Censorship news and advice for librarians and educators from School Library Journal
VA School Librarians Reject Donated Titles By Lauren Barack - 10/10/2008
A conservative Christian organization recently rallied outside a Fairfax County public school in Virginia to protest the decision by high school librarians to reject donated books, some of which argued against same-sex marriage. More
CA District Reinstates 'Twilight' Books After Ban By Lauren Barack - 10/09/2008
There’s nothing like a good vampire novel to draw concern — and Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling Twilight series (Little, Brown, 2005) is no exception.
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A Censor's Sensibility? 10/01/2008
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may not have banned any books as mayor of Wasilla or governor of Alaska, but allegations that she flirted with the idea and fired a library director for being disloyal has some librarians and others up in arms. A blog launched on September 3 called Librarians Against Sarah Palin! (librariansagainstpalin.
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Off the Hook 10/01/2008
Officials in Lewiston, ME, have decided to halt prosecution of a woman who refused to return a library book on sex education that she calls obscene. JoAn Karkos still must pay a $100 fine and is barred from the Lewiston Public Library, but she won’t be sent to jail for violating a judge’s order to return a library copy of Robie Harris’s It’s Perfectly Normal (Candlewick,...
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No Jail for ME Woman Who Took Library’s “Obscene” Book By Norman Oder - 09/10/2008
The city of Lewiston, ME, has decided not to pursue further prosecution of a woman who refused to return a library book on sex education she calls obscene.
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Library Blog Blasts Palin By Debra Lau Whelan - 09/04/2008
Mary Ellen Baker, the librarian at the center of the Sarah Palin book-banning controversy, may not be talking to the press, but librarians around the country are voicing their concerns about having an alleged censor on the Republican ticket—through a blog called Librarians Against Sarah Palin!
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Too Much Information? By Pat Scales - 09/01/2008
I read that Philip Pullman and many other children’s book creators have taken a strong stance against publishers putting recommended reading ages on book covers. I depend on that information when I’m selecting titles for our library. Why are so many writers and illustrators against it? Librarians and parents have long depended on publishers’ age-guidance recommendations.
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Podcasts are a great way to expand learning beyond the classroom or library. Here are more recommendations from Tech Chicks Anna Adam and Helen Mowers, following up their Dec. 2007 article Listen Up!
Gr 4-7–When their beloved Aunt Grace dies, Dan, 11, and Amy, 14–along with other Cahill descendants–are faced with an unusual choice: inherit one million dollars or participate in a perilous treasure hunt.
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