Your selection policy, your knowledge of your students, the context of the
book, etc. all would be determining factors. Another is : can the same
theme (conflict resolution, coming of age, whatever) be found in another
book that is of good quality but without the scene? Award winners are not
necessarily the best fit at all times. That is why we are professionals,
and have been trained. There is no perfect fit for all. Each school, each
community has its own special needs and considerations.
I would probably not buy a book that you describe. Not because of the scene
as my first objection to the book, but mainly because I buy very little
fiction. My library is aligned very closely to the curriculum and a lot of
my funds go for science,history, reference materials. The fiction I do buy
is, because of my students reading ability and tastes, mainly adult fiction.
I am careful not to buy works that are prurient any way, because we are a
Catholic high school. So my community would not be amenable to my using my
funds for that. If the young men here want to read that type, they can
purchase their own. Then it's the parent who would monitor that. I know the
parents would not like it available here, so I am acting "in parentis locis"
when I do not provide that, but instead use my expertise to find authors who
write well, but who do not include gratuitous s*x scenes or graphic
descriptions of s*x .
Also, books of that type would be a direct violation of our school mission
as well as our religious teachings.
Again, it all comes down to: your professional decision based on your
selection policy, your community and your students' needs.
Toni Koontz
Librarian
St.Charles Preparatory School
Columbus,Ohio
akoontz@cdeducation.org
Carpe Diem
----- Original Message -----
From: "rshull" <rshull@greenapple.com>
To: "'Toni Koontz'" <akoontz@cdeducation.org>; <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 8:59 PM
Subject: RE: in loco parentis
> So, What's approriate? Should I purchase a fiction book for my high
> school that gives a detailed description (using anatomically correct
> terms, of course) of 17 year olds having oral sex? Would it justify
> buying if it is an award winner? Or would I be accused of censoring for
> not puchasing it? I can fit anything into the state content standards
> so aligning to the curriculum really a good reason to purchase/not
> purchase.
> Library Media Specialist
> Amanda Clearcreek SD
> rshull@greenapple.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
> [mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Toni Koontz
> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 2:58 PM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Re: in loco parentis
>
>
> Here is where working for a private school has the advantage. Parents
> need
> to agree with the mission of the school to enroll. Thus, when I am
> acting
> "in loco parentis" I know that means that the parents will be agreeing
> with
> my decisions.
>
> In all my years of experience, I have seldom refused to have a book
> because
> of concerns that I have been reading about. I have chosen one book
> over
> another for various reasons: cost, easier to understand, more likely to
> be
> read by my students. Once, in the 80's, I did put aside a book about Rio
> de
> Janeiro that was part of a series I ordered. It showed numerous photos
> of
> nude beaches. I was in a grade school ( k-8) and knew that it would be
> inappropriate given the age of the students as well as the mission of
> the
> school. The information was readily available in another book that I
> ordered. So, I wasn't exactly censoring as choosing the better of the
> two
> based on my patrons needs. These are decisions that as a professional I
> make.
> Toni Koontz
> Librarian
> St.Charles Preparatory School
> Columbus,Ohio
> akoontz@cdeducation.org
> Carpe Diem
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Laura Brooks" <BrooksLa@NORTHVILLE.K12.MI.US>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 2:49 PM
> Subject: in loco parentis
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> So as we act in loco parentis, we "protect" a child from a book. Do we
>
>> act on behalf of what we perceive a majority of parents think and
>> feel? Are people that homogeneous? What of the parent who supports
>> intellectual freedom with a child in a school that censors?
>>
>> 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
>>
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