In her article “Four Questions to Ask Yourself” Knowledge Quest editor Debbie Abilock outlines four important points to consider when selecting materials. All four questions are of great importance in developing a balanced collection of print and online resources for schools. Question 4, however, is the hardest: Why must I confront my deeply held beliefs? Debbie Abilock brings up several issues – labeling by age/grade level – a practice made especially popular with computerized reading management programs; internet filtering; violence in children’s media, etc. Statistics collected by the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom suggest that far and away parents are most likely to initiate a challenge to materials in schools http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/Default3879.htm . Teachers (including school library media specialists) are listed as among the least likely to initiate a challenge. Then why concern about the questions posed by the article? For one thing, the statistics collected by ALA are based on reports sent to ALA or found in local newspapers. They statistics, therefore, probably underrepresented the true incidence of challenges initiated by teachers and media specialists. More importantly, when we do not confront our personal beliefs, when we let our own beliefs rather than principles, guide our actions, we may not even realize that we are censoring, rather than selecting. The articles in the online issue of KQ, Intellectual Freedom 101 (see link on Side Bar), provides reasons for considering our own deeply held beliefs. Debbie Abilock’s deals with this issue directly on pp. 10-11 of “Four Questions to Ask Yourself” but guest editor Helen Adams’s introduction, “Intellectual Freedom 101,” provides good background for the issues.
The question to comment on this week, then, is “what are some of your deeply held beliefs that you might need to wrestle with as you select materials for the school library or classroom collection (not materials that you would yourself teach directly)"?
55 comments:
I imagine I would have a hard time selecting some materials. I tend to lean toward mysteries and comedies and I would want to house the library with such works. I tend to dislike anything scary or gruesome. I also do not like futuristic fantasy. I would have to remember that despite my personal preferences, patrons will more than likely have their own preferences and therefore the library must have materials that appeal to everyone.
I am a media specialist and have to really watch myself with books on evolution. We are a Christian School and I have strong Christian beliefs against evolution. I have noticed we have a couple of evolution books on the shelf. I would not pull them, but I wish I could.
Certainly we all have our favorite genres relating to our own personal tastes and interests. However, I don't think that this would hinder my ability to provide a well balanced media collection. Overall, I consider myself to be a very open-minded person.
However, after pondering this question, I think that the personal beliefs that I might struggle with are - in fact - typical issues raised when books are challenged or banned, such as explicit sexual content. Not at the high school level; but with the age appropriateness at the middle and elementary school levels. I guess that as a mother and (like many of us) someone who has experienced and witnessed first hand difficult "coming of age" scenarios; I'm sensitive to the ability of children to mentally process certain information due to maturity level.
Abilock mentioned another form of censureship, "labeling," that I had not considered. And while I believe that such fears can be taken too far, potentially limiting the ability to "market" media center materials to students, it is something that I do plan to keep in mind.
I would most definitely want to lean toward books that deal with topics related to music. However, I would quickly realize that I needed to include books from other areas. Like Susan, I have strong Christian beliefs that might cause me to hastily pull books from the shelf. I would have to understand that no matter how strong my beliefs are, I can't pull books from the shelf.
I want to work with high school so I could not think of an issue I wouldn't want to address in my media center. I think the students should be exposed to as much as possible. I also think that I could keep my opinion out of my selection process.
I was at a school previously who took all the Harry Potter books off the shelf because the principal wanted it. I think that was uncalled for because some students enjoy reading those types of books.
Until reading the posts above, I had not thought about choosing only books on the topics that I liked. I suppose that I would have a tendency to do that. I would not do it on purpose, it is just human nature to choose items that you like and shy away from ones that you don't. As a media specialist, I would try to do my best to select materails of interest for all students.
I know that one area that I will have to be extremely careful with is books that have questionable material in them. As a Christian, I would not want to expose students to bad language, explicit sex scenes, or same sex relationships. To me these things do not represent good morals. I know that as a media specialist however, that I have to allow students to decide for themselves what they want to read according to their first amendment rights. It will be hard for me, but I will do it. But as a mother, I will try to keep my child from reading books that I think are inappropriate. I know that is a form of censorship to my son, but sometimes I feel like it is necessary.
I will always have to keep in mind that the students are not my children even though I feel like they are sometimes. I can not make decisions for them about what they do and do not read.
No matter how open-minded I might think that I am, I am just like everyone else. We all have deeply held beliefs(some religous and some not)that shadow our reasoning and judgement. I do believe in supporting the First Amendment rights of students, and as a professional I would hope that my personal beliefs and my religous beliefs would not hinder my ability to select materials. But I will admit that as a middle school teacher I would probably would not purchase items that dealt with homosexuality.
I would say that I am personally against alternate lifestyles, but in a library setting I understand the first amendment rights for students to read what they want to read and that the library collection should cover all sides of an issue to be fair and balanced. I am a Christian and have beliefs against that lifestyle so this is a very tough issue for me. Not only that issue, but any books on religion that are contradictory to the Christian religion I have a problem with. I have got to be sure to keep materials available on all sides of a subject.
I would agree with cdurden that I would probably not want many books about homosexuality in the media center, mostly because I know that they would be challenged and then I would probably have to remove them from the shelf. I consider myself pretty openminded, so anything else would probably be fine with me.
As far as personal preferences and choosing books, I would generally ask the teachers and students what books they would like to have in the media center.
Actually, I think I am very open-minded. I do, however, struggle with how much is appropriate at what age. I am in a school that is PreK thru 8th grade. What is appropriate for upper middle school is not necessarily appropriate for lower elementary. I don't think the "special section" for 6 thru 8th grade is a perfect system. I do not like the idea of limiting access to materials. However I understand the concerns. I do think it makes these book more enticing for the younger students and they will find a way to read them, or at least skim them, just because they are "off limits". Is there a better approach?
I too, like some others that have posted, would have a difficult time selecting materials that are contrary to my Christian beliefs....like evolution and homosexuality. I work in a K-12 school and once had to catch myself from trying to put an elementary age book on evolution in the middle school section thinking that I would so like to keep this book away from the younger students and that middle school students probably would not be interested in a "baby" book. Of course, I did not do this, but my feelings were there and I had to confront them!
I hadn't thought about having a bias toward certain types of books as potentially being a problem, but I thought that was a good point brought up in the KQ articles, and I realize it's something I'd have to watch out for. I tend to really like magic & fantasy books, like the Harry Potter and Artemis Fowle series, and I would tend to stock up on those type of series. I will need to be mindful of that and be careful to try to establish a more balanced collection. (Including books I consider to be sappy! Ha!)
I think on the other side of the coin, the topics that would tend to bother me are those with realistic violence and those with religious themes. Many people probably agree with me about the violence; I think it's obvious why materials with graphic violence would be disturbing. Many people probably don't agree with me about the religious themes, but, I am not comfortable with mixing public schools and religion (and that's a hot debate not to be discussed here, and I'm not trying to offend anybody, just stating a personal opinion) but also I know that I'd want to try to be "fair" in housing religious materials, so if I had materials that were of the Judeo-Christian tradition, I would also have to have materials of other religious beliefs that might be more controversial. Not liking controversy, I'd rather stay away from it altogether.
Wow! What a difficult topic to deal with! Of course, we like to tell ourselves that we are above such things, but I can see how easily, yet subtly and perhaps subversively, my own beliefs and interests could color my media center’s collection. As a person of faith, there are some topics that would make me uncomfortable—not for students to have access to them, but if a challenge came up, I would be afraid that I would have difficulty in looking at the situation objectively. I can also see how the inclusion of materials from other faiths might make patrons uncomfortable as well, no matter how necessary that inclusion may be. I am averse to violence, though I realize that there is a time and a place for that in our collections. I think that naturally we all believe that our own moral compass is the right one, so it would be difficult for me to include items that somehow taught things contrary to my belief system. I would not exclude them from the collection, but I believe that I would have to consciously think about their inclusion. Due to our own preferences and tastes, we might tend to include those items that appeal to us. Perhaps that is more dangerous, at least in my opinion. I’m not certain that my beliefs would necessarily cause me to commit a sin of commission (overtly excluding items from the collection that I disagreed with), but rather a sin of omission (rather inadvertently omitting those items I disagreed with in favor of items that I preferred). In either case, we must remember that the same freedoms that allow us to hold our individual beliefs dear simultaneously provide for First Amendment rights for all, particularly in a media center.
I would be guilty, like others who have posted, of holding to my Christian and personal believes. Stanger as it sounds; evolution would not be a big problem for me because of its scientific views. I don’t believe in it personally, but it does have some scientific research to back it. Where I would have problem is with books that deal with homosexuality at certain ages. I do not judge people for their choices and some of my best friends have chosen this life style. However, when looking at the banned book list for this blog, I came across the book titled, Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite. After researching it more closely, I came to the realizations that from the illustrations and text, this book seemed to be on the elementary level. I don’t want to sound two faced but I don’t think this topic is appropriate for elementary school. In high school or maybe 8th grade, homosexuality does need to be a topic for students read and learn about as it would be developmentally appropriate.
I’m sure many of you are wondering what types of books I would select in high school for this topic. Would it be health/medical type book or fiction stories? Actually I would look for books. At lot of times when it comes to sexuality in general, there are a lot of emotional changes that occur. Sometimes reading stories about how people dealt with these emotions seem to help student deal with problem more than textbooks.
Of course my christian values and morals would definitely be something that would influence my selection of materials. I think that an individual's beliefs can affect the way they feel about the things they read. Since I teach in an elementary school I tend to think of these scenarios in an elementary setting. I believe that the age of students would also be a factor in selecting materials. Our school is small and rural and maybe a little sheltered. I am a person who does not like conflict so it would be hard for me to include books that I know are controversial or banned.
Of course personal preference is always an issue because you want to make sure that your collection is balanced. I really enjoy fiction especially historical fiction, but I do not enjoy science fiction. If I am not careful I may leave out the types of book that I don't read. This is why it is important to know who your readers are and what they like to read. Then maybe I can leave out my personal interests and beliefs.
I feel like most of the other classmates. I would struggle with picking books that go against the values and morals that I have. I do understand though that in today’s society many students are faced with a curiosity of sex, comming of age, alternative lifestyles and magic/witchcraft. I guess that being a media specialist I would have to be open to having books that fall into these categories in the library.
Knowing that most of us would chose books that we enjoy, would it be a good idea to have an anonymous book wish box somewhere in the library so that the students could add their ideas. Being anonymous many allow some students who may not speak out loud to have a voice.
I struggle with books on wizardry and witchcraft. We are a small school with many Christian leaders, parents, and students. If any of the children took home a book on this subject I know the parent would be on the doorsteps before sunrise. I try to avoid this by choosing books that steer clear of these topics. I feel that it would be a waste of money to buy these types of book because it would be challenged on the first trip home. I realize that I will have to do a better job of allowing the students better intellectual freedom.
I do allow the teachers to make lists of which books they would like to see and could use in the media center and usually order their request.
I think that having a "Book Choice" box as Paige suggested would be a great idea for a media center. It would certainly assist the media specialist in keeping the media center stocked with titles that are of interest to the students and faculty. In regards to the topic of keeping one's own personal beliefs separate from the media center selection process, one simply has to accept that the media center belongs to the school and not to the media specialist.
I guess since I'm at my mid-life area, I think that students should be exposed to all different ways of life and not be sheltered from the world. In the past I would have been a strong advocate of sheltering the students from some issues that I didn't or the world that I lived in didn't believe in or support. However, I believe that students need to experience the real world. What makes my way of life the correct one for them or for that matter what makes someone else's beliefs the ones that I need to adhere to. The guidance that we need to give in selection of media is helping the students know what is fantasy, fiction or real life. And in real life there is profanity (that they deal with each day), different lifestyles, different cultures, etc. that they need to be exposed to. In one of the articles mentioned it was talking about the internet filters that the schools are using to "protect" the students. I have been battling this for a long time. I can't reach music websites because they don't want students to download music... I can't reach personal disk storage for some other reason. What we need to be able to do is teach responsibility to students. Not censor them.
This post is going to sound a lot like the others. I also have strong Christian beliefs that have been instilled from childhood that would make me hesitant to purchase materials of topics that don't agree with my values. However, having said that, I would like to share a few points.
Sometimes, being "sheltered" from certain materials because of a protection from a concerned adult can really hurt your ability to think for yourself. I know that I have recently encountered things and topics that, as an adult, I am free to explore myself to form my own opinion. Example: I had not even touched a Harry Potter book (I mean literally not even TOUCHED one) because a religious leader that I respect greatly made a comment about the author hating Jesus. As absurd as this sounds, I took it at face value and did not question or investigate it further. As the hype grew about Harry Potter and the movies began to show on TV, I began to be "exposed" to some of the storylines of Harry Potter books.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to investigate J.K. Rowling myself on the internet. What I found shocked me and really woke me up to intellectual freedom. I found that J.K. Rowling is a member of a Christian church and that many of the values expressed in her books symbolize the triumph of good and noble characters over evil ones. The "religious-hype" came strictly from the use of "witchcraft" in the books! Well, there goes The Wizard of Oz and The Lion, The WITCH, and the Wardrobe too if we censor based on witchcraft! The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is noted for being a symbolic representation of the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross.
This brings me to my point...if we censor, based solely on OUR beliefs, then the things we support and believe in would be included in the censorship. In order to have the things I approve of and believe in included in the media center, I must also include materials that others believe but I might not agree with.
Also, when we censor materials, students don't learn to think and decide for themselves, as in my personal example about Harry Potter. I didn't even research that for myself for quite sometime, and I am a "grown-up"! We cannot allow our beliefs to keep us from teaching students to think and make their own decisions, and we must provide a wide variety of materials to allow them to do that!
I would have to say that including books in the media center about "homosexuality" would be the toughest for me, but I do have some experience that might shed light on another viewpoint of that. Last year, there was a student in my grade level who had "two mommies". The student did not choose to be in that situation, nor does he realize that it is "wrong" in some people's eyes. He is entitled to access to books to help him sort out his feelings or identify with the character as much as my child is entitled to read books with heterosexual parents in them. Just some food for thought! There is always a child who can identify with the "controversial" topic.
While I do consider myself to be fairly open minded, I think I would struggle a bit with the mother inside of me when considering some books. I do not believe that books, television and music can provoke a child to "be a certain way" or to "do certain things" but the natural instinct is of course to shield your children from ideas that do not support the beliefs and values you would like for them to possess. I strongly believe that children have the right to experience diverse perspectives and make decisions for themselves but I think the "age appropriate" question, especially when choosing items for younger children, would weigh heavily on my mind. Like others who have commented in a similar manner, I think I will have to remind myself that I am not the mother of the children who use the media center and that my responsibility to them is great. There is a whole world out there and they deserve the opportunity to connect with that world and to grow and develop into individuals who can make their own determinations about it.
Having gone to a private Christian school from kindergarten to 12th grade and being "sheltered" most of my life growing up, I found myself very hesitant about teaching in a school where there would not be a daily devotion and prayer, a blessing before lunch, and a weekly chapel service. As an employee of a public school system, I find myself wanting to express my beliefs and morals to those students who I taught over the last 13 years, and now being a media specialist, I have seen some books that I would not want my boys checking out due to their content. Of course, we are all entitled to our opinions and what we believe in, but that does not give us the power to not let the children in our schools make their own decisions and choices about what they want to read. I can relate to one of the posts about a child having 2 moms. I taught a child several years ago who had 2 moms and even though I personally don't agree with that lifestyle, he was one of the best behaved and well-mannered students in my classroom (4th 't grade). He didn't choose to live in that situation, but now that he is in middle school, he seems to be struggling with not having a father figure around. (One of his moms works at my school and the other one is in Iraq.) We have several homosexual "families" in our school,as well as employees in our school system. Due to this, I will consider purchasing some books for these children who live in this kind of situation. I may not approve of this lifestyle, but it is only fair for the children to be able to relate to others who may be in the same situation, and the only way to do that may be through books about homosexuality. Therefore, I have learned through past experiences to keep my opinion to myself, unless otherwise asked. I will have to say that it has been very difficult at times for me when selecting new books for the media center, because I find myself saying "there is no way I would let my boys read some of these books." Then, I am quickly reminded that these books are not for me and that they are for the students in my school.
I think that I would have a hard time selecting materials with strong sexual content, violence, and inappropriate language. I don't have children, but when I read a young adult novel I can't help but ask myself if I would want my own daughter or son to read the selection. I consider myself and open minded person, but when I think about having children and what I would want them exposed to I tend to want to shelter them.
I might also have a hard time selecting science fiction and fantasy books just because I don't typically read those kinds of books. I'd have to rely heavily on the book review for these materials.
amandarkick - Your blog hits the nail on the head. I couldn't agree with you more. I also couldn't have worded it better. Thanks for sharing your opinions with us.
I would have a problem with material that may influence students to make harmful decisions such as drug use, sexual promiscuity, and violence. I wouldn't like books that make these activities seem "cool". I would not have a problem with material that educates them about these things-only those that clearly promote these behaviors.
Like so many others, I would struggle with books that support ideas contrary to my religious beliefs. I tend to treat the children in my class like my personal children, which means I tend to shelter them from topics that I don't believe are "right." I do realize that my students have first amendment rights and that I need to work on exposing them to a wider variety that addresses different points of view. Ultimately , I should put it out there and let the students decide. This is complicated because I feel that 6 and 7 year olds are so easily persuaded. I wouldn't want to be the one to make them think that something is right if it's not. But then who am I? Their parents may have different beliefs.
I'm sure that I will wrestle with this as a media specialist as well, but I think it will be a little easier. I will select books to add to the collection with a variety of view points and students can choose which ones they want to read vs. me selecting and reading a book to them in the classroom.
Even though I have some very strong beliefs, I also try to keep in mind that other have strong beliefs as well. I believe that the media center is a resource for the entire school and that students and faculty should be able to find materials on any subject. I do have a hard time with books that deal with physical or sexual abuse, but we do have some books in our media center concerning those topics. There are many genres that I do not enjoy reading, but I can not allow my opinions to influence the books I order for the media center.
I think I would have a difficult time selecting materials that may have strong romantic or sexual content. I am inclined to believe that such reading is inappropriate for youth. Also, I would be inclined to incorporate a lot of fantasy and science fiction due to my own personal tastes.
Wow! Tough question. Like everyone else, I had to really think about this topic. I love fiction/fantasy books, because when I read, I like to escape the real world and all of its problems. I think I would be inclined to those types of books and humorous books. I enjoy reading them to my students and they really like them as well. So I would have to be careful and make sure that I included books that are dramatic and provoke strong emotions, such as sadness or anger.
In addition to that, I am a Christian and my beliefs are strong. I would have a hard time purchasing books on evolution, same sex relationships, books that promote hatred, etc.
I am aware though, that as a media specialist I need to provide materials from all points of view so the students can decide for them selves. Just like I have favorites and my own beliefs, so do the students and I cannot censor what they want to read. I would have to make a conscience efforts to keep my personal thoughts and feelings aside when make book selections.
From Debbie Lundstrom: “what are some of your deeply held beliefs that you might need to wrestle with as you select materials for the school library or classroom collection... I like to think that I would select a well rounded supply of books from all areas of interest. The only concern I would have with myself is perhaps my views would be too lenient and people would be pulling the books from my library shelves..........
I have realized, since I began teaching science, that I must keep personal beliefs and my teaching separate. I personally have had some deep conflicts about some of the science curriculum that is taught. I lot of the curriculum is taught from one side not from all views. I have found that I must present all views and perspective when teaching theories of controversial subject matter. I also will need to bite the bullet and represent all walks of life within the library walls as media specialist. My personal views do not give me the right to dictate what a person should and shall read. Again, I must uphold my duties and responsibilities as a fair and just media specialist.
I agree with Christy Dyson that, as a Christian, I do not support same sex relationships, sex scenes, and explicit language. I also do not support evolution. I would have a hard time purchasing books that supported these things or allowed them to be deemed "acceptable." However, if I do this I am imposing my own censorship on the students. I am not allowing them to be exposed to the different faces and cultures of the world in a safe manner, and then form their own opinions and beliefs. Although it is hard, it is something that I would have to "let go of." I can still have a certain level of control when purchasing materials, and make sure that selections are age appropriate. But I do not have the right to totally disallow certain materials from the collection based on my likes/dislikes and beliefs. Whew, that was kind of hard to admit! I am glad that others share the same struggles that I do.
I think that I will really have to watch myself when it comes to books that deal with anything that goes against morals and religion. After all, we do live in the Bible belt. I think that we all have about the same answers. I would have a hard time purchasing anything that involves same sex relationships, anything nude or sex related, and anything that goes against GOD. For instance, the whole evolution thing. I know that this is wrong, but I feel strongly about this. I can imagine that I will lean more toward fun and exciting books, without including these things. This issue is going to be something that I am really going to have to work on!
I don't really know how to answer this question. I think that my weakness would have to be my open mind. As a high school media specialist (at least thats what I want to do now) I can not see where I would keep much out of my library. I am a strong believer in allowing young people to experiment and develop in their reading.
I have a strong Christian background also, but if I have a young person that is experimenting with drugs or homosexual behavior in a book and not in real life then how is that a bad thing.
I know that I like to read about people that are not like me. For all of the "interesting" parts of Dr. Becks class I did learn a lot about the young adult literature of different groups. If you haven't taken YA lit you really need to. I can see a young person with questions about homosexuality reading "Girl walking Backwards" and seeing how that character has to deal with all of the same troubles as her heterosexual peers. This could lead them to decide that they do not need to make the lifestyle changes that they were thinking of. I know that I have a different view than most. I am a very diverse reader and I would like to have more diverse readers in my Media center also. I think that freedom to discover and experience in books should be encouraged as much as possible.
Now as a MS in an Elementary school I would constantly struggle. I would have to depend on the policies heavily. I would look to teachers and parents for guidance in ordering book, it would be a constant struggle for me in a lower school.
My answer will probably sound a lot like others in the class. My deeply held beliefs are religious in nature - I am a Christian. I think that as a media specialist I would really want to see reviews when selecting books on LBGT issues, abortion, and other controversial topics such as these to make sure they are really helpful and informative and not just what would be considered propaganda. However, I don’t think I would be too conservative in my choices. I read many different types of books when I was growing up – many of which would probably be considered inappropriate for my age level. I think that if a young person is rooted in their beliefs then a single book is not going to change their whole belief system. As far a language goes, I wouldn’t not select a book just because it had some offensive words in it. Media specialists have to realize that these students have heard this type of language and worse and many have used it themselves so this would not really be an issue for me.
On a personal interest level, I would have a hard time spending my money on books in the Horror genre for a media center. I used to be an avid reader of Stephen King in high school but had to stop reading them because of the nightmares. Now I basically hate horror movies, fiction, etc. I know I would have to include these types of books because kids love them, but it would be reluctantly.
I would probably have a problem with the book I read for this assignment being in a high school media center (The Bluest Eye). I know high school students are maturing faster than ever and have seen and heard most everything already by the time they get to high school, but I still don’t think they need to have some of the images from the book imprinted on their minds (such as the graphic scene of a father raping his daughter). There is time for these types of books later, but basically, I think the students should be able to keep some measure of innocence. I would love to hear arguments about why it should be included or if anyone who works in a high school media center includes this book in their collection. To me there was not enough literary merit left after all of the graphic scenes to warrant a place on the shelf.
As a current, first time 4th grade teacher, I’m amazed that so many students on my grade level are consistently curious about sex. Before this class, I would’ve never believed that so many 9 and 10 year olds are wondering about sex, curious about how babies are formed, and a few have even made sexual gestures towards their classmates, etc. I would feel very uncomfortable with selecting a book on abstinence or any other sex related topics for elementary students. I just have a personal problem with this topic for elementary students. I think that this topic should be introduced in middle school or if earlier by a parent or guardian.
I now see, while a selection such as this may not be needed for all elementary media centers, it would definitely be beneficial for the media center at my school.
What a question to ponder.
I work in a "unique" school. My school houses only PK, K, and 1st grade. So I have the babies. Being a Christian and a mother, I find myself wanting to shelter them from violence, sexual content, profanity, and other adult topics.
We have encountered some problems with children reading inappropriate material because of their above average ability in reading. We have first graders that can read on a 4th or 5th grade level and are encouraged to because of Accelerated Reader. Some of the content is not appropriate for a six year old.
I consider myself to be open minded and I believe that not allowing children to read what they want is not a great idea, but I do believe in exposing them to age appropriate material.
I think I would have a hard time selecting materials that go against my own belief system. I think everyone is like this too a certain extent. Since I work in the Elementary School setting, I am always trying to ensure that my students are being exposed to different types of a literature. At the same token, I have to protect them from inappropriate material.I think this is a gray area!!
As an elementary school teacher I see day in and day out how life affects even the youngest. I hear stories everyday from young children who, whether they realize or not, are involved in situations that deal with drugs, alternate lifestyles, witchcraft, occults, etc. However, as with many of you, my Godly beliefs and values would be at the fore front of my mind when selecting books for the collection. Yet, then I begin to think about how reading helps students escape and experience things in life even though I want to shelter them from these mature situations. I want to be a fair media specialist so dealing with differences and other preferences whether for or against my personal beliefs is what I will learn to do in the media center.
I am currently a school counselor, and in graduate school we had to confront our beliefs and issues that would interfere with counseling our clients. I also think that one of the reasons I chose the profession of counseling is because I am a pretty open-minded person. However, I think there are still some issues that I struggle with. Although I do feel strongly about the First Amendment, it is hard sometimes when you have kids of your own. When I actually think about my child checking out a book at the school library with explicit sexual content in it, I don't like the thought of it. Yet, I still feel very strongly about letting kids make their own choices about books, even if it means exposure to negative things. The previous poster mentioned that he/she wanted to shelter the kids from mature content, but I disagree with that, especially for a high school student. If you shelter a child from all bad, then they will not know how to make informed decisions on their own because they will only know what you have allowed them to know. Additionally, they are going to hear things at school and if that is all they have to go on, then a lot of times that is not accurate.
I know I would have difficulty purchasing books that encourage or support alternative lifestyles. However, I know that I would search for helpful books on dealing with this topic if a student or teacher asked me to do so. Students should have access to age-appropriate books but sometimes their reading ability takes them beyond what's age appropriate for them and so in the library, I would strive to have wholesome literature for those students. I think there is enough good quality literature including horror, scary stories, and romance to choose from that could strike a good balance in a school library. For other things, the public library is always there.
I would have a hard time selecting materials that go against my Christian beliefs. I would be targeted towards selecting materials that teach moral value and are age appropriate for the certain reader. Although I know students will be exposed to the different views of today's world, it would be hard for me to know the materials are accessible under my selection.
As a future Media Specialist, I know I have to focus on what reading material is age appropriate and grade level appropriate for my students, whether if I finding reading material interesting or not. My focus should be the reading material my students find interesting as long as it is age and grade level appropriate.
I believe the most dangerous thing is ignorance, so although I sympathize with anyone who would like to keep our young people innocent, we may be doing them a disservice as they are blindsided by information and situations they are unprepared for because we have shielded them from the information. This reminds me of a tragic statistic - one of the highest rates of abortion in the world was in the former Soviet Union, because though abortion was permitted, discussion about sexuality or birth control was tabu. As far as whether 4th and 5th graders are interested in sex and where babies come from, etc. they were 50 years ago! Why would they have changed? The adults were just less aware of what kids talked and misinformed each other about.
The only strong oppositions to books or subject matter in books are those that are almost pornographic in nature or that incite violence or promote intolerant views about a certain culture (for example, The Anarchist's Handbook or the Harlequin romance novels). As a young teacher who grew up in a culture not too different than the one our students are growing up in, I really do not have problems with any book or subject matter. I am aware of what my students watch on TV and hear in their music (we often discuss these topics and daily recaps at the start of class or during our halftime break), and most of what is in some of the challenged books is not as bad. I do want my students to read positive literature that will motivate them to think and better themselves and the world around them, but I am also realistic. Even if it's not a book I would personally read or that I think even contains questionable subject matter, if it gets a student who otherwise would not pick up a book to read, I'm okay with it. Now that doesn't mean I would personally use my instructional or personal money to buy these books for my classroom library, but I definitely not pull them off of our school library bookshelf if I saw them.
I like most would probably struggle with picking the books I like the most. I do not care for scary or fantasy books. I know within my classroom when choosing books for guided reading groups, I really had to watch this. I tend to lean toward fiction, but had many boys who liked non fiction. I really had to mentally remind myself to try and pick books that were of interest to others. I would try and switch back and forth between the two, to make sure I was making everyone happy. As a librarian I would really have to watch this. I believe if you know your weaknesses then you can be on the look out for them and make sure they do not happen. I believe that there should be a variety of books in the library whether I like them or not. I would like however to see teachers using challenged books that are age appropriate. I agree with blogger a.lee who said she would draw the line at books that were almost pornographic in nature and ones that incited violence. The library does need to be filled with books that appeal to everyone.
"Persepolis" and Persepolis 2"-I really enjoyed the cultural aspect with regard to the political situation in Iran. However, the author's references to drugs and the sexual content (complete with illustrations)made me very cautious about recommending "Persepolis" to middle and even high school students.
I know as a teacher and a Media Specialist, I most have a difficult time avoiding censoring materials that go against my beliefs as a Christian. I have had several issues with books that my children have checked out from the media center, and I have had to stop myself from making an issue about the reasons I thought the books were inappropriate. When I first started these classes, I really thought that I should always voice my opinions about books that contained controversial materials. Now I have decided that my job as a parent is to discuss what books my children should read with them and not make it a school issue.
I think the belief that I have that I will need to confront when selecting materials for the media center would be the belief that children are innocent, and it's best to keep them that way as long as possible. I am a parent of two boys, 8 and 6, and I really would like to "give" them the "gift" of an innocent childhood. I would not want them reading books with bad language, or upsetting content. However, I do realize that other parents may feel differently, and define innocence differently, and that is what I'll have to constantly remind myself when I am making selection decisions. As Dr. Repman said, we are not our students' parents.
Since this is my second year as a Media Specialist I have leaned heavily upon my Media Specialist support group. They like many of us have varied opinions. I keep in mind age appropriateness of my student body and their culture. I must always remind myself of the students rights. Even though I have strong religous beliefs about certain life style preferances I must balance my professional decision with that of my personal decision. Before purchasing books I ask for student, teacher, and anyone elses suggestions that are involved with our school such as PIE, PTA, and After School Program workers for books. I keep up to date with the Horn Book list and the Muscogee County LMS share book lists and suggestions which is a tremendous help.
I am not currently a media specialist. However, I think when placed in that position, we have to put our values and beliefs aside. The question is not what I believe in or feel is "good" for the children but is instead, "What will help the children? What will expose them to what they need to be exposed to?" Rather than relying on my own opinions, I think as a media specialists, I would have to rely on a lot of research as well as mentors from other libraries.
I am not saying that putting my own beliefs and biases aside would be easy. However, I am saying that I feel like it is something that I would have to learn to do.
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