TINTIN BOOK REMOVED FROM CIRCULATION AT BROOKLYN LIBRARY

LIBRARY POLICIES OFTEN ALLOW PATRONS TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE VARIOUS CONTENT THEY FIND OBJECTIONABLE, AND THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION REPORTS THAT IT'S AWARE OF UP TO 700 FORMAL BOOK CHALLENGES A YEARS. EVEN SO, THE ASSOCIATION SAYS IT OPPOSES GETTING RID OF BOOKS, OR RESTRICTING ACCESS TO THEM, EVEN IF THEY ARE OFFENSIVE TO THE LIBRARIAN OR LIBRARY PATRONS. IN RARE CASES, A FORMAL OBJECTION WILL BE UPHELD BY LIBRARY OFFICIALS, AND THE BOOK PLACED IN A LESS ACCESSIBLE AREA WHILE STILL REMAINING IN THE COLLECTION.
THAT'S HAPPENED AT A BROOKLYN LIBRARY, WHERE A COPY OF TINTIN AU CONGO, THE SECOND BOOK, PUBLISHED 79 YEARS AGO, IN BELGIAN CARTOONIST HERGE'S FAMOUS SERIES ABOUT AN ADVENTUROUS REPORTER, WAS MOVED IN 2007 FROM THE LIBRARY'S PUBLIC AREAS TO A LOCKED BACK ROOM THAT'S ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO STAFF MEMBERS. THE MOVE CAME AFTER A PATRON HAD OBJECTED, AS OTHERS HAVE, TO THE WAY AFRICANS ARE PORTRAYED IN THE BOOK. IN PARTICULAR, THE PATRON TOOK ISSUE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS THAT SHE FELT HAD THE AFRICANS 'LOOKING LIKE MONKEYS', BUT OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE BOOK HAVE ALSO DRAWN CRITICISM OVER THE YEARS, FROM THE BROKEN FRENCH THAT THE NATIVES SPEAK TO THEIR GENERAL SIMPLE-MINDEDNESS. NEW YORK CITY LIBRARIES HAVE RECEIVED ALMOST TWO DOZEN WRITTEN OBJECTIONS TO MATERIAL SINCE 2005, BUT THE TINTIN BOOK IS THE ONLY CHALLENGED ITEM TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE OPEN STACKS, LIBRARY OFFICIALS SAID.