I agree with Barbara (again) on this one....
With the controversy going on across the U.S. regarding same-sex
marriages, what's to say that there won't be a growing curiosity among
even elementary students regarding this issue? =20
From the discussion (and the news story located on the FOX website),
this is basically an issue of community standards. What is acceptable
in San Francisco, California, or Charlotte, North Carolina may not be
acceptable in Possum Kingdom, Texas,(--sorry, I just love that town's
name--) and it is those standards that will be scrutinized when
controversy arises regarding a specific title. If the library has a
collection development / selection policy which addresses the issue of
challenged books, and has a librarian who is involved and understands
what issues are being addressed within the curriculum, then he / she
should be able to support the addition of books with controversial
topics. (This doesn't mean there won't be any challenges; it just means
that the librarian will be prepared to defend the selection of the
title.)
Although this specific book may not be one that would placed into the
regular collection for all children to access at any time, I see no
reason why this book (as well as others like it, i.e., "Heather Has Two
Mommies" or "Daddy's Roommate") could not be placed into the
professional collection for teachers, parents, or professional staff to
have access to throughout the year. =20
There are specific issues that we, as librarians must be willing to
address through our school collections if those issues exist within our
community, even if we do not personally believe in them. If we choose
to work in a community that has embraced a specific idea, belief, or
choice, then we must seriously review our own beliefs to see if we can
work within that environment without creating additional controversy
through our own censorship of ideas unlike our own.=20
I have often placed books in school libraries that I have not agreed
with BUT which, at that time, reflected the needs of the student body,
the curriculum and / or the community standards. I have dealt with the
ethical / moral dilemma of placing books like these by reviewing my own
personal beliefs and asking the question, "What if the books/subjects
that I believed in were not considered "the norm?" What if the issues
that I support were in the minority? What if my books were taken from
the shelves?"
It is then, through the research of the topics that I don't necessarily
accept or believe in, that I begin to gain understanding of the issue.
I then also realize that if I understand the subject myself, I will feel
more comfortable in knowing that if I had to defend the material then I
would be prepared to do it for those who need that specific title in our
library. =20
We might not necessarily believe in a book or support the issues that it
represents, but we must support our community's standards. If our
school's environment suggests that the materials are needed and we deny
those our students, our teachers, or our community access to that
information, we (in my opinion) are not fulfilling our role as
librarians. =20
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
briscos@trinityvalleyschool.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Barbara Braxton [mailto:barbara@AUSTARMETRO.COM.AU]=20
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 3:29 PM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Please vote
Don't know the book at all but I bet you in the not-too-distant future
someone asks for a book dealing with this theme as single-sex families
become less of an oddity. Maybe that was the author's intent. The
Californian situation even made the news here, but that may be because
some
states are thinking of similar legislation.
Barbara
Barbara Braxton
Teacher-Librarian
Palmerston District Primary School
PALMERSTON ACT 2913
AUSTRALIA
T. 61 2 6205 6162
F. 61 2 6205 7242
E. barbara@austarmetro.com.au
W. http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au
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