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Dear Laura and all LM_NETters. Well put. I couldn't agree more. Tom Kaun On 2/25/07, Laura Brooks <brooksla@northville.k12.mi.us> wrote: > > Hi All, > > I*ve been following the *Lucky* censorship debate as it has raised many > fundamental questions in my mind. Sadly, many of the posts suggest that we > are indeed what the media has portrayed: fusty book marms who feel compelled > to censor. Yes, selection does inherently mean we censor and not necessarily > in a negative way; after all, as it has been pointed out, we all have > limited budgets. However, I think that in pre-selecting a Newbery title > based on *what*s age appropriate* or *what*s best for our community* we > shirk our responsibility to provide access and to support intellectual > freedom. > > Does anyone remember ALA*s *Library Bill of Rights*? The AASL has the > *Freedom to Read Statement*. The International Reading Association has the > *Censorship Statement*. The National Council of Teachers of English has *The > Student*s Right to Read*. Does this mean that when we become library media > specialists we suppress our professional ethos? Who makes us the arbiters of > morality for an entire community? Just who are we protecting from possibly > inflammatory material? Our school district? Our administrators? Ourselves? > We*re certainly not protecting children*. > > How can we let a fear that a solitary title may provoke controversy > interfere with connecting children with good, quality literature that may > stimulate their curiosity and intellectual or emotional development? I*ve > been bored by some Newbery winners, but don*t we let readers make > connections and decide what they like? How dare we take away that right. I > doubt the word scrotum will mar a person for life. In our collective years > of teaching, how many of us have really dealt with a community hearing over > a library book? > > I find this all very alarming. Yes, the Newbery Committee awards > challenging titles that stir both mind and heart; isn*t this a key standard > of any literary award? If we were to strip this criteria away, are we then > awarding based on popularity? Goosebumps and Pony Pals would then win year > after year. I thought we had literary awards to guide us in collection > development, not censorship. I have had several students pride themselves on > reading Newbery winners; I, for one, will not squelch their enjoyment, > spirit, and sense of accomplishment based on the small probability of > offending an adult. > > Laura > > Laura Brooks > Library Media Teacher > Amerman Elementary School > Northville, MI > brooksla@northville.k12.mi.us > > "Unless someone like you cares a whole lot, > nothing is going to get better. It's not." > -The Lorax, Dr. Seuss > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. > You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings > by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. > To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu > In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL > 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. > * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ > * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ > * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ > * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > -- Thomas T. Kaun Library Media Teacher Bessie Chin Library @ Redwood High School 395 Doherty Drive, Larkspur, CA 94939 tomkaun@gmail.com | http://rhslibrary.org -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL 3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation. * LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ * LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ * EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html --------------------------------------------------------------------