This is a tricky one. While we want readers to feel free to be honest about the books they read – whether they loved them or hated them – they must also respect other readers’ choices.
It’s the difference between:
‘I couldn’t finish this book. I don’t like books with violence or bad language and this had both. It upset me.’
and
‘This is a sick book for sick people. I can’t imagine a normal person wanting to read it. I think it should be banned,’
The first comment is personal and written about the way the book made the reader feel and why. That’s fine – and we should encourage readers to articulate these feelings.
The second comment is a clear judgement on the person who chose the book and must be challenged. The bookchain organiser has a responsibility to explain to the reader that his/her comment is not acceptable and why. Give them a chance to re-write the comment without the personal attack on the reader who chose the book. If they refuse to do this, withdraw the comments sheet and remove the offending comment and explain why.
Remember, the job of the library is not to censor the books on its shelves but to buy a wide variety of books for a range of reading tastes. You can always quote your library authority’s official position on this. The responsibility lies with the adult reader to put down a book if it offends them and return it to the library.
The bookchain is about trying new things and taking risks with your reading. If you don’t like the book, you can say so, but don’t carry the criticism over to the person who selected it.