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From middle-school-lit listserv: Richie fired over book banning controversy Posted by: "BudNotBuddy@aol.com" BudNotBuddy@aol.com peter_lake_2000 Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:57 pm (PST) Sebastopol librarian Richie Partington was fired from his library consultant's position with the Bellevue Union School District in Santa Rosa California a day after refusing to meet with a principal who had banned Rodman Philbrick's The Last Book in the Universe from his school's library without having read it. "I politely but firmly made it clear to the District Superintendent that until the principal actually read the book he had banned, I didn't see how we could have a conversation about the book. Partington had twice read the first chapter of the book aloud to sixth grade classes at the District's Kawana School the previous week and "had more than a dozen students begging to read it." When Partington arrived at the school on the following Monday morning with four copies of the book, he was informed by the school's library clerk (who also has never read the book) that she didn't want the book in the library because it has to do with gangs and that she'd gotten the principal to forbid its addition to the collection. Noting in an email to the Superintendent that "the bigger issue here is one of arbitrariness due to a lack of a District collection development policy and District reconsideration policy," Partington immediately drafted and emailed a proposal for a reconsideration policy to the Superintendent who responded the same day by mailing out the termination letter. The termination is effective immediately. Richie Partington, MLIS Richie's Picks _http://richiespicks.com_ (http://richiespicks.com/) Moderator, _http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/_ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/) BudNotBuddy@aol.com _http://www.myspace.com/richiespicks_ (http://www.myspace.com/ richiespicks) Caldecott '09 I'm sure Richie could use some good thoughts sent his way. Anne Berkey, MEd, MLS, NBCT Media Specialist Gamble Rogers Middle School St. Augustine, Florida -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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://lm-net.info/ * LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html * LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/ --------------------------------------------------------------------