By: Meriam I., Kristin, Michelle, Celine, Katelyne Mck.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

How should libraries deal with books written by authors who have engaged in objectionable or criminal behaviors?
Ultimately it depends on the content of the book and not the
author themselves. If the book is enjoyable and there is nothing harmful within
it, then there is nothing wrong with the book. The author is a separate entity
and the book is an inanimate object and should take no blame for this person’s
actions. There can be concern over the book when the objectional behaviour of
the author becomes public knowledge. This can include patron concerns over
their libraries keeping these books on the shelves, and the effect that knowledge
of this behaviour has on the sales of the books. However, the library has already
purchased the book so there will be no further gains for the author because it
has already been paid for and all proceeds the author would have received would
have been received before this occurred. After the objectionable behaviour of
the author is made public knowledge, the library can choose not to purchase any
more books written by that author. The purpose of libraries is to bring
knowledge to people, and if they have already spent money and acquired books,
there is no real need for them to remove the book from the shelves. People will
also have already read the books and enjoyed it. These people might wish to
read the book again, or they might have recommended it to others without being
aware of the actions of the author. These people would not want the book to be
removed from the shelves because of the actions of the author. Some people
might also develop ideas about the author and be curious to see what the author
has written which could increase circulation of the book. There is also the
possibility that authors could use pseudonyms. If an author uses a pseudonym before
their actions become public knowledge, their name might not even be attached to
the book in the public eye because the public is often not aware of these pseudonyms
or what they are. This would reduce controversy with the public over whether
the book should be removed from the shelves or not. This is also true if the author
begins to use a pseudonym after the public becomes aware of their actions. This
would prevent many in the public from becoming aware of the connections between
the books and the author which could make the decision to keep the book easier to
make.
It is also important to consider whether the author is
actually guilty of the behaviours they have been accused of. There can be cases
where there were mistakes made and the author might not have done the thing
they have been accused of or the situation could have been exaggerated by the
media. If the author has not done the thing they have been accused of, it would
be unfair to remove their books from the shelves based on misconceptions and
mistakes that have made them unpopular with the public.
In short, it is ultimately up to the library whether or not
they should remove the book because of the actions of the author. It was the author
that chose to do what they did and the book is not connected to these actions
and should not be affected by them.