CCBC-Net Archives
Professional Responsibility
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Steward, Celeste <csteward_at_aclibrary.org>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:29:47 -0700
"I didn't buy the latter (Boy in Striped Pajamas) because I read that Jewis h groups were highly opposed to its depiction of the Holocaust, and the uni t for which it would have been read was on the Holocaust. I felt it would be irresponsible to promote it as a realistic portrayal."
IMO, this example is one of the most egregious mistakes I see often in publ ic libraries: librarians' believing hearsay rather than getting a copy of t he book, document, etc. and reading it firsthand. The Boy in the Striped Pa jamas is a work of fiction, and it won a literary award overseas. This alon e should prompt a selector to take a second, more in depth look.
In my professional capacity, I have observed many occasions in which librar ians will simply repeat opinions of other colleagues, reviews, etc. without firsthand knowledge-this is a dangerous practice.
Not too long ago, I updated some of our state standards test books. A newer edition had come out but some staff members wanted to retain the older boo ks rather than discard. Apparently, a parent had reviewed the older book an d pronounced it 'the same as the newer one'. Based on this, staff members r epeated the parent's opinion, thereby justifying the circulation of the old er book as well as the newer edition. But, after a quick check of the publi sher's website, we discovered this was indeed an updated version.
Stepping off the soapbox now...
Celeste Steward Collection Development Librarian IV Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 (510)745-1586
Received on Thu 30 Sep 2010 08:29:47 AM CDT
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 08:29:47 -0700
"I didn't buy the latter (Boy in Striped Pajamas) because I read that Jewis h groups were highly opposed to its depiction of the Holocaust, and the uni t for which it would have been read was on the Holocaust. I felt it would be irresponsible to promote it as a realistic portrayal."
IMO, this example is one of the most egregious mistakes I see often in publ ic libraries: librarians' believing hearsay rather than getting a copy of t he book, document, etc. and reading it firsthand. The Boy in the Striped Pa jamas is a work of fiction, and it won a literary award overseas. This alon e should prompt a selector to take a second, more in depth look.
In my professional capacity, I have observed many occasions in which librar ians will simply repeat opinions of other colleagues, reviews, etc. without firsthand knowledge-this is a dangerous practice.
Not too long ago, I updated some of our state standards test books. A newer edition had come out but some staff members wanted to retain the older boo ks rather than discard. Apparently, a parent had reviewed the older book an d pronounced it 'the same as the newer one'. Based on this, staff members r epeated the parent's opinion, thereby justifying the circulation of the old er book as well as the newer edition. But, after a quick check of the publi sher's website, we discovered this was indeed an updated version.
Stepping off the soapbox now...
Celeste Steward Collection Development Librarian IV Alameda County Library 2450 Stevenson Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 (510)745-1586
Received on Thu 30 Sep 2010 08:29:47 AM CDT
