Vandal Splices PornInto IntoBrooklyn Public Library Videos
After investigation, prankster is caught--but one overlooked tape remains to shock unwitting family
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 07/15/2009
- investigation launched following complaints
- 18 tainted tapes found
- assemblyman rails against library lending videos
Well, there may now be another reason for libraries to complete the transition from VHS to DVD (and beyond): the chances of a prankster vandalizing the collection to dub in pornography goes down significantly.
The New York Post reported yesterday that a grandmother who borrowed a VHS copy of the PG-13 film Austin Powers from the Borough Park branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) for her three grandchildren, ages seven to 15, found the film dubbed with X-rated footage. She notified her assemblyman, Dov Hikind, a social conservative popular in the Orthodox Jewish community of Borough Park, and Hikind is now demanding a ban on VHS tapes at local libraries.
BPL, it turns out, had received complaints about porn overdubs earlier this year and had subsequently conducted an internal investigation. Apparently about 18 tapes out of 35,000 had been tampered with in this way. BPL reported the incident to the police, who made an arrest.
Since then, this is the only tainted tape to have emerged. “BPL is committed to providing a high level of service that everyone—especially parents and children—can rely on and trust,” said marketing and communications director Jason Carey in response to a query from LJ. “We conducted this test to ensure the integrity of our materials for all our customers. We are 100 percent committed to ensuring that our materials and locations are safe spaces for everyone. We are sorry for the inconvenience this caused to the family.”
