Oh, No, The Dreaded Book Ban Challenge! Oh, No, The Dreaded Book Ban Challenge! The day every librarian dreaded occurred for when the parent of a first grader checked out a nonfiction book about ghost. The parent shall be referred to as Mrs. Green, proceeded to rant and rave about why her child was allowed to check out such a book. Mrs. Green escalated to name calling, implying her child was scared, wanted the book removed to the library and with threatening to sue. Next, after calmly listening to her complaint, an explanation that there was a policy and procedure for challenging a book. An attempt was made to explain the library functions on the concept of intellectual freedom. Mrs. Green was given a copy of the district challenge/ban policy and a pamphlet on the steps for filing a challenge. Mrs. Green was made aware that even though I listened to her complaint, she needed to put the complaint in writing. “The librarian should stress that no action is taken unless a written request for reconsideration of the item is received within the amount of time specified by the school’s policy” (Adams, 2010) According to AASL (2008), “Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession, and Article V of the Library Bill of Rights …show more content…
My opening argument was that the parent wasn’t taking in consideration removing the book will affect others. “Some of the more volatile censorship cases have come from books when the reading and maturity level do not match up, says Pat Scales, school librarian and columnist for School Library Journal.” (Hill, 2010) Yes, according to information from the ALA website: the Office for Intellectual Freedom reports from 2000 to 2009 there were “989 challenges due to materials deemed “unsuited to age group ” C.” That would be the category Mrs. Green complaint should likely fall under. (Adams, 2010 &
The respondents, including Steven Pico, Jacqueline Gold, Glenn Yarris, Russell Rieger (students at Island Trees High School), and Paul Sochinski (student at Island Trees Memorial), argued that banning the books from school libraries violated their first amendment rights. Therefore, the respondents took the case to court (I...
In the article How Banning Books Marginalizes Children, the author, Paul Ringel, states that approximately fifty-two percent of the books banned in the last ten years illustrate “diverse content”, such as race, religion, gender identity, etc. Ringel believes that attitudes about which books are “appropriate” for kids to read have too often suppressed stories about different cultures and life experiences. He basis his argument around the pretext that when libraries stop the banning it will allow kids to learn how to navigate imaginary worlds filled with differences and apply those lessons to their own lives.
Have you ever read a book and wondered “How is this book allowed in public libraries?” Most students do not pay attention to content; however, many parents disagree with the content their children are reading, whether the book is being taught in class or the child picked it up in the school library. Surprisingly, some school librarians and teachers disagree with certain books permitted in schools. The book Forever by Judy Blume is an example of a challenged and controversial book. Judy Blume is a children’s book author, which most people would not think that her books have been challenged.
That means because a political viewpoint is offensive to some one, it is inappropriate for a school library. What this leads to is children who will become legal adults, who can vote, that can say the reason they believe the way they do is because that is what their parents believe. That is an informed decision, which is what causes an ignorant society. Judith Krug, of ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Office, has written: “ Censorship limits the ability of future voters and leaders to discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood, appropriate mode of operation as opposed to inappropriate.” (Flowers, Helen. “Inquiring Students Want to Know: Who Tries to Ban Books and Why?” #31) Books open up a different point of view that may be what a person of any age needs to make an informed decision. Charles William Eliot said it best when he said “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of
Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A.: a Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994. Print.
There is a difference between banned books and challenged books. According to the American Library Association (ALA), “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group (About banned, para. 2). A banned book is when a book or other reading material is removed from certain locations and not available. For example, one of the most challenged books in the 21st century is The Giver by Lois Lowry (100 Most). The novel, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sheman Alexie was banned in high school in Oregon because a parent complained that the book was offensive (Doyle, 3).
Books are not always good for kids, they often show and tell them to do things they should not do. Do you think books show defiance? Most books have back stories or they are stores that are made it. Goldilocks and the Three Bears should be banned from the library shelves because Goldilocks blatantly defines authority, teaches children that defying authority is ok, and the book inspires children to flagrantly defy authority.
... Controls Ideology." Libricide: The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2003. 236-238. Rpt. in Book Banning. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) defines censorship as: “The removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic, or educational materials… of images, ideas, and information…on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of standards applied by the censor” (Miner 1998). In schools there are three types of censorship, one type is a “parent who doesn’t want their child to read a particular book. Another is a parent, teacher, administrator, or school board member who argues that no one in the class, or school should read the book in dispute. Lastly, there is censorship that involves someone who is part of an organized campaign, whether of a local or national group, and who goes in ready for a fight and wants to make a broader political point” (Miner 1998). Although there are many others ways that a piece of literature could get censored, most censored works are asked to be removed from classrooms and school libraries.
Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do administrators and school boards have the right to ban books? Are we taking away the rights of children to read? In case of Island Trees Schools District V. Pico in New York, the Supreme Court gave the school board broad discretion to frame curriculum and teach civic and moral values. This case resulted in the school board removing ten books from the school library for being "anti-american, anti-christian, anti-semitic, and just plain filthy." Another case involving book banning was Hazelwood School District V. Kuhlmeier. In this case the Supreme Court again gave school officials the broad discretion to control curriculum. This time the court left open the question if this affects the school libraries. In Olathe, Kansas, the district's superintendent made the decision to remove all copies of Nancy Gardner's Annie On My Mind because of it imposing views for gay actions. This standpoint resulted in a public book burning by a homophobic community group. At Hempfield High School in Western Penn...
Every year in the United States we have books being banned and challenged by many people who do not like the contents of books. When researching for this argument essay I found an article written by Rebecca Hagelin. Rebecca Hagelin is the author of Home Invasion: Protecting Your Family in a Culture That’s Gone Stark Raving Mad and the vice president of communications and marketing at the Heritage Foundation (Lankford).
Censoring school books in libraries can often lead to censorship of our basic freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment. In some cases, a minority ends up dictating the majority in censorship
Brinkley describes a few actions that can lead to the censoring of a book in a school or school system: An expression of concern is simply a question about the material with overtones of disapproval; an oral complaint is an oral challenge to the contents of a work; a written complaint is a formal written challenge to the school about the contents of a work; and a public attack is a public statement challenging the contents of a work that is made outside of the school, usually to the media to gain support for further action (1999). Brinkley also points out an important difference between selection and censorship: Selection is the act of carefully choosing works for an English course that will be age-appropriate, meaningful, and fulfill objectives, while censorship is the act of excluding works that some con...
Censorship, the stifling of words, images, and ideas that are considered offensive, occurs whenever a person or group of people is able to successfully impose their views and morals onto others. Censorship, particularly book censorship, often takes place in the United States of America, and often leads into many books being unfairly challenged and banned (Book Censorship). The banning of books is most often motivated by the instinct to shield children from reading sexually inappropriate material or offensive language. However, while the incentive behind challenging and banning books is admirable, an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights maintains that “librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents----and only parents----- have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children--- and only their children---- to library resources” (About Banned & Challenged Books). The First Amendment right is violated when anyone other than these children’s parents decides what is right for them to read. Many books are unfairly banned. An example of one type of book is The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. The Bell Jar was banned at Warsaw Community High School, at Warsaw Indiana, due to the controversial ideas seen in the book, including: rejection of social roles and sexuality (Sova 41).
Threats to intellectual freedom have existed since the printed word. History has seen bitter censorship battles over what should and should not be published, sold, and read. The fight for intellectual freedom has been long and complex, and many agencies have been involved in the process. For example, in 1954, libraries had difficulty importing materials from behind the Iron Curtain. The post office had taken on the role of the censor and had labeled certain papers "unmailable" and refused to deliver them (Newsletter, January, 1954, 7). The Civil Rights era was also a difficult time for our country, and libraries were not exempt from its pressures. On August 11, 1962, a federal court ordered the public library in Montgomery, Alabama to desegregate its reading and browsing areas. The very next day in Albany, Georgia, "several Negro youths went into the public library, [and] the building was immediately closed 'indefinitely in the interest of public safety'" (Newsletter, October, 1962, 1). Even as late as 1962, intellectual freedom was still a dream. There was not equal access to information. The reaction of this library actually impeded the access to all users in an attempt to discriminate against the few.