Censoring Children’s Books
Earlier this month, I wrote about popular books for tweens and teens that focused on serious romantic relationships, drugs, and extravagant spending. While I thought some of these books were too lascivious for my taste, I would still never presume to decide for other families what their children should read.
Last week, the Oklahoma City library commission chose to do just that:
Members of the Metropolitan Library Commission voted 10-7 Thursday to place such “easy, easy-reader and tween” books dealing with “sensitive or controversial topics” into a special collection that only will be accessible by “adults in authority.”
The commission didn’t decide Thursday how librarians would enforce such a plan and also did not rule on which books would be in this adults-only section. Instead, they voted to form a committee to make those choices.
Specific books criticized were King & King, Daddy’s Roommate, The Duke Who Outlawed Jelly Beans, and Heather Has Two Mommies.
!++33++!
ChannelOklahoma.com, August 26, 2005
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POSTED IN: Children's Books (11 to 14 yrs)
2 opinions for Censoring Children’s Books
Qadira
Aug 28, 2005 at 10:56 am
Restricting library books is in the same arena as putting age guidelines on video games and movies, imo. What kids comprehend and can handle changes with their age. So, coming up with a way to address that, maybe by flagging books with a "reading level" and letting parents give their kid permission to check out books within certain "levels" would be the simplest solution. Have everything there, just restrict the actual checking-out of the book.
The "Accelerated Reader" program has hundreds upon hundreds of books already categorized by level.
As for restricting access, libraries already do that. Old books, certain subject collections, even rooms set up for young kids or teenagers may be access-restricted. Most of us dont’ expect and demand the public library stock XXX materials, and if the library did, most of us would probably want it non-accessible to children. It’s kind of an issue of pot & kettle calling each other black.
Lei
Aug 28, 2005 at 11:01 am
Q, I definitely don’t think the public library should be stocking XXX materials even if they had the budget for it. But I do think parents are the ones who are ultimately responsible for keeping an eye on what their kids are exposed to whether it’s reading material, video games, or CD’s. Having a library commission decide to lock up some books and make it more difficult for anyonem, including adults, to ask about them just rubs me the wrong way.
The books mentioned in the post are certainly ones that only seek to educate kids about different lifestyles. I’m sure my parents wouldn’t have objected to me seeing them but as immigrants, they probably wouldn’t have even knew they existed if they were kept in a special section.
Also, keeping these books in a different area is labeling them subversive and that’s just wrong too. Anyhow, I suppose I’m more liberal than the folks in Oklahoma.
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