So, I work in a rather unusual library. It's State-funded educational materials. We rarely see patrons - we usually ship things out. But there was a meeting on campus, so I had more guests than usual.
A woman comes in with her three kids. The kids are home-schooled. She starts in by saying that her 9-year-old needs books to read. GOOD books. She's looking for wholesome, Christian stories. She proceeded to tell me that most of the new young adult books are filthy - just filthy. When she stopped to breathe, I told her that we don't categorize fiction (other than western, fantasy, science fiction - and I got the death stare at "science fiction"
) but that we have a huge collection of literary classics. That apparently made her happy. She checked out quite a few books.
Then she asked how she can get books shipped to her. I showed her how to search the online catalog. She didn't like it, she wants to keep her kids away from computers and the internet. I got gutsy and told her that literacy now means computer literacy - and that her kids probably won't be able to get jobs or college degrees without it. She bristled at this, but I quickly pulled up a list of Christian computing/parenting websites. She liked the list of Christian kid sites and "how to set restrictions" section. <sigh>
She was visiting from Topeka, KS. I think a tattooed lesbian atheist just helped a Westboro Baptist Church fundie find books for her kids.
A woman comes in with her three kids. The kids are home-schooled. She starts in by saying that her 9-year-old needs books to read. GOOD books. She's looking for wholesome, Christian stories. She proceeded to tell me that most of the new young adult books are filthy - just filthy. When she stopped to breathe, I told her that we don't categorize fiction (other than western, fantasy, science fiction - and I got the death stare at "science fiction"
) but that we have a huge collection of literary classics. That apparently made her happy. She checked out quite a few books.Then she asked how she can get books shipped to her. I showed her how to search the online catalog. She didn't like it, she wants to keep her kids away from computers and the internet. I got gutsy and told her that literacy now means computer literacy - and that her kids probably won't be able to get jobs or college degrees without it. She bristled at this, but I quickly pulled up a list of Christian computing/parenting websites. She liked the list of Christian kid sites and "how to set restrictions" section. <sigh>
She was visiting from Topeka, KS. I think a tattooed lesbian atheist just helped a Westboro Baptist Church fundie find books for her kids.
"The family that prays together...is brainwashing their children."- Albert Einstein
