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[CCBC-Net] Banned Book Week (Sept 27-Oct 3)
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From: Karen MacPherson <karen.macpherson>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:56:09 -0400
Hi everyone -- Our library is quite small (in fact, we're the only small city-run library in the state of Maryland). But we live in a community that is hugely supportive of intellectual freedom and so of course we highlight Banned Books Week each year.
We celebrate the week with displays of challenged books that can, of course, be checked out. The books are displayed in each of our three main areas: children's, young adult and adult. We also give Banned Book Week bookmarks to patrons and staffers wear "I Read Banned Books" buttons. In addition, I've also created a booklist of just some of the books that have been challenged over the years, and patrons can take a copy if they're interested.
But we don't celebrate BBW just once a year at our library. Instead, we are fortunate to have a Banned Books Club for middle schoolers that meets monthly to discuss a particular challenged book. The club was the brainchild of a 7th grader, who was looking for a way to gather with other kids interested in reading complex and interesting books. Our group is small, but incredibly well-read and full of opinions! We've read everything from "To Kill A Mockingbird" to "The Chocolate War" to "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich," all chosen by club members themselves. One month, we even read aloud and discussed a number of challenged picture books. We start off each meeting reading the list of challenges to our chosen book, using the Banned Books Resource Guide published by the ALA.This was the kids' idea -- they love seeing what people objected to in a book they've just finished reading.
The flyers advertising our upcoming Banned Books Club meetings are placed on our main circulation desk, and invariably spark comments from folks who wonder why we want to read banned books. It's a great to get the word out year-round! And although our club just began a year ago, we were honored this year to receive the ALA's John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for intellectual freedom, which brought our efforts to resist censorship to an even greater audience.
I know that having a club like this may be difficult, or impossible, in many places. But I'm more than happy to talk with anyone who is interested in creating such a club. And, if you're an ALSC member, I have an article with more details about the club in the latest ALSC Connect.
One other thought: this year, I'm also planning to add a program during Banned Books Week where we spend an hour reading aloud from picture books that have been challenged, just as our club did back in December. I think this could be a good -- and easy -- way for children's librarians to showcase some of the wonderful picture books that have been challenged over the years. For our club, I compiled a list of picture books that have been challenged, and I would be happy to share that with folks, if anyone is interested.
Cheers, Karen MacPherson, children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park Maryland Library, and children's book reviewer for Scripps Howard News Service
On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:36 PM, nancegar <nancegar at aol.com> wrote:
> ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom has lots of materials and
> information.
>
> Nancy G
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 1, 2009, at 6:52:13 PM, "Jeffers, Rhonda" <rjeffers at coweta.ga.us>
> wrote:
> From: "Jeffers, Rhonda" <rjeffers at coweta.ga.us>
> Subject: [CCBC-Net] Banned Book Week (Sept 27-Oct 3)
> Date: September 1, 2009 6:52:13 PM EDT
> To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Attachments: 1 Attachment, 74.3 KB
> Hi!
>
> I have been researching ideas for how to promote Banned Book Week for kids
> and haven't found all that much information on displays, storytimes,
> programs related to, etc. Do any of you out there have any ideas for
> successful programs you have done at your libraries that I might can do this
> year here at my own?
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Rhonda Jeffers
>
>
> Rhonda Jeffers, Librarian- Children's Services
> Coweta Public Library- Central
> 85 Literary Lane
> Newnan, Georgia 30265
> (770)683-2052
> E-mail: rjeffers at coweta.ga.us
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
Received on Fri 04 Sep 2009 04:56:09 PM CDT
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:56:09 -0400
Hi everyone -- Our library is quite small (in fact, we're the only small city-run library in the state of Maryland). But we live in a community that is hugely supportive of intellectual freedom and so of course we highlight Banned Books Week each year.
We celebrate the week with displays of challenged books that can, of course, be checked out. The books are displayed in each of our three main areas: children's, young adult and adult. We also give Banned Book Week bookmarks to patrons and staffers wear "I Read Banned Books" buttons. In addition, I've also created a booklist of just some of the books that have been challenged over the years, and patrons can take a copy if they're interested.
But we don't celebrate BBW just once a year at our library. Instead, we are fortunate to have a Banned Books Club for middle schoolers that meets monthly to discuss a particular challenged book. The club was the brainchild of a 7th grader, who was looking for a way to gather with other kids interested in reading complex and interesting books. Our group is small, but incredibly well-read and full of opinions! We've read everything from "To Kill A Mockingbird" to "The Chocolate War" to "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich," all chosen by club members themselves. One month, we even read aloud and discussed a number of challenged picture books. We start off each meeting reading the list of challenges to our chosen book, using the Banned Books Resource Guide published by the ALA.This was the kids' idea -- they love seeing what people objected to in a book they've just finished reading.
The flyers advertising our upcoming Banned Books Club meetings are placed on our main circulation desk, and invariably spark comments from folks who wonder why we want to read banned books. It's a great to get the word out year-round! And although our club just began a year ago, we were honored this year to receive the ALA's John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award for intellectual freedom, which brought our efforts to resist censorship to an even greater audience.
I know that having a club like this may be difficult, or impossible, in many places. But I'm more than happy to talk with anyone who is interested in creating such a club. And, if you're an ALSC member, I have an article with more details about the club in the latest ALSC Connect.
One other thought: this year, I'm also planning to add a program during Banned Books Week where we spend an hour reading aloud from picture books that have been challenged, just as our club did back in December. I think this could be a good -- and easy -- way for children's librarians to showcase some of the wonderful picture books that have been challenged over the years. For our club, I compiled a list of picture books that have been challenged, and I would be happy to share that with folks, if anyone is interested.
Cheers, Karen MacPherson, children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park Maryland Library, and children's book reviewer for Scripps Howard News Service
On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:36 PM, nancegar <nancegar at aol.com> wrote:
> ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom has lots of materials and
> information.
>
> Nancy G
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 1, 2009, at 6:52:13 PM, "Jeffers, Rhonda" <rjeffers at coweta.ga.us>
> wrote:
> From: "Jeffers, Rhonda" <rjeffers at coweta.ga.us>
> Subject: [CCBC-Net] Banned Book Week (Sept 27-Oct 3)
> Date: September 1, 2009 6:52:13 PM EDT
> To: ccbc-net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Attachments: 1 Attachment, 74.3 KB
> Hi!
>
> I have been researching ideas for how to promote Banned Book Week for kids
> and haven't found all that much information on displays, storytimes,
> programs related to, etc. Do any of you out there have any ideas for
> successful programs you have done at your libraries that I might can do this
> year here at my own?
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Rhonda Jeffers
>
>
> Rhonda Jeffers, Librarian- Children's Services
> Coweta Public Library- Central
> 85 Literary Lane
> Newnan, Georgia 30265
> (770)683-2052
> E-mail: rjeffers at coweta.ga.us
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at lists.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://lists.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
>
Received on Fri 04 Sep 2009 04:56:09 PM CDT
