Land of the free unless you aren't Christian, eh?
On Nov 14, 2007 5:47 PM, Harry Roth <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Ty Falk wrote:
>
> >I Think that the disdain is a little more universal. I know I've gone
> >to my libraray to obtain even vaguely occult related books and have
> >been met with similar reactions.
> >
>
> I have had the same experience at my local library. I was shocked that
> the cross-wearing librarians there felt free to comment negatively on
> occult books I got on interlibrary loan. One of them insisted on wishing
> me "Merry Christmas," literally jumping out from behind her desk and
> blocking the door so she could do this. One would deliberately not help
> me at the desk; another would help me but keep her lips pressed firmly
> together, like she was in the presence of a bad smell. And no, I am not
> being paranoid. I should say that I thought this was not just due to my
> book choices but to my appearance--I have long hair and am a scruffy,
> odd dresser. Funny, when I was a professor that was almost the uniform.
> I wrote a long letter to the head library about it, including my library
> card cut up and ending with, "Next time you want funding, go ask a
> church." The head library actually got mad about it herself and did an
> educational thing about it for the others, but I never went back to that
> library again. I felt humiliated.
>
> Since then I moved and got a card at another library in the tri-county
> system. Recently I was taking out a book and the librarian was puzzled
> to see that I had been "banned" from that other library by one of the
> librarians there. She removed this ban. Can you believe it?
>
> Every time I go in this new library now I am waiting for the other shoe
> to drop.
>
> Harry Roth
>
--
Ty Falk
~~~~~~~
Erisian
Anthropologist
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
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