This just helps make the point that WE NEED well rounded, well stocked
libraries where kids can read about all these things if they wish! I am
glad that we have gone away from the days of the "I'm glad I'm a boy,
I'm glad I'm a girl" book that I found in my library 20 years ago when
I first came here, but purposely sanitizing text books and rewriting
someone's published work and rewriting history is ludicrous. I'm
reminded of a t-shirt hanging in my closet that state "I have something
in my library to offend anyone"!
Barb Engvall
Library Media Specialist
John Campbell Elem
Selah, WA
On Sunday, May 4, 2003, at 09:05 AM, sbrisco wrote:
> This topic has been on talk radio all week. I've heard it twice on two
> different radio shows and then saw it on the " O'Reilly Factor"--No
> Spin
> Zone--television program.
>
> The initial information was reported in the Phoenix, Arizona
> newspapers last
> Sunday--April 27, 2003,(I have the link at work and can't seem to find
> it
> now.)
>
> but here are others reporting the same:
>
> http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/education/articles/20030420.htm
>
> http://www.suntimes.com/output/kisor/sho-sunday-kisor20.html
>
> http://www.illinoisloop.org/textbooks.html
>
> http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/45580p-42789c.html
>
> The CHILD_LIT listserv that I monitored this past week was also talking
> about the impact that this would have on education and the use of
> materials.
> Of course, I was discussing the fact that it enveloped censorship and
> reduced our understanding of history and culture in the United States.
> I
> also encouraged these teachers to take a stand against these types of
> educational censorship / political correctness, since Texas,
> California and
> Florida are the biggest textbook purchasing groups and they will
> dominate
> the production of these types of materials.
>
> The response that I received was that these teachers believed that
> textbook
> committees would "have the common sense" to understand what was
> necessary in
> curriculum selection and purchase books that represented "truth" in all
> areas. However, as a former member of a textbook committee, I must
> state
> that this is not necessarily the case. I argued against some
> information in
> books because it was vague and did not include references for future
> reading. Many individuals on the committees were either busy with
> other
> issues aside from their duties on the committee or did not want to
> interject
> opinions that might not be appreciated by others (political correctness
> personified)?
>
> Although supplemental library materials are useful and it seems
> obvious "to
> us" that the use of these materials should be added to the curriculum
> "gaps"
> found in the textbooks, there will be teachers (and schools) that do
> not
> and cannot supplement their textbooks. My argument was that we, as
> teachers
> and librarians, need to stand up against these types of materials being
> offered as teaching tools and educate our administrators, textbook
> committees, and fellow teachers of the power of the library when
> information
> seems vague or less the informative for classroom presentation. I also
> believe that we need to be a part of textbook selection committees so
> that
> we can present to our fellow educators the value of information and
> how we
> choose materials for a variety of individuals in our libraries---a
> process
> that should be required of all textbook committees.
>
> Yes, I understand that we must choose materials based upon our
> community
> standards and the needs of our students; however, we must also make
> certain
> that our history, culture, and future does not disintegrate because we
> want
> to create a vanilla environment that does not offend anyone. The
> reality is
> we, as a country, have made mistakes and we hope to teach our young
> that
> these mistakes were made so that they do not make the same ones. We
> also
> need to remind ourselves that although issues that we have been asked
> to
> discuss publicly be taken to an appropriate level of political
> correctness,
> we cannot neglect to speak about them to our children. We must
> swallow hard
> and admit that some things have been said, done, written, and thought
> throughout history by individuals who have helped to shape our nation;
> these
> things should be spoken about, discussed, and evaluated. Otherwise, we
> deprive ourselves (and our future generations) of the hope of a better
> tomorrow.
>
> Idealistic? Perhaps. But if we sit back and allow things to happen
> (textbook creation, adoption and selection) without speaking out
> against
> things that we feel might hurt us in the future (vanilla-coating of
> terms,
> ideas and national problems), we deserve what the future gives us.
>
> ...off the soapbox.
>
> ~Shonda Brisco
> Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
> Fort Worth, TX
> sbrisco021@charter.net
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Amanda Credaro" <acredaro@HOTMAIL.COM>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 7:31 PM
> Subject: NEWS: Please tell me it isn't true ...
>
>
>> The News Report at:
>>
> http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/05/04/
> wpc04.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/05/04/ixworld.html
>>
>> discusses "Banned from US textbooks: owls, ketchup, dinosaurs and old
> ladies
>> with cats ...."
>>
>> It would be really great if someone could confirm that this is just
>> media
>> hype, and not fact ...
>>
>> ********************************
>> ********************************
>> ********************************
>> Amanda Credaro
>> Teacher Librarian
>> Project Officer (Temporary)
>> Professional Development and Curriculum Directorate
>> Phone: 9266 8261
>> email: abcredaro@ozemail.com.au
>> *********************************
>> WARRIOR LIBRARIAN WEEKLY:
>> The zine for librarians who refuse to be classified
>> http://www.warriorlibrarian.com
>> *********************************
>> This message is intended for subscribers to this list only.
>> Forwarding of
>> email to a third party, without express and prior concent, is a
>> violation
> of
>> Australian Telecommunication laws.
>> **********************************
>> **********************************
>> **********************************
>>
>>
>>
>>
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