Friday, March 21, 2008

The library becoming a liability, not an asset to communities

As I've mentioned before, we've found the need to limit our library visits. It is getting harder and harder to find good books and materials at our local library. If the ALA has it way, our libraries will come havens for pedophiles and other miscreants.


Librarian fired after reporting porn incident

Brenda Biesterfeld has become the talk of Lindsay. People are saying she deserves a pat on the back, maybe an award, for telling police that a man was viewing child pornography in the city's library.

Which is why residents were shocked last week when she got a pink slip from her job as a Tulare County librarian.


This wasn't just somebody looking at "girly magazines." He was viewing and distributing child pornography. Biesterfeld's supervision order her NOT to call the police but to only give the man a warning.

Biesterfeld said she did as she was told. But after going home and talking to her family and Richey, she decided to report the matter to police.

When she did, Lindsay police asked Biesterfeld to contact them the next time Chrisler came to the library. He did so on March 4.

"They caught him red-handed [viewing pornography]," Biesterfeld said.

Public computers at Tulare County libraries have software to filter out adult or pornographic Web sites. But Lindsay Police Capt. Rich Wilkinson said Chrisler brought up images attached to an e-mail, bypassing the filters.

Police later searched Chrisler's Lindsay home, where they reported finding more images of child pornography. They arrested him on suspicion of possessing child pornography and participating in the production or presentation of obscene matter in public places.


A year later when the supervisor became aware that Biesterfeld had been the one to reported the incident to the police, Biesterfeld was fired. There has been a minor uproar in the local community and Biesterfeld has filed a law suit. I hope the Biesterfeld gets her job back and the supervisor gets fired.

Incidents like this one are another reason why my family limits the time we spend at the library.

Hat Tip: The Full-Quiver Homeschool House

---------
Technorati tags: libraries, homeschool, home school, home education, parenting, children, education

3 comments:

Robert M. Lindsey said...

As a librarian, I find the firing of someone for reporting illegal activity ridiculous.

Dawn said...

Same here. Her emplyer is punishing her for recognizing the fact that she had a moral obligation to act?

Crimson Wife said...

I have to keep an eagle eye on my kids at our local library because it mixes in highly controversial books like "King & King & Family" with all the normal picture books :-(

I don't believe in censorship but I do think they should be kept on a special shelf. That way parents who are interested in them would still have access but I wouldn't have to worry about my kids running across them by accident.