Intellectual Freedom Interest Group (IFIG)

“Wise Decision”: Stick to Beowulf

lydiadawe — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:04:24 +0000

Several titles were removed from the Montgomery County High School curriculum last month due to complaints from parents. Among the yanked titles were Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, Deadline by Chris Crutcher, Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles and Unwind by Neal Shusterman. The books were being read in conjunction with classics like Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales for accelerated English – you know, that old approach of pairing books you despise with ones you might actually want to read to make the experience bearable.

The books haven’t been entirely banned and remain in the school’s library. According to the school superintendent and the objecting parents, they are not trying to censor the books, but imposing quality control – they maintain that the books don’t provide enough of an intellectual challenge and won’t prepare students for the rigors of college. Of course, the fact that the books cover topics like sex, child abuse and suicide doesn’t help.

The books are all on YALSA’s 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers list.

“It’s not censorship when you make wise decisions about what can be used in the classroom,” insisted one of the parents.

On the alteration of teacher Risha Mullins’ curriculum, author Chris Crutcher has said, “we object to the disregard for educational expertise as strongly as we object to censorship and the trampling of free speech.” Crutcher says that in this case, as in most cases, the objections of the few control the choices of the many.

A censorship call disguised as an academic standards concern? Hmmm…

When in doubt, just assign an anvil-sized classic, preferably Russian. With any luck, the kids’ll learn to hate reading forever and then we won’t be faced with any more intellectual freedom challenges! Bravo!

Tintin finds a new home in the library vault

lydiadawe — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:46:29 +0000

When we discuss barriers to information, what comes to mind? Often we talk in intangible terms, of social, intellectual and economic barriers. I know I don’t picture something as literal as a giant vault, complete with blast doors and a combination lock. It seems cartoonish somehow, to actually jail a book. Yet that is the solution the Brooklyn Public Library has found for dealing with certain materials. Case in point: Tintin au Congo, the second book in the classic Tintin series, which, as a result of a patron complaint about racist content, is now available “by appointment only”.

This appointment-only approach creates not just a physical barrier, but a psychological one as well. As ALA’s statement on Restricted Access to Library Materials puts it: “Because restricted materials often deal with controversial, unusual, or sensitive subjects, having to ask a librarian or circulation clerk for access to them may be embarrassing or inhibiting for patrons desiring the materials.”

For a more moderate approach to intellectual freedom challenges, I like the comment from Joanne King of the Queens Library:

“ ‘Our staff does a good job of explaining how materials are selected for the collection, and they practice active listening,’’ Ms. King said. “Once the customer has had a chance to express their concern and know they’ve been heard, they seem to feel satisfied.’ ”

What are some of the steps you take to resolve intellectual freedom complaints (and do they involve vaults) ?

Herdict: How censored is the world’s internet?

lydiadawe — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Ever encounter a site that’s inaccessible or “down” and wonder, “is anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?” Herdict, ( a portmanteau word that combines the words “verdict” and “herd”) created by the Berkman Center for Information and Society at Harvard University, answers this question and many others about online accessibility around the world. Herdict participants report when a site becomes inaccessible and provide comments about why it may be inaccessible.

The United States, China and Iran report high instances of inaccessible sites, with Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook being among the most-blocked sites around the world. You get a nice view of all this in the “Herdometer” a world map of locations and site reports that is constantly being updated by members of the “herd”. To participate in this project, you can download an add-on to your browser that not only helps you to report sites, but gives you a breakdown of the inaccessibility stats of any site you visit. The results may surprise you!

To learn more, check out the video where Shep the Sheep explains it all.