The American Library Association celebrates
Banned Books Week during the last week of September every year. "BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where the freedom to express oneself and the freedom to choose what opinions and viewpoints to consume are both met."
Every year I try to figure out a fun way to introduce Banned Books (Week) to my students without dedicating a bunch of class time to a large project. I teach composition, literature, and film, so I'm well positioned to bring Banned Books into the classroom. Unfortunately the demands of a fast-paced, content-heavy schedule make any time-intensive study difficult.
Do you guys have any ideas on how I can make Banned Books Week fun and educational for college students?
I got an idea. How about providing balanced information?
ReplyDeleteNo books have been banned in the USA for about a half a century. See "National Hogwash Week."
Also see "US Libraries Hit Back Over Challenges to Kids Books," by Sara Hussein, Agence France-Presse [AFP], 6 September 2009.
SafeLibraries: To me, it's just semantics. Whether books are removed from a school reading list or library or "banned" from being sold entirely, I call them "banned books", and I completely, 100% disagree with both. I know for a fact that books have been removed from community library shelves and from school reading lists due to a few parents/members of the community complaining. To me, those are banned books. I do, however, like the idea of presenting both sides of the issue to my students and letting them judge for themselves. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTrisha, here's why it is not semantics. Making believe legally keeping children from inappropriate material is censorship not only thwarts legal rights, but it also ignores the serious issue of actual censorship.
ReplyDeleteYou look to the ALA for leadership on so-called censorship. Yet when real censorship occurs, the ALA has been known to aid and abet it. What kind of authority does the ALA have to make its false censorship claims when at the same time it aids and abets real censorship?
One ALA Councilor (Jessamyn West) said:
"It also highlights the thing we know about Banned Books Week that we don't talk about much — the bulk of these books are challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children. While I think this is still a formidable thing for librarians to deal with, it's totally different from people trying to block a book from being sold at all."
Totally different. I agree, and that is essentially my point as well. Will you teach the difference to your students?
Now true censorship, true book burnings, true persecution of librarians, that really happens. I oppose this. And I know you and your students oppose this.
The ALA does not oppose this, however. You read that right. The ALA does NOT oppose that. Read, by way of just one example, "American Library Association Shamed," by Nat Hentoff, Laurel Leader-Call, 2 March 2007.
Please explain why the ALA views book burnings, bannings, and jailed librarians in Cuba as NOT censorship, and why people legally keeping children from inappropriate material IS censorship. Then explain why you view the ALA as authoritative?
Ask yourself, why does the ALA not only refuse to assist jailed Cuban librarians, but go further and actually thwart efforts by others to assist them? Never has the ALA be called to answer that. Now THAT would be an excellent research topic for your class; why the ALA double standard and why does it get away with the double standard. Real questions and real research will be involved, instead of a rehash of the ALA line.
Then go further. Why should members of the public consider the ALA to be authoritative on the definition of what is censorship in local public libraries?
Indeed, why should local libraries care one whit about an organization actively blocking efforts to assist jailed and beaten Cuban librarians and associated censorship and book burnings?
Trisha, does your class teach ALA propaganda, or does your class teach defending against censorship?
Be a leader, not a follower. Set the right example for your students.
Chin up Trisha! Obviously there's a lot to this banned books issue - I'm sure much too much to deal with in your limited time. I hope you get a chance to bring some of the issues to your students' attention for them to grapple with.
ReplyDeleteI certainly have a lot of information here to process and bring to my students. I think it will be a good research project as far as verifying the validity and reliability of sources.
ReplyDelete