In visiting a branch of BPL that was right outside of Borough Park I was saddened to see how the cultural and religious beliefs of these teenagers so greatly influenced their reading habits. It seems as though they have to truly hide who they are from their community and from themselves. This leads to a high theft rate of books and materials that fall outside of what is acceptable material. The librarian who works at this branch is originally from the Midwest is frustrated by the role of the Rabbi in the community and the teens seeming inability to question anything.
I fear more for the teens who don't quite fit into this cookie cutter mold. We all yearn for a sense of community, but belonging to a community which we do not truly fit can put teens in a very painful place.
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I agree that this is sad, but maybe it's comforting to know that this is a nation-wide phenomenon across nearly every state, and I can bet you that libraries keep buying copies of high-theft materials so that these teens can continue to steal them. Other libraries devise methods where teens can take these materials out without putting them on their card. There's always a way around, and librarians are great at helping teen navigate this path.
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