Sports Illustrated’s racy swimsuit issue is being kept off library shelves across the country – but don’t blame the librarians.

Because of past complaints, the magazine made the decision not to send the Feb. 14 edition to 21,000 “institutional subscribers” last month. They included some public schools and the New York Public Library system.

“I have never seen this type of thing before in my life,” said Judith Krug, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the 66,000-member American Library Association.

“It’s upsetting because No. 1, we basically have a contractual relationship with [parent company] Time Inc. We have bought and paid for a year’s worth of issues and they have decided that millions of our patrons won’t have access to it.”

Library officials in Queens confirmed that borough branches had not received the issue. Brooklyn Public Library patrons were a little luckier.

“The librarian downstairs at the central branch is flipping through it right now,” said a spokeswoman, who said the library orders magazines through a subscription service.

At Queens College, library and information studies professor Mary Whelton said fellow librarians are abuzz over the missing issue.

“This is censorship forced on libraries by a public company,” said Whelton, 65. “A little exposed flesh is a small price to pay for literate readers.”

Sports Illustrated spokesman Rick McCabe acknowledged they’ve received complaints, and have worked out a way for institutional subscribers to get the swimsuit issue, albeit a month late.

“We are letting them know this week the exact way to get the issue if they want it,” McCabe said.