Please visit your Barnes and Noble, Borders or Books-a-Million and Report Back so we Can Post Your ReportBe Sure to Include Your City and State <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
 
The following is an e-mail we received on June 12 at 11:00am. We sent this e-mail to a local press person with Greg's e-mail address and they confirmed the story independently. Here is the e-mail this father sent us:
Mr. Howse,My family lives in Collierville.  A few weeks ago, we visited the B&N at Carriage Crossing with our family.  I was looking at some books in the children's section with my six-year-old son when I came across a book similar to the one which you found.  I quickly grabbed it so my son didn't see it, told my wife what I had found and took it to the information desk.  At that time, they indicated that it was not the first time that such material had been found in the children's section.  Given that this appears to be a repeating pattern, our family will no longer be visiting the Collierville Barnes & Noble -- though in all honesty, we are moving to the Birmingham at the end of this month and so were not likely to visit many more times in any event.I thought you might find this information of use.Yours,Greg LaughlinAssociate Dean for Information Resources and Law Library Director and Associate Professor of Law at the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />University of Memphis.
 
Dear Brannon,
After hearing the story about what happened in Collierville, Tennesee my wife and I decided to look into our own Barnes and Noble to see where we would identify the same book.  What we found horrified me.  Next to the Geography and Sociology section, was the section that the book belonged (Gay and Lesbian).  Granted this was not near the children's section which is distinctly separated from all other sections and no bathrooms next to it.  However, we found the book not on the top shelf or even near it.  It was plainly seen at knee level (I stand 6' 2" so this would be around 2 feet high at most) with no cellophane wrapping and where any 3 year old could reach out and grab it.   In addition, we identified 4 other very pornographic books right next to it.  That being said, apart from my local Minnesota state and federal legislators who would you recommend I contact to review our local pornography ordinances and look into this issue.  It really terrified me that it was that readily available for any child to reach.  I am attaching my contact information so I can proceed forward on this:John M. (last name removed)Rochester, MN 55904Phone (507) (phone number removed)Thanks!John
 
 
Dear Brannon,Hi I am in disgust of this story and a similar thing happened to me as I was in the Rochester NY Barnes and Noble.  I was with my 15 yr. old daughter just wandering around as she looked for a particular present. and right in front of me with  the cover facing me, was a large "coffee" table book at the eye level of a child. In order  for you  to understand the disgust I have to share  the title as embarrassing as it is....( the art of oral sex.) The cover itself was invading. I never would have imagined there would be such a book like this there. To my ignorance, I didn't even think there was a category like this in the store just one isle over from the main isle. I felt victimized and angry. I went to the manger to complain, and was told that corporate tells us how to put the books out. Basically it was  a "deal with it" attitude.
             I notified my county executive via e-mail, but there was no response. There has to be a way to warn parents that these books are available and  openly displayed and not in any type of secluded area.
  Please keep me updated, on your 'boycott'.  I have done my own personal boycott and haven't returned since the incident 6 months ago.
 Thank You and God Bless,
Tonya
 
Dear Mr. Howse:
 
I recently read your article entitled "Eleven-year-old Exposed to Gay Porn at Barnes & Noble" and signed the petition to Barnes & Noble. Thank you for taking action against Barnes & Noble in this matter. I am a part-time employee at a Barnes & Noble. For the entire term of my employment, I have expressed disapproval at the prominent displaying of pornographic material, both heterosexual and homosexual, in our store.
 
Barnes & Noble encourages employees to use the "We Listen" program to express their concerns. At the beginning of my employment, I e-mailed the "We Listen" department, stating my concern about our store's "Love and Sex" bookcase. Here we find books with covers featuring completely nude men and women in sexually-intimate poses. All the books are faced out so customers can view the sexually-explicit covers. In response to my protest against the "Love & Sex" bookcase, the "We Listen" department defended the bookcase, claiming Barnes & Noble places bookcases considered "offensive to our customer base" in less visible locations. In my store this was hardly the case, since "Love & Sex" faced the Mystery section and was partially visible from a seating area.
 
As a bookshelver at Barnes & Noble, I have always refused to shelve pornographic material, whether homosexual or heterosexual. At the beginning of my employment, I made every attempt to send pornographic books back to the publishers, hide them in our backstock room, or just refuse to shelve them. A few months ago, the store manager confronted me about my refusal to shelve pornographic material. I told her point-blank, "I don't believe these books should be sold." In response, she told me Barnes & Noble doesn't believe in "censorship". Frankly this is a poor excuse, considering Barnes & Noble participates in an indirect form of censorship. For example, have you ever seen a book criticizing homosexuality at Barnes & Noble? Not only that, there are plenty of titles from religious publishers Barnes & Noble never carries. Is this not censorship?
 
Please know you have my full support in this fight against the sale and prominent display of pornography at Barnes & Noble. May God bless your work.
 
J. Riordan