In Europe, a Library Erotica Hotline

In the New World, this would never pass muster, but in Europe—Vienna, Austria, to be specific—the link between a library and erotica is apparently nothing to be ashamed of. Last month, city leaders devised a novel library fundraising idea. For 39 euro cents (or 53¢ US) per minute, callers to a “sex hotline” can hear Austrian actress Anne Bennent read excerpts from the city library's collection of 300 years' of erotic fiction. The money will help pay for the remodeling and expansion of the library, according to the International Herald Tribune.