LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Georgia Richards wrote:
> I am the new media specialist in a K-5 and haven't yet fully explored the
> collection. One of the faculty has handed me a book of poetry from our
> collection with the suggestion that I weed it out. I have not heard of
> this poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Every poem in it is written in what I can
> only describe as "dialect" which is extreme enough that most of our
> students would have difficulty deciphering it. My question is should I weed
> it out because
> 1. I really don't like things written in "dialect".
> 2. I doubt most of our students can read it.
> 3. It has been checked out 4 times since 1981, and that was to teachers not
> students.
>
> Or do I keep it because
> 1. It was written by a very remarkable young man, the son of a former
> slave. It was first published in 1895 though this is the 1968 edition.
> 2. According to the jacket "blurb" it is written "in this fine Negro poet's
> own soft dialect".
> 3. I really like his imagery and wish the poems were easier to read. If it
> was written in something closer to standard English I would keep it for at
> least another year and encourage the teachers and students to use it.
Georgia,
You may have already received similar advice, but since you solicited
information, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth.
I wouldn't discard the title based on a faculty member's recommendation;
you're the librarian, it's your library education, training, and
experience, it's your collection. As a new librarian, stake your claim
on your collection and don't get pushed around as the new person.
Remember, _Huckleberry Finn_ is also partially written in dialect, and
we all have that book in our libraries. Additionally, you shouldn't base
your discard options on your personal opinions or preferences; that
would open a whole can of worms regarding books on politics, abortion,
sex education, or HIV and AIDS in everybody's libraries. Rather,
weeding, or deselection, should be determined by what titles support
your school's current curriculum, what the book's physical condition is,
whether the nonfiction book has an index (one of my personal crusades),
whether the book is still popular and being used, whether is exists on
lists of books that each library must have, etc. All of the reasons we
learned back in library school.
Finally, we should all have aspirations that our students can
potentially glean some meaning or level of understanding from a book in
our library. Some books may, indeed, be above some student's cognitive
level, but it may be perfect for others. I would argue that if we don't
challenge student's reading levels, they're reading skills and even
their minds don't advance as quickly.
This is a thorny issue, and I look forward to more dialog on LM_NET,
Chris
--
Chris Turner, Librarian (mailto:turner@scnc.glps.k12.mi.us)
Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach
(http://scnc.glps.k12.mi.us/hs-sports/wrestling/home.htm)
Grand Ledge High School/225 W Kent St/Grand Ledge MI 48837
517-627-3354/517-627-1763 (Fax)
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