The Joy of Gay Sex will return to the shelves of the Nampa, Idaho, public library after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue for removing it and The New Joy of Sex back in June.
The ACLU wrote the Nampa Library Board a letter last week urging it to reverse its decision to ban the titles from open shelves, according to the Idaho Statesman. The books were then made available only to those who went to the library director's office and specifically requested them.
The five-member board met on Friday, deciding to publicly carry the books after a 3-2 vote.
The books have been in contention since 2005 when a Nampa resident complained that his friend's teenager saw The Joy of Gay Sex on a library table. The man unsuccessfully requested that the library board remove the books, but after board membership changed, he was able to sway the group this past spring.
The board said it removed the books from public shelves to protect minors from sexually graphic illustrations.
Friday's decision was not so much a change of heart but a change in policy, according to the Statesman. As a "matter of fiscal responsibility" the library board said it could not afford a potentially costly First Amendment lawsuit. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)
