Hillsborough County parents can now choose what materials their children can access at public libraries

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County Public Libraries are implementing a new card system that will allow parents to choose if they want to restrict their children’s access to library materials, including books.

There are three different library card options for children up to 12-years-old and four different card options for teenagers 13- to 16-years-old.

New library card options for children (up to 12 years old):

• Child card: Can check out only children’s materials recommended for this age range.
• Child Plus: Can check out children’s materials, General Non-Fiction, and Classics.
• Child Unlimited: Can check out all library materials except for loanable technology.

For children that fall in this age range and already have library cards, their card defaults to the "Child Card," which is the most restrictive card under these new rules.

New library card options for teens (Ages 13-16):

• Teen Limited: Can check out children’s materials, general non-fiction, and classics.
• Teen Card: Can check out children’s materials, young adult fiction, young adult graphic novels, general non-fiction, and classics.
• Teen Plus: Can check out children’s materials, young adult fiction, young adult graphic novels, general non-fiction, classics, and R or non-rated DVDs without access to adult fiction
• Teen Unlimited: Can check out all library materials except for loanable technology

Parents can now choose the materials their children can access at a Hillsborough County public library. 

For teenagers that fall in this age range and already have library cards, their card defaults to the "Teen Card," which has restrictions on the library materials they can check out.  

"We just felt that there should be some type of parameters to put the parents in control of what the children can access and can’t access. Important to note: No books have been removed. There's no book banning whatsoever," Hillsborough County Commissioner Michael Owen said.

Owen proposed the idea for these rules to county commissioners.

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"What this does is the same thing that Netflix does, the same thing that Disney does: It puts parental controls in place because parents know their kids better than us as a government," Owen explained.

File: Library books

Parents must go to the library in-person to change their child’s type of library card.

"We've definitely had parents come by and change their kids’ access. And then we have had some that haven't, and that's totally your choice," Chely Cantrell, spokesperson for Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library.

For Heather Nelson, the choice for her three kids is unlimited access.  

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"I don't think that you're going to read anything in a book that's going to destroy you. I think you're going to read something in a book that's going to open your mind or make you want to ask questions," Nelson said.

There are several different library card options parents can choose for their children. 

Nelson has kids in sixth, seventh, and ninth grades and said she welcomes all conversations any book might bring.

"It's my job as a parent to guide and offer alternatives to maybe things that are not great, but I certainly don't want them to not have access to anything. I don't want to be the starting point for a full restriction either," Nelson shared.

Once teenagers turn 17, their card becomes an adult library card with full access. 

For more information on library cards, click here.