Balancing Act

It's been an interesting fall. 50 Shades of Grey and teenagers has created a bit of a stir on our campus. The first conversation was with one of my male student assistants who asked if I was going to get the books. He loved the Twilight series and wondered if he'd like that one. The next encounter was with a senior English class coming in to check out books for our SSR time. Several students had their own books with them already and six or seven of them were reading one of the 50 shades series. Next, came the girl who had read book one and was hoping I had book two and three for her to checkout. Then was the young lady in a math class in the library getting SSR books who asked her teacher if she could bring the book from home to read. I asked if her mother knew she was reading it and she said "she was with me when I bought it". Then yesterday our English Language Development coordinator stopped by to ask me what our "policy" was on students bringing books like that to school. Which brings me to the balancing act...as a librarian I embrace the concept of students being able to read anything they want, but I worry that the images and pictures in their heads set them up for a reality that doesn't exist. I'm trying to have conversations with students about the book that isn't judgmental.

I started this post several weeks ago, but never quite finished it.  The questions continue and balancing the "right to read" versus appropriateness for a teenager.  At the same time, telling them they "can't read it" makes them want to read it all the more.  No, I won't purchase it for the library, but I will continue to have the conversations.