and their teachers, to the school PTA, to librarian groups, and to anybody else who wants to listen. 

Here's some stuff we've noticed: 

The kids are almost always more conservative than the adults. 

The PTA almost always finds money to amplify the school library budget. 

The librarians walk a

way talking to each other about their own selection policies and mission statements. 

Everyone walks away with at least one new book in mind to read.

Sex in the Library : it's a beautiful thing.

To view the complete list of books from our annotated bibliography, visit the bookblog.