The first thing that got me about this one was the title. I mean, how awesome is the phrase "library wars"? Okay, I'm also a huge book nerd, so it wasn't difficult to get my attention with something that simple. Other readers would probably be drawn in by the adorable shojo-style cover and the shojo promises of romance and female-centric story lines with good-looking guys.
Library Wars has all of that, but includes something else — an odd twist on a dystopian (okay, maybe dystopia-light) world in the vein of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. In the future, the government passed The Media Betterment Act, which allowed for the government to create a special force to find and destroy objectionable material (in the government's opinion). However, there was a counter act passed that allowed for the libraries to protect and disseminate any books they wish, therefore not making them subject to the law, thus making the libraries a safe haven free of censorship. In order to combat the aggressive forces of censorship, the library created an elite defense force whose job it is to enforce the library law and protect books.
Iku Kasahara has wanted the join the force her entire life. Not just because she can protect books, but because of a chance meeting with the library defense forces as a child, where a mysterious (and of course attractive) gentlemen saved a collection of books from being confiscated. Finally old enough, Iku enlists in the library defense force and trains to become the best. Which, of course, is somewhat hampered by her instructor Master Dojo, who seems to have it out for her. In typical shojo-style it's implied that Iku may have a romantic relationship with Dojo or another force member, but she can't help thinking about the mysterious man who inspired her to join the force.
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