[Foundation-l] Board resolutions on controversial content and images of identifiable people

[phoebe ayers]

On Wed, Sep 21, 2011 at 6:31 AM, Jussi-Ville Heiskanen
<cimonavaro at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 10:10 PM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.wiki at gmail.com> wrote:>
>>
>> This seems like an over-hasty statement. There are many possible
>> categorization schemes that are neutral; the ALA in fact makes that
>> distinction itself, since libraries (obviously) use all kinds of labeling
>> and categorization schemes all the time. The ALA and other library
>> organizations have taken a stand against censorious and non-neutral
>> labeling, not all labeling. If you keep reading the ALA page you linked, it
>> says that the kind of labels that are not appropriate are when "the
>> prejudicial label is used to warn, discourage or prohibit users or certain
>> groups of users from accessing the material" -- e.g. a label that reads "not
>> appropriate for children". That does not mean that picture books for kids,
>> or mystery novels, or large-print books, aren't labeled as such in every
>> public library in the country -- and that is the difference between
>> informative and prejudicial labeling.
>
> Would I be incorrect in pointing out that American public librarys routinely
> exclude world famous childrens book author Astrid Lindgrens childrens
> books, because to puritanical minds a man who can elevate himself
> with a propeller beany, and look into childs rooms thereby, smacks too
> much of pedophilia?
>

Uh... yes, you would be incorrect? I certainly checked out Astrid
Lindgren books from the public library when I was a kid. I have never
heard of them getting challenged in the US. Citation needed?

The ALA maintains a list of books that do get routinely challenged in
US libraries here:
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/index.cfm.
Note, this just means someone *asked* for the book to be removed from
the public or school library, not that it actually was; libraries
generally stand up to such requests.

Also note that challenges are typically asking for the book to be
removed from the library altogether -- restricting access to it for
everyone in the community -- as opposed to simply not looking at it
yourself or allowing your own kids to check it out. It's the 'removal
for everyone' part that is the problem; the issue here is freedom of
choice: people should have the right to read, or not read, a
particular book as they see fit.

-- phoebe