I think when I was young (in the 80s/90s), if you were under 12 you had to have an adult with you to check out books from the teen and adult section of the public library (though I think parents could give blanket permission that was noted by the library which I’m pretty sure is what my mom did). After 12, you had freedom to borrow whatever you wanted without questions from the librarians. I’m sure some of them might have checked with you if there was something super violent or explicit in your pile though but you know, that’s not that common. They’re not brainless professional who care nothing about their patrons. They often care a whole lot.
To answer the question, librarians and library professionals decide what is shelved in the PUBLIC library. If a book is not borrowed, it gets taken out as it is not serving the community. If one is borrowed a lot, it stays. Just because SOME people might think children or other groups can’t have access to certain books, that doesn’t mean the library has to obey. It’s there to serve the whole community and unfortunately for some of these people you just do not get to control what other people and their children do or read. Why do others have to go without because you can’t be fucked to check in with your child on their reading choices (I maintain that for the most part, parents should not do that anyway). The community does not have to bend to your fears of your son perhaps reading about gay dudes without your consent. Your bigotry or religious beliefs or values etc do not take precedence over others’
I think when I was young (in the 80s/90s), if you were under 12 you had to have an adult with you to check out books from the teen and adult section of the public library (though I think parents could give blanket permission that was noted by the library which I’m pretty sure is what my mom did). After 12, you had freedom to borrow whatever you wanted without questions from the librarians. I’m sure some of them might have checked with you if there was something super violent or explicit in your pile though but you know, that’s not that common. They’re not brainless professional who care nothing about their patrons. They often care a whole lot.
To answer the question, librarians and library professionals decide what is shelved in the PUBLIC library. If a book is not borrowed, it gets taken out as it is not serving the community. If one is borrowed a lot, it stays. Just because SOME people might think children or other groups can’t have access to certain books, that doesn’t mean the library has to obey. It’s there to serve the whole community and unfortunately for some of these people you just do not get to control what other people and their children do or read. Why do others have to go without because you can’t be fucked to check in with your child on their reading choices (I maintain that for the most part, parents should not do that anyway). The community does not have to bend to your fears of your son perhaps reading about gay dudes without your consent. Your bigotry or religious beliefs or values etc do not take precedence over others’