Karpen said that removing a book from the public library has been considered constitutionally suspect.
"Many courts have noted that the public library's role is to serve the entire community," she said, "not to reflect or cater to any specific viewpoint. In the grand scheme of things, we at NCAC (The National Coalition Against Censorship) believe that this freedom is the indispensable condition of a healthy democracy."
In the case of the Norton book, she said, one patron does not have the right to impose his view on others or demand that the library policies reflect his or her own personal preferences, Karpen said.
That invites others to demand changes in the library's holdings to reflect their beliefs, she said.
"If individuals object to a particular work, they are free to read something else," she said. "When you ban one book because of a single patron's objection to its content, you put the whole collection at risk - you've opened the door for a barrage of challenges."
Karpen also said that relegating the book to a non-circulation status is a form of censorship as well.
"Many courts have noted that the public library's role is to serve the entire community," she said, "not to reflect or cater to any specific viewpoint. In the grand scheme of things, we at NCAC (The National Coalition Against Censorship) believe that this freedom is the indispensable condition of a healthy democracy."
In the case of the Norton book, she said, one patron does not have the right to impose his view on others or demand that the library policies reflect his or her own personal preferences, Karpen said.
That invites others to demand changes in the library's holdings to reflect their beliefs, she said.
"If individuals object to a particular work, they are free to read something else," she said. "When you ban one book because of a single patron's objection to its content, you put the whole collection at risk - you've opened the door for a barrage of challenges."
Karpen also said that relegating the book to a non-circulation status is a form of censorship as well.
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