The issue of censorship in general is such a polarizing concept in general, it's hard for me to set aside my Freedom of Speech ideals to really look at it. It would be easy to consider a challenged book as a challenge to you...because many times the person making the challenge will come to view the librarian as an opponent. If both sides get defensive immediately, then battle lines are drawn and any hope of a peaceful resolution will quickly fade. I think every librarian should watch a balanced video such as the one on the NCWiseOwl site on a frequent basis. The video helped me realize that while both sides probably come from opposite ideological camps, the best thing would be to discuss it without bringing those ideals into play. A cool head and an open mind from the librarian may help to diffuse any anger the challenging party may try to bring in. The librarians in the video that had faced challenges were calm and rational in discussing it, but you could see hints of chagrin over how the issue escalated now that they look back at it.
These issues take you by surprise and many times are red hot by the time you even realize they are there. If you are prepared mentally (and are well aware of challenge procedure) then I think you will be better able to handle it. I know that my natural first response would be to attack back, but videos like these help me address the touchy areas to me in a setting where I am not likely to fan the flames.
I feel very passionate in the belief that children have a right to read, and I think many topics parents find offensive are due to an ignorance of the topic. I just need to discuss and debate those feelings and beliefs in a more appropriate setting than when faced with a parent that thinks Harry Potter is a handbook to satanism!
No comments:
Post a Comment