Ben O. sent us these three images. This image (found here) is of a sticker on the window of a car (presumably a Mustang?) that says “Built with tools, not chopsticks.” The car is, ironically, parked in front of a sushi bar (see the reflection in the window).
These next two images (found here and here) illustrate how this particular public library requires an ID to look at both Jet and Essence (magazines aimed at Black Americans), but not other magazines. Presumably, someone thinks that magazines consumed by Black Americans are more likely to be stolen than other magazines. Ben asks:
Is this racism? Is this censorship? What do you think about it?
Thanks Ben!
NOTE: In the comments, several readers questions whether the last image is an example of everyday racism. Yes, magazines are sometimes kept at the circulation desk because they are perceived to be at high risk of being defaced or stolen, but they’re also sometimes kept behind the desk if they’re highly popular, to prevent patrons from monopolozing them for very long periods of time. By forcing patrons to check them out rather than have them freely available on the shelves, patrons can keep them for only a cetain length of time, guaranteeing that other patrons who might wish to read them also have an opportunity. So it’s possible that Jet and Essence are kept behind the counter because they are very popular titles and the library is trying to be sure as many patrons as possible get access to them. So this image might be better used to talk about the difficulties that can arise interpreting situations where race appears that it might be playing a part, but it isn’t clear whether it is or in what way.
Comments 9
Marcello — September 11, 2008
The first picture doesn't need any explanation, i think.
In the second one i think defaulting to racism as the reason they keep the magazines behind the counter and ask for ID is a little too rushed.
There could be a lot of different reasons for it.
Or maybe, simply, the magazines actually are routinely stolen from the counter (and maybe by someone who thinks: "hell, i want no black magazine polluting my clean, nice, WASP library!").
Plus, do we actually know those are the only two magazines you need to show id? Or has Ben tried asking to the library stuff why only jet and essence require ID?
We simply don't know the story and calling someone a racist on such a thin basis i think is a little biased.
M
Marcello — September 11, 2008
oooops... library staff... not stuff...
sorry.
M
Lilaenne — September 11, 2008
I work in a public library, so I have a slightly different take on this...
We recently started keeping the Urban Lit genre behind the desk, because they were being stolen at an absolutely staggering rate. As in we buy four copies of each title, and within 24 hours one has actually been checked out and the other three simply walked.
There was considerable discussion among the staff as to whether this would be perceived as racist, but in the end we decided it was more important to have these books available for our actual patrons - the people willing to read items and then return them so others can read them too. Now that people can't take them without checking them out, these books circulate over and over until they fall apart, usually 30 or 40 checkouts (most are trade paperback format). When items were getting only 0-2 checkouts before being stolen, we would have needed to spend a fortune on just one title to serve that many readers. We just don't have the money to stock the home bookshelves of every person willing to steal from us.
We also, for years prior to this, kept the local paper and Consumer Reports behind the desk -- there's no possible prejudicial motive there, they are simply items that were routinely being stolen.
Ben Ostrowsky — September 11, 2008
Hi, I'm Ben O., the photographer and submitter.
My description of the library images on Flickr point out a confounding factor: Consumer Reports is also kept behind the desk. That was true in an affluent suburb of Tampa, FL as well, though you didn't need to show an ID. Well, I didn't, anyway, but I'm white and male, and I can't say how others were treated. So it's definitely not an open-and-shut case.
I'm confident that theft would be the rationale for sequestering the magazines, though I hope that it would be based on a recorded history of lost issues rather than mere suspicion that they'd be more likely to be stolen.
And, for what it's worth, I'm a librarian and a huge fan of public libraries.
OP Minded — September 11, 2008
There are items in retail stores that are also kept behind counters and I've read in newspaper stories that they are disproportionately items purchased by African Americans (hair products especially). They are kept there because of a recorded instance of high shoplifting rates.
Anonymous — September 12, 2008
Actually, I was thinking about this just the other day.
I study social bilingualism, and on a recent visit to the United States, I noticed that in some retail stores, the only bilingual (english/spanish) signs were anti-shoplifting warnings. I suppose the question here is the same: did they really feel a need to include spanish because of a documented history of a higher rate of hispanophone shoplifters, or was it just an assumption?
Also, I would be more prone to label this particular practice as racist, since the bilingualism wasn't extended to other parts of the store.
Gwen Sharp, PhD — September 12, 2008
FYI--I added a note to the end of the post bringing up some of these issues you guys were discussing here.
acolyte — September 14, 2008
Certain magazines and books would appeal to a certain demographic who are more likely than not to make off with the magazine/book in some cases. So a reader of urban lit/jet/essence is more likely to make away with it than the reader of Popular Mechanics, People, Esquire or even Black Enterprise.
Harsh as it may sound the facts given by a librarian in this issue speak for themselves, the fact that the people who make off with them happen to be of a certain race is what in policy making we call adverse impact.
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