Elkridge Reader Sounds Off on Library Spending

Looking to borrow a copy of the erotic thriller, Fifty Shades of Grey?

The New York Times bestseller by E.L. James is available at the Howard County Library, but expect a long wait.

Dubbed “mommy-porn" for its explicit account of the relationship between a student and her older lover, Fifty Shades of Grey is on hold at libraries in Howard, Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Montgomery and Baltimore counties.

One Elkridge resident, reportedly No. 847 on the Howard County waiting list, finally resorted to buying a copy and, after reading it, wrote a letter to the editor of The Washington Post this week about the hype.

"...the Howard County [library] system’s purchase of 100 copies of Fifty Shades of Grey is excessive," wrote Jude Ferraro of Elkridge.

Demand is excessive for the novel, according to library personnel.

In Howard County, the waiting list for the book has more than 900 people on it.

Baltimore County has more than 1,000 requests, said collection development coordinator Jamie Watson.

“...from the moment it hit...the holds grew and grew and grew, and there’s no tapering off,” she said.

Interest has grown—more than the Twilight and Harry Potter books, where popularity ebbed and flowed, said Watson.

At a few libraries in Maryland, you won't find the book ever. Harford County won't offer Fifty Shades of Grey, reports ExploreHarford.com, with one librarian calling the book “pornography."

In the letter to the Washington Post, Ferraro questioned government spending on such a book, writing: "Why is a library system using its undoubtedly limited resources on so many copies of this type of novel?"

"We have 99 copies of Fifty Shades of Grey, and 997 requests," said Christie Lassen, spokeswoman for Howard County Library, on June 13. "We also have 25 print copies (and 259 requests) and six audiobook copies (and 51 requests) of the second book, Fifty Shades Darker."

This article was updated to include comment from Howard County Library.

Tell us what you think. Are libraries justified in stocking up on Fifty Shades of Grey?