I think I'm in the minority on this one. I'll speak up anyhow. I think some of these books should be reserved for adult library collections and that it is appropriate to remove them from school libraries. Many of them discuss topics that are not meant for children. While I agree that adults should have access to the books they want to read, it seems to me that some restraint is necessary with children in a school library. Several of you have said that it's the parent's job to screen books and discuss them. I agree with that sentiment. Have you stopped to consider the practical implications of this in regard to a school library? A parent cannot physically accompany a child to their school library since that is done during school hours. Our school's library closes 10 minutes after the final class lets out. Furthermore, many public schools require parents to get a special pass to gain access to the school. This makes a parent's job more difficult since it would be seen as disruptive for a parent to spend each day at school with her child in order to make sure she picks age-appropriate books from the library. It would also prevent that parent from earning a living while the child is in school. Because of the limited access parents have, I believe the schools do bear some of the burden of putting age-appropriate books on their shelves and clearly marking or separating books that are for mature audiences only. I don't want an 8-year-old to have access to a book about the joy of sex, gay or straight. Nor do I think a 10-year-old is ready to handle The Handmaid's Tale. I would feel the same way about a child reading Tim LaHaye's The Act Of Marriage which is a Christian book about marital sex. All of these books deal with topics that are best handled by adults who have the ability to understand and respond to their content in a mature way. I do think book banning in a public library is a problem since parents can access that collection with their children. When it comes to schools though, I think banning books on adult topics makes sense since children don't have their parents' input and can check out whatever they find on the shelves.
Monica WillyardTo unsubscribe from this list, send a blank Email to bookshare-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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