Over the past month, libraries in Georgia, Wisconsin and Florida have banned E L James'Fifty Shades of Grey romance trilogy. Some libraries are taking the novels--dubbed "mommy porn"--off the shelves or refraining from ordering them at all. Georgia Public Broadcasting reported last week that only six of the 51 public libraries that participate in the state's online library service will offer the series to patrons.

Book banning is nothing new. In fact, the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom has tracked attempts to ban at least 46 classics on the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century list. Considering its purple prose, I would say Fifty Shades is in pretty fancy company.

Last week, a spokesperson for Random House, the series' publisher, told TMZ that the publishing house “fervently opposes literary censorship and supports the First Amendment rights of readers to make their own reading choices.” (Of course, they do...) The conservative Christian perspective can be summed up in a YouTube review that calls the novel the "slimiest piece of filth Hell ever threw up." The Washington Post reports, "... experts contend that the novel and its two equally racy sequels...are having a positive impact on women's sexual health and wellness." (I'm waiting for the American Medical Association to chime in on that one.)

So how does a librarian deal with that one angry customer who demands a book be removed from circulation?

Library staff has to be prepared to answer to members of the community and should understand collection policies and procedures, especially those surrounding book challenges.

We spoke with David Belanger, Director of the Delaware County Library System, who shared with us the recommended book challenge process:

1. Thank the concerned individual for caring about the library and let him or her know that the library values community opinion.

2. Explain that the library has collection policies and a book challenge procedure in place.Ask the patron to first fill out a book challenge form and explain the nature of his or her complaint.

3. Give the form to the staff member responsible for collection development or book selection, who reviews submitted book challenge and shares it with the library director.

4. The director will often inform the board of trustees that there has been a complaint. If the director is unable to resolve the issue, then the board will become the court of last resort.

5. If there are multiple complaints, the director should notify local government. (Note: This step should be considered only if the library is considered a department of the local government--the last thing politicians want is negative press suggesting that the library is wasting taxpayer money on inappropriate materials!)

If the complaint reaches step five, public pressure and the reluctance of elected officials to confront it will in many cases result in the book being taken off the shelves. Not a happy ending for any title.

Take some time to review your library's book challenge process. In the meantime, expect that publicity surrounding James' racy novels will skyrocket demand--the DCLS catalogue currently shows more than 755 holds!

Read The Guardian’s July 2012 article on Fifty Shades of Grey boosts local libraries.