During Banned Books Week, I have a section of the library with shelves that
the students know will always have "new books" or "current topics" on it
based upon the curriculum.
Last year, I purchased a roll of red plastic tape with the word DANGER
written in black on it and a roll of yellow plastic tape with the words
CAUTION on it. The rolls were available from Lowe's for about $3 each (but
I've also seen them at Home Depot and larger home improvement stories.) I
pulled the tape across the bookshelves that displayed all of the books that
we had in our library that were at one time on the BANNED BOOK LIST. For
the first three days of the display, students clamored around the display to
see what was "dangerous" behind the shelves and finally one brave young man
asked what the tape meant. When I told him that it was a display about
banned books, he became talkative about "WHY?"....then he wanted to check
out some of the books...when others saw that he was getting some of the
books, they also asked if they could check out the books. Many of the
students went back to class to tell their teachers about the display and I
had several come by to see what was so "exciting" about a "dangerous book?"
Then they also had questions about "WHY????"
In order to answer some of these questions, this year I purchased the four
volume set of "Banned Books"---each volume lists the books that have been
challenged and the details describing the challenge. The volumes are:
Banned Books Based Upon Sexual Themes; Banned Books Based Upon Religious
Themes, etc. I purchased those from Demco. I plan to use those books to
help create information cards / bookmarks to put inside of the books on
display giving students more detail regarding why a book was challenged.
Each year the Banned Books display gets more involved (not because it's one
of my favorite things to do), but because our curriculum is very liberal (we
are a private, non-parochial school) with a variety of cultures and ideas
represented. Teachers feel comfortable teaching what they want without much
question. As a result, there are often questions that arise and I believe
that our student body (and our teachers) often forget that the college
atmosphere that we have here (freedom of choice in instruction) is very
limited in many areas outside our campus. Making them realize that their
right to choose what they want to read or teach is very important because
many do not have that privilege.
This year I will take photos and post them on my website for additional
emphasis (and ideas).
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS /US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barbara Braxton" <barbara@AUSTARMETRO.COM.AU>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 5:18 AM
Subject: TARGET: Share your creativity
> What has been your most successful/ intriguing/ popular/ appealing /
> outrageous / funny / gross display that you have set up in your library
to
> attract students? What themes and slogans have really worked?
>
> Displays are an important part of the environment we create for the
students
> but sometimes it is hard to think of a new idea. So let's share what we
> have done - and maybe your idea will be another's inspiration.
> Barbara
>
>
>
> Barbara Braxton
> Teacher Librarian
> Palmerston District Primary School
> PALMERSTON ACT 2913
> AUSTRALIA
>
> T. 02 6205 6162
> F. 02 6205 7242
> E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
> W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
> "Together, we learn from each other."
>
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