As the Intellectual Freedom chair of our Virginia Educational Media
Association, I felt that I wanted to respond to George Anne's Harry Potter
censorship dilemma. This is exactly the situation that can occur very
quickly. Events can get out of hand with even the smallest group of
emotional community members.
To prevent the situation from happening again in the same way or perhaps to
assist you with this particular challenge:
1. Be sure that your school division has a Selection Policy that addresses
the types of instructional materials that are included in a school library
collection (both curriculum and leisure reading types). Itemize the areas
to avoid in selecting materials appropriate for school libraries; i.e.
profanity used inappropriately for the characters in the story; inflammatory
or racist language; graphic sexual details; etc.
2. Have a community-based standing committee already established whose
members serve 3-year terms or another duration of your choice. These
parents or community members need to represent the various magisterial
districts or communities in your area. Your other members of the committee
need to be teachers, language arts specialists for various grade levels,
administrators for each level, a non-voting School Board member, and a chair
who merely facilitates the discussions. Don't wait until a challenge occurs
to establish your committee - complainants then feel you have "stacked the
deck!"
3. A clearly written policy & procedure needs to be on file with your
school division, either in a policy book or in a superintendent's office.
And the policy and procedures need to be followed every time there is a
challenge.
4. Complaint forms must be completed by EACH parent or community member,
and on the form it states that he/she must have read the entire book.
5. The committee's recommendation is made to the Superintendent who shares
the results with the School Board.
6. Remember - ultimately the School Board has the right to make an
independent decision that may or may not be consistent with what the
committee has recommended - at least in Virginia that is state law.
7. Reminder - If your process reflects a community approach, then that is
exactly what it should be. This means that the individual school library
media specialist has no more right to say that the book stays on the shelf
than the irate parent.
8. I would also hope that your local area library media association might
offer continuing workshops on this very topic. It's not pleasant, but with
procedures in place, school library media specialists have a better
opportunity to exhibit the professionalism and leadership that these very
emotional issues require.
I have done workshops on this issue and have weathered many materials
challenges. ALA and AASL websites & staff are wonderful resources, as are
the publishers of the books. They have wonderful data about previous
challenges and remarks from the authors that can be used in your committee
discussions. Let me know if I can assist you in any way.
No matter what - you have colleagues who support your efforts! GOOD LUCK!
Bev
Bev Lammay, MEd, MSLS
Retired Supervisor
Henrico County School Libraries
Richmond, VA 23233
804.741.3710
lammay@erols.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Anne Draper" <GDraper@WYNNE.K12.AR.US>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 11:54 AM
Subject: ELEM: Harry Potter Censorship
> <color><param>0100,0100,0100</param>Well, Friends, it has happened in our
community. A middle
> school reading teacher went to a workshop this summer where
> they developed a unit on Harry Potter. Before she taught it,
> she discussed it with her students, and the overwhelming
> majority of them wanted to read it. She then sent a letter to
> the parents that they were going to read it. Need I say more.
> A small group of people (including "some" of the parents)
> protested in a meeting with the teacher, had a television
> station interviewing them,and are now getting up a petition to
> take it out of the library. When a reporter asked those at
> the first meeting how many had read the book, <underline>not one person
> in the protesting group had read it</underline>. Our superintendent "asked
> her" not to teach the book to stop all the dissention. We
> actually have groups saying that she believes in witchcraft
> now. It has been ugly. It has pitted churches against
> churches, friends against friends, and teachers against
> teachers. If you have time, please answer these questions.
>
>
> Is Harry Potter included in your curriculum?
>
>
> Have you had to address complaints about it either in the
> classroom or the library?
>
>
> What has been your best source in handling these situations?
>
>
> Thanks.
>
> George Anne Draper, librarian
>
> Wynne High School, Wynne, AR
>
> gdraper@wynne.k12.ar.us
>
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