Prurience is served

Coming to a public library near you

Lechers, rejoice! Your public library is working hard to make sure that your bikini-babe ogling will continue unabated:

Sports Illustrated’s bikini-filled swimsuit issue soon might show up on central Ohio library shelves after magazine executives reversed a decision to withhold it from such institutions.

The annual issue of the magazine — this year featuring "Yesica and 20 other exotic models" — was not sent to 21,000 subscribers such as libraries and schools, prompting complaints and confusion among librarians nationwide. [...]

Leslie Burger, president of the American Library Association, said in a statement that the magazine’s decision was "an infringement on the First Amendment rights of library users and an unwarranted attempt to censor the materials available in our nation’s libraries."

Sports Illustrated agreed.

"It was a bad decision made within our organization to withhold the issue," said Rick McCabe, spokesman for the magazine. "We won’t be withholding the swimsuit issue in the future."

The decision came from a group of editorial employees responsible for the routine practice of removing tobacco and alcohol ads in copies of the magazine sent to libraries and schools.

As John Ciardi once observed, the public library is the most dangerous place in town. May it be ever so.

(Cross-posted.)