Illinois: “Elmhurst Library Considers Policy on M-Rated Video Games”
Note: Elmhurst, IL is a Chicago suburb that’s located south of O’Hare International Airport.
From the Chicago Tribune:
A small group of Elmhurst residents is urging the Elmhurst Public Library to take a closer look at violent M-rated video games, both in the titles selected and in the money spent buying the games.
Resident Elaine Fleming, a psychotherapist, recently told City Council members she and four or five other residents had asked the library board to review its selection process for the games, which often feature realistic graphics of weapon use, killings and other violence.
“We’re not asking for a ban,” Fleming said. “We are asking that the library put some policies in place to review these games.”
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Several nearby libraries do not carry the games, whether for reasons of policy or budget constraints.
The Naperville Public Library doesn’t collect video games at all, according to deputy director Julie Rothenfluh.
“We had some budget cuts, and with so many different platforms, we just never got into it,” Rothenfluh said.
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Reference librarians at the Wood Dale Public Library and the Oak Brook Public Library said they do not include M-rated games in their collections.
Read the Full Text Article
See Also: Elmhurst Public Library Materials Selection Policy (via ElmhurstPublicLibrary.org)
3 pages; PDF.
Filed under: Libraries, News, Public Libraries
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.