Is it immoral to volunteer at the library?

[BlessedWife]

I have been volunteering at my local library shelving books. There are some books which might be considered morally inappropriate (graphic romance novels, horror stories, anti-God, etc.). I found that there are quite a few of these books in the general (mostly adult) section of our library. I worked in this section for two weeks and simply could not take this any longer. Not wishing to leave entirely, I asked to be moved to the children’s section. For the most part this has worked out much better, but, sadly, there are still some morally inappropriate books even in the juvenile section. I really appreciate good literature and love working with books. I enjoy helping others foster a love for reading. But, due to the inappropriate books, am I sinning by continuing to volunteer at the library? Also, should I go to confession for the two weeks I volunteered in the adult section?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

While there are no doubt books in a library that can be damaging to faith and morals, my sense is that it is possible that you are scrupling overmuch about the books you are shelving. From what you’ve reported here, I do not think it is immoral to volunteer at a library, either in the general or juvenile sections, and I do not think you need to confess your time working in the general section.

Recommended reading:

Evangelizing Your Library by Nancy Carpentier Brown (sidebar 1, sidebar 2, sidebar 3)