Quite a controversy has been stirred in the past few weeks over a single book at the Lewis and Clark Library.

The book, "The Joy of Gay Sex," was petitioned to be removed from the library's shelves after a Helena man stumbled upon it on one of his frequent visits to the library.

In a public hearing Tuesday night, the testimonies of supporters advocating to keep the book slightly outnumbered those who wanted it removed from the shelves.

The debate over this book, which has been available at the library since the early 1990s, resides over whether the content of the book belongs in a public library setting, paid for by taxpayer money, for all to see.

But the heart of the argument goes beyond the content of a single book and points to the type of resource a public library should be.

And it should be a place free of prejudice.

That means making available books that serve a wide variety of interests. A library should be the vehicle to learn, the portal to information.

Much like a newspaper, a library should be a reflection of the community in all the books and services it offers.

On the eve of Banned Book Week, Sept. 27 to Oct. 4, the only national celebration of the freedom to read, it's relevant to note the history behind the challenge of books in libraries, schools and bookstores.

Thousands of books have been challenged over the years, for reasons ranging from violence or sexuality, profanity and slang, racial and social.

It's interesting also to look at some classics that have banned from libraries in the past:

- "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain

- "Forever ..." by Judy Blume

- "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling

- "Beloved" by Toni Morrison

Indeed, nearly every book on the library shelf could potentially offend or disgust a reader. And there are some subjects which have no place anywhere.

Yet it would be a far greater disservice to a community -- and to democracy -- to have a library that censors what people can and cannot see.