This post is meant to enhance discussion on the issue of Book Banning in relation to the LIS profession and intellectual freedom. Book banning has unfortunately been a prevalent limitation to intellectual freedom throughout most of history,and is still an issue today. Democracy and innovation are thought to be valued in our society by the majority, yet requests are made every day to have a variety of books banned from libraries and schools simply because they represent an alternative view. Some of the most revered authors have made the top ten most challenged authors list, such as J.K. Rowling, R.L. Stine, Stephen King, and Judy Bloom (Cogner). In addition, books that most would deem classics, such as Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, have actually made the top ten most frequently challenged books (Mullally, 2010). Infact, on the ALA Banned Book Week website, a large number of the banned books listed actually had won some type of literature award (Doyle, 2011). In general, it is easy to see how book banning limits democracy and innovation thus hindering intellectual freedom, but below will offer further insight to this complex topic.
Historical ContextThe history of book banning is far too large of a topic to delve into completely.There are literally thousands of cases of banning and censorship throughout the history of civilization by a range of people including secular and religious authorities dating back to 300 A.D. as well as concerned parents of school aged children today (Mullally, 2010). Despite what the motivation for the censorship is, we must ask ourselves if it is appropriate to restrict the intellectual freedom of a group of individuals. Before the printing press, banning was much easier because the few copies of the text could simply be burned and society could be rid of the work entirely. Since this invention, however, books are more likely to be restricted in smaller scale ways, such as banning the book from a school reading list. The ALA website references numerous high profile court cases that concern the right to read freely (American Library Association, 2011). One such case listed was Todd v. Rochester Community Schools (1972), which ruled that the book “Slaughterhouse-Five” could not be banned from Michigan Public Schools and that the student should be able to make of the book what they will. Another example is Counts v. Cedarville School District (2003), in which the school district had made a restriction on students reading the Harry Potter series which the courts then overruled and removed. The board originally objected to the series because it supposedly promoted“disrespect for authority” and “witchcraft” (American Library Association,2011). In general, this should provide a frame of reference for the type of cases that are made regarding the banning. For a more substantial list of relevant court cases, please visit the ALA website:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/firstamendment/courtcases/courtcases.cfmQuestions:
Who should have the most say in which books children are required to read in schools (the board, teaches, parents, ext)?
Should texts not be required as long as children read something off a list of books, so as to eliminate the issue of parents being upset with the content of a specific book?
What are some general solutions to schools banning books?
Pico and the First Amendment
The most historical case regarding book banning was a court case brought against the Supreme Court by high school students and supporters. In this revolutionary case of the U.S. Supreme Court in Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico(1982) the court ruled that the First Amendment rights of students were violated when books were removed from library shelves (Mullally, 2010). Thus the court ruled in favor of Pico and against book banning in cases where the motivation of the banning is because the book presents an alternative view not supported by the group. Note that schools and libraries still have the right to remove materials as long as their reasoning is appropriate. For a further more in-depth look into the Pico case visit the following link:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0457_0853_ZS.htmlThough the Pico decision is an important historical landmark that supports the First Amendment, there are literally still thousands of requests each year to have books banned, some of which succeed. Some of the most common complaints that lead to these requests are sex, profanity, and racism (Doyle, 2011). Most librarians take a stand against book banning and removal due to the slippery slope idea. Once you ban one book, more and more will seem to warrant banning until the intellectual freedom of individuals is severely limited due to material not being available to view. Many believe that evidence of the increasing restrictions on intellectual freedom can be demonstrated in Section 215 of the Patriot Act (Cogner). This amendment vastly expands the right of the government to investigate the lives of ordinary citizens without probable cause or warrants. This relates to intellectual freedom and the issue of book banning because Section 215 enables the government access to library records and check-out histories of patrons without their knowledge or consent. In short, our intellectual freedom and democracy could technically be under surveillance at any time. If this short analysis doesn’t raise your concern, please view the following link to an NPR discussion:
http://www.npr.org/takingissue/20050721_takingissue_patriotact.html
Question:
What was your initial response to this NPR discussion?
Do you believe Section 215 of the Patriot Act is truly a topic to be concerned over?
Book Banning Today
Unfortunately, the issue of banned books is not in the past. School Libraries often receive the most attention on book banning issues in the media, but these are not the only cases. Doyle (2011, p 2) advised “Surveys indicate that approximately 85 percent of the challenges to library materials receive no media attention and remain unreported.” This issue is clearly larger than we will ever truly be able to measure. When I reviewed the list of the banned books of 2010-2011 posted during Banned Books Week by the ALA, I was surprised to see that many of the books I had read as a young teen were on the list.Please visit the following website and determine if any of your favorite books are on the list:
As current and future Librarians, censorship and book banning is going to be a topic we run into in our profession more than we probably imagine. According to the Library Bill of Rights, librarians must do their best to fight censorship and keep all materials on the “shelves” for patron use.This Bill of Rights enforces the idea that materials need to be available to provide true intellectual freedom. To view this document, please visit this link:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/index.cfmQuestion:
Do you think the Library Bill of Rights protects Intellectual Freedom, Democracy, and Innovation? What would you change to make it better, if anything?
Banned Books: A Limitation on Intellectual Freedom and Democracy
Overall, it stands to reason that any time a book is banned,intellectual freedom is limited. The First Amendment is supposed to protect the freedom of every individual to gather information and develop opinions based on that information, yet there is a daily struggle to keep certain information unavailable to particular populations. In fact, the way to challenge a book personally is extremely simple; just fill out the following form and submit the reasons why you think the book is inappropriate for review:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/challengereporting/onlinechallengeform/index.cfmCensorship and banning does not only take place in the form of banned books, but also magazines, videos, and other forms of media. As future librarians, it will be our job to protect the right for each individual patron and ensure information is available for viewing even if it is against our own personal ideals.
Through my research it seems that the motivation behind banned books is often to “protect” children and young adults from information deemed unsuitable, thus explaining why the most court cases take place in schools. Though this is undoubtedly a noble and just endeavor, it is indeed a slippery slope we may never be able to level out once the downhill trek is started. In support of this argument, please view the following YouTube video.
This video is a reading of the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax”.This children’s book was banned by one community because it offends a group of people in the lumber industry. Can you imagine as a child not being exposed to the works of Dr. Seuss? I cannot. Dr.Seuss, in my opinion, is the epitome of innovation. If one of his works, not containing any profanity or sexual references, was condemned as unsuitable for society, where do the book banning standards stop? Indeed, it is a very slippery slope.
Question:
What do you think of this book being banned? How do you think this happened?
Question:
What do you think of this book being banned? How do you think this happened?
Conclusion and Questions
Please share your thoughts on this topic in general. Book banning occurs because people just like you and me deem a piece of work offensive and try to protect others from its influence. It is not the work of off the wall political groups and crazy radical schemers (for the most part), but of school teachers,mothers, and community leaders.
Do you believe censorship and banning is appropriate for certain books? If so, why?
Should there be different rules for banning books in schools verses public libraries?
If Pico won, why are there still so many cases of book banning in schools?
References:
American Library Association. (2011). Notable FirstAmendment Court Cases. Retrieved from http://www .ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/firstamendment/courtcases/courtcases.cfm
Doyle, R. (2011). Books Challenged or Banned in 2010-2011. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2011banned.pdfConger, C. (unknown). Book Banning and the Law. Retrieved from http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/book-banning1.htm
Mullally, C. (2010). Libraries and First Amendment: Banned Books. Retrieved from http://www.first amendmentcenter.com/Speech/libraries/topic.aspx?topic=banned_books
written by: Stephanie Pung
Interesting food for thought.
ReplyDeleteYou ask, "Do you believe censorship and banning is appropriate for certain books? If so, why?
Should there be different rules for banning books in schools verses public libraries?"
I think that some books are inappropriate for some collections. "The Joy of Sex" would not be appropriate in an elementary school library. Call it censorship, but in developing a collection some books will, and very rightly at least some of the time, be excluded.
Would that same book be inappropriate in a public library? I think you could agree either way. It is not as easy to argue that it is inappropriate in a broader collection developed for a wider clientele base. On the other hand, it will offend some people, and it could still be accessed by underage youths.
If "The Joy of Sex" was part of a library's collection should it be accessed freely by everyone including under age youths? Should a librarian deny a thirteen year old boy the opportunity to check that book out? Is that censorship?
I can certainly see that when questions like this arise during collection development why it is easier to just exclude controversial books.
Thanks for mental exercise.
I agree that perhaps "The Joy of Sex" would be inappropriate in an elementary school library, but I see no reason there should be conflict about it in a public library. I believe parents should be responsible for the education and censorship of their children. How many books must adults be unable to check out because of the fear that kids might see them?
ReplyDeleteKeith, you brought up some very interesting points! I would have to say, based on your post, that you are among those who think that book banning does have its merits in many cases-- your example being "The Joy of Sex".
ReplyDeleteThough I do agree the population/audience of the library must be taken into account (so yes, please exclude said book in my child's elementary school), I tend to agree with Erin that in public libraries it is not the place of the librarian to censor or ban books. Perhaps a separate section for these more sensitive topics should be created? What do you think?
Also, did either of you view the youtube video of the banned Dr.Seuss book? I think this is relevant given our conversation thus far.
Keith poses some interesting points. This brings another question to surface for me as well. What about Mark Twain's classic, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?" I'm sure we've all heard about the publishing company from Alabama who has decided to censor parts of Twain's book by removing the N-word. Unlike the case with "The Joy of Sex," this book will still be available, still allowing students to be educated by the important piece. But, it is still being censored.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is still censoring, and I have been strongly against republishing this classic with the alterations since I first heard of it. But, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview, Randall Williams, Co-owner and editor of NewSouth Books, argues his point quite well:
"It's aimed at schools that already ban the book, though no one knows how many have. Williams says they are not trying replace Twain's original, N-word included."
Even though it is intended to get the banned book in the hands of schools already refusing to read it, I believe it is still wrong. It is still censoring Twain's book.
What do you all think?
I do not believe that any censoring is okay. Censorship involves making a value judgment on the content of a book, and there will never be consensus on those value judgments.
ReplyDeleteIf we start to allow censorship of some items, I think it quickly leads to the slippery slope argument. It starts with a few things but would easily get out of control.
If we judge content (and by extension the author), then we eventually turn against and punish people for what they believe. That's repressive and not the sort of country I want to live in.
On the other hand, school libraries are a different case. I still don't advocate for censorship, but more of an age-appropriate selection (which could still include books on sex).
I'm glad to see others are thinking about this too.
ReplyDelete"The Joy of Sex" in a public library would be controversial because of content. Anything about sex is apt to upset someone, and that book is illustrated. It is not "penthouse", but it doesn't leave alot to the imagination. In the original edition it also advocated group sex. So, If it was addded to the collection of most public libraries it is going to raise eyebrows.
I couldn't agree more that parents need to parent and be responsible for their children. But, what about when the parent isn't there? A thirteen year old boy isn't going to bring that book to the circulation desk when he's with his mother.
Keeping some books in a separate section might work, but isn't that like the "adult section" at the video store? (Remember video stores?) Leaving books like "the Joy of Sex" in reference gives the librarian a bit more control over who views the book, but does it really help access for adults who need/want that item?
A library can't, and really shouldn't, have everything available. Decisions have to be made about what to include. Some books, like Mark Twain's, are better items to fight for and stand one's ground. Others, well it might not be worth the aggravation. I learned long ago to pick my fights. A librarian who tries to include every book and fight censorship every time might prove to be ineffective because of road blocks thrown up before them, or worse, because that librarian finds herself (himself) unemployed.
I just viewed the Youtube video of the reading of "The Lorax." That is an example of a book to consider standing ones ground and picking you fight over.
ReplyDeleteOne point I just thought of, when is it the patron's job to search out the material they want or need? Every library can not be a repository for every item. If a patron wants something that is unavailable in their library when is it their job to search further? (That idea includes non controversial items).
To change topic a little. I looked at the NPR site about the Patriot Act. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the two contributors contradict one another about whether a judge signs off on subpoenas for record request under that. FISA courts have been around a long time and perhaps they are not much more than rubber stamps for intelligence agencies, but at least someone is over seeing those warrants.
As an American and police officer I am very disturbed that the government can seize records, or conduct searches without a warrant.
Choosing books become a delicate subject.
ReplyDeleteIn our school district, I would say the schools choses the books but the must be a part of the supplemental of material. Many teachers have to connect it with the core standards, the state standards and the written ELA script.
I thought I would share this article about a book that was accidentally sent to a school library due to a mistake in vendor picking. However, the book still made it to the shelves and was observed by a third grade boy. In regards to ordering and protocol in a school library what kind of steps are in place or not being used here to avoid this situation from happening?
ReplyDeleteI personally give the most fault to the irresponsible librarian or staff member that did not look into the content of new books before placing them on the school's shelves.
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21003378011336/
My book club talked about a situation where the local school district for most of the book club members is an opt out option for the reading material in their AP English class. One of the mothers feels that she is fighting a one-man battle to have reading material be "opt in" where the student can choose between a list of books to do the assignments rather than having to be in the classroom and hear the "curse" words or other material when the class is reading the book aloud even though the student opted out. We talked about how there are some books that are good literature, but not necessarily age appropriate material for students just because they are in the AP class. One of our members was an English major and had done student teaching. One experience she had was of showing an old film where there was a scene where the woman was topless, but it only showed her back. She later had a couple of students who came up to her and said that, that scene had made them feel uncomfortable. We need to keep in mind that not everyone is going to be comfortable with all material presented in a classroom setting. Some people are more sensitive to such things and we should respect their feelings, while still teaching the concept. Our book club did not feel that book banning was necessary, but that not every book is appropriate for every situation either.
ReplyDeleteWould you agree that libraries should "ban" child pornography? I bet you could walk into many public libraries and find what some people consider child pornography and it will even be in the teen section! I am talking about, of course, manga. Lots of teen manga depicts teenagers having sex, sometimes with people over 18. Are drawings of people considered pornography? (As a fan of the genre, I would have to say no as no one is harmed in its making).
ReplyDeleteThere is a case that has become a major fight for freedom of speech advocates in which a man crossing the boarder from the US into Canada had his laptop searched. They found manga, considered it child pornography and locked him up. He may face a year in jail.
http://cbldf.org/about-us/case-files/cbldf-case-files-canada-customs-case/
I don't believe censorship should take place in any circumstance. As stated earlier, censorship is based on a value judgment-- something that varies greatly from person to person
ReplyDeleteParents need to take responsibility for the information their own children access, but not by limiting the access of other adults and children. Could you imagine the consequences of banning Harry Potter, one of the most successful children's series of all time? So many children (and adults) would've missed out on something that they greatly enjoy.
There is so much "inappropriate" information available on the internet, TV, in libraries, bookstores etc. This is where good parenting comes in. But that doesn't mean imposing your own beliefs on other people.