I think we are equivocating here. We all understand genre labels. But this =
is a definition of "labeling" in the same denegrating form as racial =
labeling. When books are segregated into "special" shelving because of =
their controversial subject matter, it draws attention to children who go =
there to browse. Sort of the "Oh, he must be one of THOSE students because =
look where he is browsing!" When books on gays and lesbians are forced to =
carry special "red alert" labels, students look at that student in a =
different way. It is similar to putting AR reading levels on the outsides =
of books. Would you want to be a struggling 6th grader forced to carry =
around a book with a 2nd grade reading level on it? Especially in a school =
where students are only allowed to read in their ZPD? (yes, there are =
plenty of those around).
This isn't a management issue. This is an ethical one. Walk a mile in the =
shoes of the student struggling with his/her sexual identity, or the one =
who just doesn't "get" reading very well. Putting a label on the books =
they read (and I don't mean genre labels) might as well put that label on =
their forehead.
>>> Ken Umbach <kumbach@UNLIMITED.NET> 2/29/04 12:08:09 PM >>>
<<It could also be argued that any labeling is a form of censorship. =
Labels
indicate how one or a group of people perceive a resource. The presence =
of a
label will always "turn off" members of certain groups of patrons. For
example, I don't read science fiction for pleasure. When I see a book =
labeled
science fiction, I don't read it. --Carrie Gardner>>
I think one could credibly argue the opposite -- that such labeling
FACILITATES access rather than limiting it. For example, I read a lot of
mysteries and usually make a beeline for the mystery section at the local
bookstore to see what is new. If I had to browse through thousands of
unrelated titles to be able to happen across a new author or a new title =
by
an old favorite, I might not bother. Ditto for science fiction. When I =
go
on a science fiction jag, I scan those shelves with an eye to an
interesting title, a this-grabs-me cover illustration, or an author I =
might
have overlooked for a while. I have done that for nearly half a century
[eek!!!!!]. [Aside: science fiction fans, check out the Chronicles of
Solace trilogy by Roger MacBride Allen -- starts with The Depths of
Time. DYNAMITE. Great choice for school libraries, too -- high school
esp., but perhaps even middle school. Space Opera in the grand
tradition.] Is that really an unusual approach, to want to be enabled to
zero in on particular interests? Don't the labels/subject segmentation
help, not hurt?
Ken
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