An article online on School Library Journal discusses the censorship of controversial books in libraries. Using the example of book (that received rave reviews and awards) about a teacher-student relationship , the article describes how some librarians will exclude a book from their collection or recommendations even if they like it or believe it has literary merit, simply because they don't want to cause any trouble. By nature, self-censoring is more difficult to track than traditional challenges to library materials, and so no one really knows how big of a problem it is. An SLJ survey revealed that the main reasons a librarian chooses not to buy a book are sexual content (87%), objectionable language (61%), violence (51%), homosexual themes (47%), racism (34%), and religion (16%).
This is quite disturbing to me. One of the first things learned in library school is to not let your personal feelings about subjects interfere in your job to provide people with information. It seems that it would not be possible to entirely erase one's feelings from one's decisions, but at the same time it is a big problem if you realize you are self-censoring and you don't care. I absolutely despise the book Moby Dick, but I realize that it is a classic and one that a lot of people do enjoy.
Not selecting a book just because it might be controversial also confuses me; would it not be better to take the chance and back up your selection with relevant positive reviews when you might otherwise be underestimating your library patrons? I realize also that this article specifically concerns school libraries (though it affects all libraries); however, I also know that not all children are on the same reading level, and some may have things going on in their lives that are relevant to the "controversial" topics that may be presented in some of these books that aren't being selected.
I believe that the apparent attitude of some of these librarians is reflected in a quote from one of my school librarians. In one of my first library school classes, I was to interview a school librarian and ask about reconsiderations, banning, etc. When asked if there were any books she had had challenged, she replied, "No, we've been pretty lucky there. But there are some books that if they went missing, I would not replace them [because she didn't like the content, i.e. The Perks of Being a Wallflower]."
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ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to remain neutral when we feel strongly about a book or an issue but it is what differentiates those who have received professional training. We have a responsibility to be objective and not let our personal views about what a "kid" is or should be reading get in the way of letting the kids make their own choices.
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