Library board OKs interim policy on access

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- The New Ulm Public Library Board voted unanimously to establish an interim policy restricting minors' access to "R" or "NC-17" VHS/DVD movies which are available for checking out of the New Ulm Public Library.

With the approval of this policy, minors not accompanied by a parent or guardian must provide proof that they have reached their 17th birthday when checking out an "R"-rated video.

A minor 17 years or younger cannot check out "NC-17" videos without a parent or legal guardian present at the time of check out. These provisions apply also to videos requested through Inter-Library Loan.

An interim policy was required because there was some question that a written policy restricting minors' access to rated videos had existed.

"Being new here, I've asked other staff members, and they didn't seem to be aware of it," Library Director Carolyn Baird told board members.

However, Board Secretary Peter Buckley who proposed the measure and made the motion for its approval said he had talked to library staff "who recalled the library had such a policy but could not find a copy of it."

Board President Stuart Groebner said he called a special meeting because a motion was made, but not seconded, at the board's regular meeting last Thursday to implement such a policy, but "we lost track of it and didn't get back to it. That's why we're here today."

How many videos are we talking about, asked Board Member Jim Aufderheide.

"I don't know for sure, but there don't seem to be that many," Baird responded. "I didn't even see the yellow dots until this thing came up."

"There are 20," said Buckley.

Several parents attended today's meeting to voice their support for having such a policy.

"As a parent, any help I can get in raising my children, I appreciate," said Marcy MacAulay. "I would hope that this community would help me raise my children by supporting this policy."

Mark and Veronica Nelson also approved of any help they could get from the community in raising their children.

Besides, said Mark Nelson, "they can't go to R-rated movies so why should they be able to check them out from the library?"

Paul Willems, a teacher and a parent, pointed out the city has adopted a measure to keep adult entertainment out of the city "to protect our kids so the library should be able to do the same with videos."

The issue was raised Thursday when Baird presented a draft policy manual for the board's consideration. Among the library "bill of rights" as formulated by the American Library Association is a tenet which reads, "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background or views."

Baird said she was disappointed that this action was being taken "because as a result of Thursday's meeting, I thought there would be time to further research this in determining what kind of legal cases there have been."

Groebner reminded board members, "This is an interim policy and will stay in effect until we take action on the policy manual."