OQIU
friday, September 28, 1973
lincoln, nebraska vol. 97 no. 18
Libraries house
risque literature
By Tam Mehuron
As a result of the recent obscenity trial involving John
Serafine, and the possibility of removing "pornographic"
books from the Lincoln Public Libraries, the Daily Nebraskan
investigated possibly obscene materials in the UNL libraries.
First, what makes a book obscene?
According to Webster, pornography consists of "writings,
pictures, etc., intended to arouse sexual desire."
The problem comes in that what may be objectionable to
one person may not be to another.
These conflicting individual attitudes lead to another
problem, censorship.
Concerning the presence of possibly objectionable books,
UNL library director A.C. Breckenridge said that reading
material on the UNL library bookshelves legally cannot be
censored.
Breckenridge said censorship regulations deal specifically
with commercial aspects such as advertising, mail and
booksellers, but no libraries are involved.
He referred to a legislative act of 1887 which states that
"Nothing . , . shall be construed to prevent the relevant
references to, or accounts or portrayal of-nudity, sex ... in
religion, art, literature, history . . . education (and) public
libraries, where the matter enumerated in this section does not
treat such subjects in a manner appealing to a prurient interest
t f
When asked what, if any, possibly pornographic books
were in the library, Breckenridge said, "I don't know because
we aren't censors, and we (UNL library staff) don't propose to
be censors under any circumstances."
With this background information, the Daily Nebraskan
questioned library personnel about obtaining possibly obscene
materials. When asked about the subject, one student library
aide said, "I don't want to touch this" and referred the
reporter to an older bearded assistant. a
He said most of the desired books could be found in what
is called the cage, but only authorized personnel were allowed
inside.
The books are there not to deprive students of their use,
but to prevent the books from being stolen and fvv'ng pages
torn out, he said.
To obtain "pornographic" book titles, the assistant enlisted
the aid of yet another staff member, a French woman.
With her help, the reporter sifted through three catalog
files containing titles of possibly objectionable books. The
majority are written in French ("because they know more
about these things," said the aide), German, Latin and English,
in that order.
Books investigated included: The New Exoticism:
Theories, Vogues and Canons by Philip IMobile; Dictionnaire
Erotique Moderne by Alfred Delvau, a French dictionary of
sexua! terms; and a Latin dictionary, Glossarium Eroticum
Linguae Latinae, by Pierre Pierrugues.
A History of Pornography by H. Montgomery Hyde, also
was investigated for background information.
The Daily Nebraskan was unable to obtain Erotic
Fantasies, a study of the sexual imagination by Phyllis
Kronhausen, tand The Curiosity: Or Gentleman and Lady's
Library. The library lost the latter in 1971, according to a
library staff member at Nebraska Hall. Kronhausen's book was
"mysteriously" missing.
Two of the more explicit books included Gordon Grimley's
Wicked Victorians: An Anthology of Clandestine Literature of
the 19th Century and Manual of Classical Erotology by
Fi it-ill id) Kai I Foi beig.
In oidor to obtain the Manual of Classical Erotology, the
libraiy's ciiculation desk kept the reporter's student ID until
tin.1 book was returned.
For berg's work consisted of chapters devoted to
copulation, pederastia, irrumation (fellatio), cunnilingues and
group intercourse, among others. The book was scholarly in its
approach, with excerpts from Greek and Latin authors. Ovid,
the Master of Love's Mysteries invites pretty women to take
this posture (natural) by preference:
"Sim; you reckon up each of your charms and take your
Ijostun! according to your beauty. One and the same mode
docs not become eveiy woman. You are especially attractive
of face; then lie on your back."
Although the above passage may be offensive to some,
others may find it totally acceptable, which illustrates the
pioblem of deciding what is pornographic and what is not.
Despite the statement in the manual's foreward which said
thai "Those persons . . . who may peruse it as a means of
awakening voluptuous sensations will be severely disappointed
. . .", this lepottcr found that, with the explicit sexual
desciiptions, one would not necessarily be disappointed if he
wan'ed to lead
Please see porno, Page 9.
VjfrmV ylherce shoi5 1
P Wicked VqtoriS be exposed! 1
We kept melting freezing andTOK J tQ bfi thou 1
Myi?irtSlantE5TL 7 to amuse, f 1
When W&m f$fVT she does ni I
And Mary, she woldered my hr 1 f qwA IV
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And all the frost's Jr.c which o V casuaI CUS T
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if ll That I wisthsnould lasy L caprices ofi jV
1 1 X r obliges tnakrf ill
JP5) THEJJ'HORE'S cTjH j obj;ct JT
1 QWhat are the most rctyisite qualy Jl '
(fl A. Impudence, complaisance, and mcTtf
1 Q What do you mean by impudence? fjf . .
A. I mean that a girl who gives hejjf 9r
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Five appointed to Pub Board;
ASUN-CSL brouhaha settled?
By Jane Owens
The controversy between ASUN and the
Council on Student Life (CSL) ovei
Publications Committee, sometimes referred to
as Pub Board, appointments has been settled, at
least temporarily.
Following an hour-long closed executive
session Thursday, the council appointed five
students to fill positions on the Publications
Committee. The committee is the publishei of
the Daily Nebraskan.
Named to the committee were Kelly Baker,
Sam Brower, Bob O'Neal, Karen Richardson
.and Ron Sindelar.
Appointees were chosen from a list of five
nominees and three additional qualified names
that the ASUN Senate sent to the council.
In response to a request made by a CSL
peace delegation at Wednesday's senate
meeting, the list of eight names was submitted
to CSL with the understanding that the oiiginal
five nominees were the ones iho senate wished
to sec appointed.
CSL member and peace delegate Bill
Freudenburg earlier had said CSL requested
eight nominees for "historical reasons."
The 1972 Regents' Committee on Student
Publications Guidelines stated that the five
student Publications Committee members be
appointed by CSL, according to Freudenbuig.
No mention was made of ASUN, ho noted
but Chancellor James Zumberge last fall
recommended the ASUIM submit a list of 10
students' names to CSL. The council then
would select five committee appointments from
the list.
Because it was urqent that the committee be
established 1 his autumn, CSL asked 1he senate
foi a list of only eigln insiead of 10 nominees.
All Publications Committee appointees,
except Sindelar, weie included in ihe oiiginal
ASUN list of nominees,
A motion made by Freudenbuig that two
students appointees serve two yeai toirns on the
committee was postponed until next week.
CSL Chairman Don Shaneyfelt said he plans
to investigate the legality of appointing
students for two-year terms. He also plans to
ask each of the five appointees whether he
would be willing to serve a two-year term, he
said.
In other business, the council appioved a
letter to Ken Bacler, vice chancellor foi Student
Affairs, of feting its suppoi t in persuading
Nebraska state legislators to appropriate kinds
for implementing UNL financial aids progi ams.
In the letter, the council also asked Badei to
discuss the financial aids issue with oiher Big 8
Conference student personnel administratoi s at
a meeting scheduled for Oct. 2b and 20,
The council would like bodies similm to
ASUN oi CSL on othei campuses 10 join in a
"significant tegional effort" to inform Congnss
"of the impact recent changes and cuts in
financial aid 1o students has had on sludenis."
r
Vandals
damage
crew boat
Tin; UNL towing team is offering a S100 lewaid foi
information leading to Ihe an est and conviction of peisons
sponsible foi damaging tin; foui-man shi'll silting rioith of
the Nebraska Union Wednesday night, accoiding to Allen
Maybee, special advisei to the team.
May bee said the 35 foot shell, displayed to help recruit
team members, was dumx;d into the Bioyhill Fountain. He
estimated damage to the shell at S3, 80(3.
The shell, which had been repainted and icbuilt last
summer, was to Ik; a gift to Oklahoma Slate University
(OSU) to help start a rowing team there, he said. OSU was
to pick i up aftei the lall lowing season.
Maybee said the shell weighed lietweeii ?b0 and 300
pounds, so he suspects thai four or live persons were
involved. He asked that anyone with infoi matron legatding
tin. fl.irri.uin tfniMit in i he n;iil Nebraskar! office. He said
the informant's identity would not leveali-d.
