Re: LM_NET Digest - 30 Oct 1995 - Special issue

[Leigh Ann Jones <jlaj@TENET.EDU>]

Mr. Harmon raised some excellent points concerning restricted shelves.
Last year during a censorship controversy at our school, the school board
wanted to set up such a shelf.  ALA's Intellectual Freedom Office was
very clear that any sort of labeling or restriction was a violation of
intellectual freedom.  Requiring parental permission prevents free access
to minors.

By setting up a restricted shelf, are you possibly paving the way for a
larger problem?  What happens if there is a book you fail to put on the
restricted shelf that offends a parent?  What if a volunteer or an aide
checks out a book to a child without parent permission?  What if a
student reads a friend's book without parent permission?  Let's leave
what students read to their parents and we can spend our time selecting,
not censoring books.

Leigh Ann Jones