Our Librarians Shouldn’t Do Parenting by the Book

Howard Stern thrives on bad taste and sophomoric drivel. Sadly, he is the country’s highest-paid syndicated radio deejay. His books are as bad as his show. I cheered when his movie bombed.

However, with apologies to Voltaire, who likely never envisioned a Howard Stern, I will defend to the hilt my son’s right to read “Private Parts.” That’s Stern’s loathsome best-selling autobiography. The dedication alone should be rated X.

My son Patrick, 14, ordered a copy of the Stern book through the reserve system at the small branch library we like to use. When I tried to pick it up for him, the library supervisor at the counter asked me: “How old is your son?”

When I told her, she looked as if she wanted to call the child abuse registry. Another librarian, someone who knows my son and me, interjected on my behalf: “It’s OK. He lets his son read these books.”

The supervisor’s disapproval was clear, and I felt like my privacy had been invaded. Frankly, what business was it of hers? When I asked what the problem was, I learned something I had never known before: Some libraries censor teenagers’ book selections.

I mention this today not because I’m staunchly opposed to libraries taking on that responsibility. But my question is: Who decides which books are acceptable to a 14-year-old?

As vulgar as Stern is, never once in the 446 pages of “Private Parts” is anybody raped or murdered. Is famous author John Grisham more generally accepted? In his latest book, “The Partner,” the hero is tortured with electric shock. Stephen King is highly popular with junior high school students. He writes of cars and rabid dogs and devil folk killing people. Halfway through a Robert Ludlum novel, he’s got dead bodies stacked to the ceiling.

A friend of my son’s, who is 15, was stopped by a librarian when he tried to check out a book about the Salem witchcraft trials. Make no mistake: I’d rather my son read Mark Twain or James Michener instead of Howard Stern. But how does a librarian decide? Just who is on this no-no list?

The answer, I discovered, is that there is no list.

“We have to decide on a case-by-case basis,” said Kevin Moore, director of the Anaheim library system. “If a 14-year-old tried to check out the ‘Illustrated History of Gay and Lesbian Sex,’ we’d probably not let him unless one of his parents was along.” Ditto for the latest Dennis Rodman book.

But Moore made an interesting point about why librarians monitor what young people read: It’s often the parents who complain the loudest when their teens bring home books that seem inappropriate for that age group.

“The outcry from some parents is vociferous,” she said.

My guess is it’s the same parents who would be astonished if they knew what their youngsters were exposed to at school. Howard Stern is barely more than PG-13 to them.

Moore says the Communications Decency Act, a federal law designed primarily to cover issues related to the Internet, almost makes it essential that librarians monitor the books young people take home. A librarian could be sued for letting them have certain books, she said.

But there is an opposing view, one I’m more comfortable with: open access.

“It’s the parents’ responsibility to decide what their children can read,” said Charlene Dumitro, assistant to the director at the Placentia Library. “The American Library Assn. recommends open access. For a librarian to try to decide what a young person can check out is simply too subjective.”

Here’s a line from the Orange County Library system’s policy manual: “The right of an individual to use a library should not be denied because of age . . . restrictions are often initiated under the assumption that certain materials are harmful to minors, or in an effort to avoid controversy with parents who might think so. . . . In today’s world, children are exposed to adult life much earlier than in the past . . . librarians must recognize and adjust to this change if they wish to maintain the patronage of young people.”

Loveless Internet: Maybe you’ve been hearing lately about extremist groups--some promoting bigotry and hatred--that use the Internet to get their message across. It’s more prevalent than you might think, says Joyce Greenspan, regional director for the Anti-Defamation League.

This morning, the league is co-sponsoring, along with the Orange County Human Relations Commission, a seminar at UC Irvine about some of the divisive material you can find on the Internet. The audience will be made up of police officers, educators, and others who use the Internet regularly on business.

“Some of these extremist groups are well organized,” she said. “The Internet is a cheap way for them to get their message across.”

No No, Annette: Ever watch those ‘60s beach movies with Annette Funicello or Deborah Walley? Not to ruin your image, but it wasn’t Annette or Deborah out there riding those waves. It was Linda Benson. She’s an international surfing champion who did a lot of movie stunt work in those days.

The Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame has announced this week that Benson will be among those honored in August at its annual induction ceremonies. Also honored will be Gordie Duane, who opened northern Orange County’s first surf shop in 1956; Dale Velzy, Southern California surfboard manufacturer; and Shaun Tomson, a former surf champion known in later years as a spokesman for the surfing industry.

Wrap-Up: Kevin Moore told me the Anaheim library is considering a new policy on providing cards for young people: In addition to juvenile and adult cards, it will have one for patrons ages 14 to 17. On those cards, the library’s computer will list whether parents have approved an open-access policy.

That seems like a decent compromise. I doubt even Howard Stern could quibble with it.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling the Times Orange County Edition at (714) 966-7823 or by fax to (714) 966-7711, or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com