Tuesday, May 15, 2012 To: Members of the Library Board Brevard County Public Library 2725 Judge

Fran Jameson Way Viera, Florida, 32940 fax: 321-633-1798

Dear Brevard County Library Board Members, As organizations concerned about the freedom to read and write, we are deeply troubled by the removal of E.L. James novel Fifty Shades of Grey, from the Brevard County Public Libraries in Florida, and even more so by the justification of the removal as a categorical exclusion of a whole literary genre. A policy that excludes an entire category of works that are protected by the first amendment is a censorship policy, impermissible in a public library. The imposition of barriers on adult access to legal content in an effort to impose certain views about what kind of literature is appropriate or acceptable raises significant First Amendment and intellectual freedom issues. Our society is based on the premise that we are each free to hold our own beliefs, and that the government has no business telling us what to read, say or think. Nearly 70 years ago, the United States Supreme Court established the principle that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion. Writers and artists of all kinds must be able to express themselves without fear that their ideas will be condemned by government officials, just as citizens must be able to criticize government and express unpopular viewpoints without fear of reprisal. The idea that erotica should be categorically excluded from public libraries has no merit. Sexuality, an integral part of the human experience, has always been part of creative expression. As the late Justice Brennan observed, Sex, a great and mysterious motive force in human life, has indisputably been a subject of absorbing interest to mankind through the ages. Indeed, a librarys collection would be incomplete without the, by now classic Memoirs of A Woman of Pleasure (Fanny Hill), Lady Chatterleys Lover, Tropic of Cancer

or even Erica Jongs Fear of Flying . There is no rational basis to provide access to erotic novels like these, and at the same time exclude contemporary fiction with similar content. The very act of rejecting erotica as a category suitable for public libraries sends an unmistakable message of condemnation that is moralistic in tone, and totally inappropriate in a public institution dedicated to serving the needs and interests of all members of the community. While popularity and demand are not the only criteria for acquiring books, they cannot be ignored. When a book tops all the major best seller lists; when the library itself has ten times more people who want to read a book than it has copies; when this experience is repeated in libraries all over the country, the library that refuses to purchase the book acts as if it has the right to tell its patrons whats good for them. Libraries should serve their communities by offering best-selling novels, ranging from murder mysteries and westerns, to science fiction and erotica. We strongly urge the Brevard County Library to reconsider the decision to remove Fifty Shades of Grey and to affirm its mission of serving the community by providing reading choices of all kinds, without interfering with the right of patrons to make their own choices, or passing judgment on authors, books or readers. Sincerely,

Joan Bertin Executive Director National Coalition Against Censorship 19 Fulton Street, Suite 407 New York, NY 10038 (212) 807-6222 ext. 101 Bertin@ncac.org

Chris Finan President American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression 19 Fulton Street, Suite 407 New York, NY 10038 (212) 587-4025 ext. 4 chris@abffe.org

Judith Platt Director, Free Expression Advocacy Association of American Publishers 455 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 220-4551 jplatt@publishers.org

Larry Siems, Director, Freedom to Write & International Programs PEN American Center 588 Broadway New York, NY 10012 (212) 334-1660 ext. 105 Lsiems@pen.org

Alexandra Owens Executive Director American Society of Journalists and Authors 1501 Broadway, Suite 403, New York, NY 10036 (212) 997-0947 director@asja.org

Florrie Kichler President The Independent Book Publishers Association 1020 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Suite 204 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 (310) 546-1818 florrie@ibpa.org

CC:

Catherine Schweinsberg, Library Services Director Don Walker, Brevard County Spokesperson Howard Tipton, County Manager