Redcardlibrarian writes “Quote of the week
“The Constitution exists precisely so that opinions and judgments, including esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature, can be formed, tested and expressed. What the Constitution says is that these judgments are for the individual to make, not for the government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of the majority…”
— Anthony Kennedy, Supreme Court Justice, in United States et al. v. Playboy Entertainment Group, Inc.
A RECENT POSTING on the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) listserv caught my attention. A library school student asked the list members for comments or opinions on book censorship in schools. One of the members of this list posted a link to a blog called “Let them read books!” (letthemread.blogspot.com).
It is written by Mary Zdrojewski, who is a graduate student in the School Library Media program in the University of Buffalo’s School of Information. She begins with a description of a children’s literature class she took a few years ago and the short amount of time given to discussing the censorship or challenges of children’s literature.
What she finds most difficult is they were given complaint forms and rote answers, and an effort was made to avoid conflict by avoiding certain books. Isn’t this censorship, she asks?
is it censorship?
Yes. Nothing wrong with it. We do it everytime we decide not to buy something, regardless of the reason.
The reason there wasn’t a lot of time spent on the issue of challenges is that for all the hype its still a small part of your job.
You’ll notice the quote doesn’t say minors = adults.
Re:is it censorship?
No it doesn’t, and we don’t purchase books as if they do.
Re:is it censorship?
Rainbow Party
Re:is it censorship?
Censorship and selection are two different things. Selection is a decision of what to include in a collection. Few libraries can choose to purchase every book, CD, or film.
Censorship involves suppression and purposefully restricts users from material based on moral judgement.
There is an importance difference here that can be difficult to ascertain.
I find this topic challenging and would be interested to hear what others think.
Re:is it censorship?
Its true we can’t afford to buy it all but not every item that isn’t bought is on the grounds of expense.
Re:is it censorship?
It is not censorship to opt for a higher quality product, it is censorship to reject a work on the grounds of content or viewpoint. Harkening to Tomeboy’s favorite nightmare, most pornography is of abysmally low quality. Given a choice, I’d rather have Michaelangelo’s David than a subscription to T&A-orama. That does not mean that I am preventing you from subscribing to it if that’s what turns your crank.
Re:is it censorship?
I’m sorry, but to select something is different from censoring it. Although, I will admit some people might use the excuse of the first to do the second.
From merriam webster.com:
“censor
Function: transitive verb
: to examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable”
Compare with:
“select
Function: verb
transitive senses : to choose (as by fitness or excellence) from a number or group : pick out
intransitive senses : to make a choice”
It may be a fine distinction, but they are not one and the same. Fine distinction is one reason we have so many words in the English language.
s/