Wednesday, March 14, 2007

She shelved an itsy bitsty teeny weeny bikini covered magazine

Found this via the PubLib listserv

Columbus Dispatch | Issue put to rest: Libraries will get ‘SI’ swimsuit edition

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.

"I’ve never heard of that happening before," said Jay Kegley, acting manager of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Science, Business & News Division.

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.

In the next few days, McCabe said, SI will send a postcard to the institutions that will allow them to order a copy of the swimsuit issue.

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