The Cumberland County Library's board of trustees decided to give parents who request it an option of a more restrictive library card for children under age 16. Before commenting on this decision, let's first set a few matters straight. The system'' never failed. A girl checked out a book her family deemed inappropriate for her to read. They took the book away from her.
Libraries lend books.
It's the absent parents who have failed to do theirs. Any county resident who asks a question about library policies or book selections should not be automatically tarred as a censor just for having asked it. The library is public. Library officials and library boards are as accountable for their decisions and policies as any other public official would be. Answering questions is a more agreeable task when asked for an explanation rather than ambushed by antagonistic campaigns.