Tried finding a copy of 'The Satanic Verses' at my local library in Tennessee

I spent 45 minutes searching their online catalog and another 20 calling branches before a librarian finally told me it was "not available for check out" - code for removed from shelves after complaints. Has anyone else run into this kind of quiet censorship where the book isn't technically banned but you can't actually get it?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire6413d agoMost Upvoted

Oh, you've found the secret club where books disappear but nobody admits it... happens more than people think. My local library had a copy of "Lolita" mysteriously "checked out" for two years straight until I finally asked and got the runaround too. Guess they figured if you can't find it, it's not really banned, right? That logic would make my car's "check engine" light disappear if I just unplugged the battery... doesn't mean the problem's fixed. Sort of like when I hide my own vegetables in the back of the fridge and pretend they don't exist. But seriously, it's frustrating when the system quietly decides what you're allowed to read without ever telling you.

the_elizabeth13d ago

Honestly, that's some top-tier ninja librarian nonsense right there. "Not available for check out" is basically the library version of "the computer says no" but with a smile and a shush. At least when my school's copy of "Captain Underpants" went missing, the kids just admitted they hid it in the bathroom vent. Guess the quiet book banning club has better organizational skills than I do with my lesson plans.