DENVER — Library workers are pulling thousands of Spanish-language comic books from the shelves following complaints of pornographic and violent content while officials determine whether some books should be permanently removed.

About 6,500 ”fotonovelas,” popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries, have been temporarily recalled from Denver Public Library branches, library spokeswoman Celeste Jackson said on Thursday. The review could be completed by next week.

”Anybody for any reason can come in and say, ‘Is this right for the Denver Public Library collection?’ and we’ll take a look at it,” she said.

Fotonovelas are usually short books written as part of a sequence, like a television miniseries, and follow a single story line such as a crime mystery or romantic soap opera, said Hilda Estrada, program coordinator for Latino Issues Forum, a nonprofit advocacy group based in San Francisco.

”Recalling them all would be a mistake,” Estrada said. ”Some of them shouldn’t be in a library but many aren’t offensive to anyone.”

The Denver library system, which includes a large Spanish-speaking population, has been offering the fotonovelas for about 15 years but started receiving complaints last week after a local radio host said some books contained ”shocking” illustrations.

Greg Hollenback, producer for the Peter Boyles KHOW-AM talk radio show, said he found several fotonovelas at a Denver library branch that contained sketched illustrations of sexual activity and violence toward women.

Hollenback insisted the issue was raised to protect children and had nothing to do with what language the books were written in.

”This is not a Spanish-English thing. This is a graphic materials for minors issue,” he said.

Earlier this week, groups saying they were concerned about illegal immigration issues protested outside the Denver Central Library with some calling for the resignation of City Librarian Rick Ashton for what one protester called ”peddling porn.”