Banned Book "Fifty Shades of Grey" on the Shelf at Fort Bragg Library

Many public libraries in several states are pulling the steamy romance trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" from shelves or have opted out of ordering it over the recent controversy of the content.

While the book has been pulled from shelves at libraries in Wisconsin, Georgia and Florida, the book is on the shelf at Fort Bragg's and the librarian said there is a waiting list to check out the single copy. 

The online database shows that the book is on the shelves and that the books on cd are on order with 144 requests by patrons for it. The director of the library was not available for comments about the book series.

Fayetteville's was asked if sales traffic or orders for the book have increased and they declined to comment referring me to their corporate office. 

Upon calling the corporate office with questions about the controversial book, I was routed through six people before being put on hold and given an incorrect e-mail address to route my media inquiry through. Not quite what I had expected from a book empire. I fully expected them to take ownership for any book that they peddle on their shelves.

Not many books have been banned over the years so this has made the popularity of the book skyrocket even more. In turn, banning a book carries weight because libraries still play such a vital role in providing people access to books. Not everyone has converted to an e-reader and some prefer the old-fashioned feel of a book, while others still prefer to check out books free of charge through their local library. Personally, I like to turn the pages in an actual book.

"When a book is removed from the shelf, folks who can't afford a Nook or a Kindle, the book is no longer available to them," said Deborah Caldwell Stone, the deputy director of the American Library Association's office for intellectual freedom in an Associated Press report.

According to recent book reviews, "Fifty Shades of Grey," is a novel about bondage, wild sex and love. Many literary sites and radio personalities have been referring to the book as "mommy porn" because of its popularity among the middle-aged female population. 

Here's the rub, in case you are curious. Book reviews basically paint the book to be about the main character, Anastasia Steele, a virgin who has just graduated college, meets Christian Grey, a rich and dashing young entrepreneur. The two become involved in an S&M relationship that is graphically described throughout the book as they navigate the course of their relationship.

The "Fifty Shades" trilogy took a nontraditional route to its paperback form. The author self-published in e-reader form, and many people felt comfortable reading it on tablets because those devices kept the novel mostly private, unlike a hardcover book. It was also published by a small press in print-on-demand trade paperback editions.

Because of the books e-popularity, Vintage Books, a division of Random House Inc., acquired the rights and published them April 3. According to an Associated Press report, the books have sold 3 million copies in all formats, the publisher said, though it wasn't clear how many were in paperback.