Library News: Lance Armstrong Controversy

Who’d have thought this Lance Armstrong controversy would lead to discussions about pubic librarianship? I sure didn’t. But here we are, half the library world is up in arms about it and the rest are just sitting around trying to change the channel, like me.

The problem is that the Up-In-Armers want to make some changes and that makes us Channel Surfers have to stand up and say something.

What are some libraries doing? Well, right now there’s a lot of librarian discussions about what different systems are planning to do with Armstrong books. You’ve probably seen the viral picture from Manly Library, Sydney, Australia.

And word on the listservs is that several Southern California libraries will actually remove Armstrong books from their collections. That, in my, and I’m sure other librarians’ opinions, is where the line gets crossed.

First of all, think about it from a capitalistic point of view: Now that there’s a controversy, the books are more likely to circulate, so you’re limiting your own circulation by not letting those books go out. 

Now from a library activist's point of view: Dude. We’re not here to censor. We’re not here to define truth or lies for people. Libraries exist to provide the public with the tools to make those decisions for themselves. You cross the line when you start to make decisions for the public telling them what they can’t read. And I don’t want to hear someone come back with a jab at collection development policies. I’m focusing here on banned books and censoring. Think about what Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose (1984) said:

 "The devil isn't in these books. It's in here. It's in our hearts."

Why are Mythologies and Folklore found in the nonfiction section? Mythology is usually based in religion or a belief system and is or was believed to be true. Folklore is often true stories that have been stretched by the telephone game of time and distance. Basically, both myth and folklore are based in truth or are believed to be true by one or more groups of people. 
Lance Armstrong really did what he did, whether he did it with help or not. That all really happened. It wasn't CGI or Photoshop. 

Process that and then think about what you should do with Lance Armstrong books.