From: Killeen, Erlene <Erlene.Killeen_at_Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:31:32 -0500

I would have been a very sad public library user as a child if I had been r estricted up until the age of 13 from YA or adult books. I turned 13 durin g my freshman year of high school and had already read Gone With the Wind t wice by then. I read my first adult biography at the age of ten and sobbed in bed (late at night with a flashlight!) over the death of the father in the telling. Who knows when a specific child is ready for a specific book? Only the child, really.

That said, I certainly consider the impact on children of content in materi als I purchase and find reviews helpful but not my only criteria. I am not too proud to say that I have removed a book from my library's collection o n the request of a parent, BUT only after careful reconsideration, review, and consultation with other professionals. We had a title (sorry-- too lon g ago to remember) about all the stuff girls like, make-up, clothes, friend s, boys, etc. It was reviewed for grades 4-8th as I remember. I thought m y students would love it so ordered it. It went on the shelf and kids star ted checking it out. A parent brought it in to my attention (actually to t he principal, who thankfully just sent her to me!) and I sat down with the book and really looked it over. It had chapters on intercourse, masterbati on, and homosexuality. Nothing wrong with those topics but not really the focus of the book's cover, title, or the reviews and not the reason I had a cquired it! I have a good section on sexuality for K-5th graders so this w as an interesting problem. The parent wanted it out of the school district or at the very least sent t o the high school. I took it to the library group in our district and aske d their opinions. I also talked to a couple of school psychologists about it. The psychologists said they wished they had had access to this title a s they were growing up -- I asked what age and they said around 12!! The l ibrarians had an interesting response. The h.s. librarian said no one woul d look at it-- too juvenile looking for h.s. kids. The middle school libra rian said it might be good for the human growth and development collection used in classes but the kids wouldn't be caught dead checking it out. The other elementary people thought it was too old for K-5. So -- we moved it to the middle school special collection and I informed th e parent. I also suggested she might want to use our elementary human grow th section with her daughter if they needed to be discussing those topics. She wasn't h appy but was willing to let it be since everyone else seemed s o sure about it. She and her mother just thought it was ridiculous that th ere were even books written like that! I felt like it was a good resolution and good book placement, not censorshi p.

Sorry for such a long story! Erlene

Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
Received on Tue 28 Sep 2010 08:31:32 AM CDT