Rolling Stone Replies (part1)

[Nancy Bleakley <nbleakley@YAHOO.COM>]

Okay this is my third try for sending part 1, hope it
goes through!
Several days ago I asked about the Rolling Stone
magazine after receiving the issue with the multiple
nude (though no genitals showing) bodies with rock
star masks on the cover.  Having it in my library made
me uncomfortable, and I wondered how other librarians
handled having it in the library.  Here is the gist of
the 50 replies I received.  I did not include names
and addresses purposely because I though some people
might receive nastygrams from the politically correct
police.  I will post this in several parts so that it
fits the available space.

Do you have it in your library?
Yes paper 31
Yes database, microfiche, or ILL  8
No - cancelled subscription 13
No -2

Any challenges? No formal ones reported

What do you do about nudity?

No differently from any other magazine. I don't deal
with anything any differently unless there is a
challenge.

We get it, we have never had any challenges in the
time I know about (since 1987), and I don't think
we'll do anything different with this issue than with
any other, though it may depend on what the students'
reaction is. When they do react inappropriately to
things, we tend to try telling them to knock it off
and grow up. We display current issues in plastic
covers on a magazine rack right next to the circ desk,
and they circulate only within the library.

I stopped subscribing to it after they had a cover of
two horses doing it on the cover. That was last straw
for me. I can still access it through Wilsondisc and I
can interlibrary loan from the college located in our
town very quickly. I finally just gave up trying to
justify it to my bosses. It is probably a wimpy thing
for me to do but I also did it because of serious
budget cuts.

As a 10 yr. former high school librarian, I can share
with you that during that time this periodical was not
part of the subscription list for PHS. It was not
deemed as shelf-worthy due to the all too often
totally unnecessary risque pictures, articles, etc.
The vocabulary often used was also a problem. How can
we tell the students that they are expected to talk,
conduct themselves, etc. in a proper manner and then
put materials such as this out for them to "learn
from?" This question from a parent has made a heavy
impression on me.

We have a subscription to Rolling Stone. So far we
have not had any challenges. I agree that the nudity
on the cover is getting a little old, but then again
it is Rolling Stone & they have always "pushed the
envelope". We display a black &white copy of the cover
& students have to ask us for the magazine. This is
NOT because of the covers, but because of frequent
theft. We keep the magazine for two reasons: the kids
love it and it is frequently used as a source in our
Junior Language Arts classes. Their research projects
are often on trends in music or other topics that are
covered in RS. In addition, the RS interviews tend to
cover topics not normally covered in traditional
newsmagazines. I've read very insightful stories on
drug trafficking and political candidates, for
example.

Many people get RS, as it is one of the few major
publications with the liberal point of view.

I just leave the cover as is. If I have students who
giggle etc... I remind them that they are in high
school and can choose to act mature etc... or perhaps
they’re not ready to read items such as this.

We get Rolling Stone and I too wonder about the
pictures that they choose to use for the cover. I do
not censor the magazine and we have had some inquiries
as to the validity of the magazine for the school
setting (this being from a public librarian). It is
one of the few magazines that covers the current
popular music artists and was requested by our past
choral teacher. We also get Source which covers more
of the rap or hip-hop music. The photos aren't as bad
and the writing is quite a bit tamer. We do keep the
copy in the library office and students have to ask
for it. We have had so much trouble with theft on
certain magazines that we keep them under lock and key
and check them out personally on demand. This keeps
Rolling Stone out of view of the general public when
they happen to come into the library (school board
meetings are held here.)

We deal with it by getting it only in microfiche
format. That way it is available for research (and is
frequently used) and also it is not a distracting
object of censorship. It is a needed resource for
reports on pop culture, rock music and culture of
the60s and 70s.

The students have taken care of the problem in a way.
Because Rolling Stone was such a victim of articles
and ads being ripped and cut out, we never get to
display the magazine. They must request the current
issue as if it were a backfile in the Periodical Room
and with their name on a form.


=====
Nancy Bleakley
School Library Media Specialist
James I. O'Neill High School
Highland Falls, NY
NBleakley@Yahoo.com
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