BLOOMINGTON - A DVD available at Bloomington Public Library was called pornographic by one patron, but library officials say they work to balance community standards with the need to provide free access to information.

A Bloomington man complained earlier this week to library Director Georgia Bouda that the 2006 independent film "Shortbus," written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, was inappropriate for the library's collection.

Bouda confirmed the complaint was made, but The Pantagraph has been unable to contact the patron.

Bouda said the film is clearly marked as unrated and containing sexually explicit content. "Shortbus" has been described in reviews as a look at the sex lives of a group of New Yorkers.

"People are responsible for their own choices - that's what intellectual freedom is about," Bouda said. "When people sign up for a library card, they take responsibility for their choices."

There are no age restrictions on checking out anything in the library's collection.

However, Bouda said the library does have a process for reconsidering material if a patron raises a concern. Bouda and a panel of several librarians review the material, research it and then decide whether the material should stay on the shelves or be removed.

It takes about two weeks to complete the process, Bouda said. While the material is under review, it is off of the library's shelves.

"We are not here to legislate taste, but we do take concerns about material seriously," Bouda said.

In the roughly two years Bouda has served as director, about three pieces of library material have been questioned, and one of those items was pulled, she said.

"Shortbus" was added to the library's collection by the librarians assigned to that department, Bouda said.

A similar review process is in place at Normal Public Library, said library Director Brian Chase.

"Once we receive a form challenging the material, we review it, see what other libraries have and then make a decision," Chase said.

He added he was uncertain how often material at the Normal library is questioned because he only started as director earlier this year.

Chase said the foundation of Normal library's material selection policy is based on the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights.

"Libraries in general feel a responsibility to provide as much information as possible," said Dane Ward, associate dean for public services at Milner Library at Illinois State University. "Librarians work hard to protect that freedom of information."

Complaints about material are more common at public libraries than academic libraries such as Milner, Ward said. In his six years at Milner, Ward said he has not received any requests to pull material.

Choosing material also is different for Milner than the other public libraries because they are trying to select material that advances the university's curriculum or research, Ward said.

"What we are looking for is a little more specific, and if anything, we get requests for material that we cannot afford to add because of our limited budget," Ward added.