August 1998

Staff -- School Library Journal, 8/1/1998

ALA has no business restricting services based on "political correctness," says one reader.

Boy Scout Brouhaha

After reading the May editorial ("A Matter of Faith: Putting the Power of Reading to the Test," p. 5) on the proposed resolution that the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) stop providing reading lists for the Boy Scouts, I felt that I had to write. While it is admirable that ALA has policies that support freedom of choice in religion, this should not mean that ALA has the right to interpret what that means for any individual or group. Nor does ALA have the right to restrict services based on their narrow interpretation of "freedom of choice." How can ALA dare to say that the Boy Scouts deny choice with regard to religion? I have never seen anyone coerced into scouting. If the Boy Scouts are guilty of violating this choice, how many other groups would also be guilty? Let's see, well, every single denominational group in the U.S., any organization that is formed because the members share the same religious beliefs, any church-affiliated school--the list could go on.

How far does this go? Does this mean that any group that does not meet the approval of ALA will be denied services? If a local church group requests a summer reading list, must we turn them away because our views may differ? It almost smacks of discrimination.American libraries were designed to serve the public. Careful steps have been made over the years to prevent excluding any segment of our society. We, as librarians, consider ourselves the guardians of democratic ideals. How can a national organization of librarians even consider restricting services based on "political correctness?"

I am outraged that the ALA Council would consider directing ALSC to cease the provision of recommended reading lists to the Boy Scouts of America.

As a public librarian, it would never occur to me to query the beliefs of anyone before providing them with recommended reading, unless the reference interview exchange provided me with guidance regarding their reading choices. I serve people every day with whom I disagree about their life-style choices and child-rearing techniques.I am able to separate this provision of life-enriching service from my own personal stance regarding the Boy Scouts. Indeed, as a parent/consumer of the organization, I have many concerns about BSA's policies regarding belief in God and its strictures against homosexual scout masters and its approaches in other areas. I actively voice those concerns in BSA venues and raise my own children and those with whom I have contact to be more inclusive, welcoming, and accepting of diversity in all its forms.

ALA, support librarians as information providers. (These views are entirely my own, and do not represent theofficial policy of the library which employs me.)

Editor's Note: For an update on the Boy Scout controversy, see p. 38.

Books Not In Print

On the same day that I read Katherine Paterson's comment ("Confusion at the Crossroads: The Forces That Pull Children and Reading Apart," May 1998, p. 36) that the books which children want to reread and reflect upon are going out of print, two things happened:
1. I received a letter from a 12-year-old whose mother had died of alcoholism, telling me how much my book Cages (Dutton, 1991) had helped her cope with her difficult situation.
2. I learned that Cages will not be reprinted in hardcover. (Only 20 copies remained after seven hardcover printings in seven years, yet the book is being dropped.)

Corrections

The phone number published for Blackstone Audio Books ("Listen While You Read: Struggling Readers & Audiobooks,"April 1998, p. 35) was incorrect. The number is (800) 729-2665.

The price of the World Book Atlas originally supplied by the publisher ("The New World: A Librarian's Guide to CD-ROM & Print Atlases," May 1998, p. 45) is incorrect. The price is $49. A revised review follows:
The World Book Atlas. World Book. 192p. 111/8"x15". 1997. $49. ISBN 0716626993. This is a shorter, weaker version of the Cosmopolitan World Atlas. World Book has all the drawbacks of the Cosmopolitan without the benefit of the latter's maps of the U.S. states and Canadian provinces. It also has less comprehensive and informative front matter. While at $49 it is less expensive than the Cosmopolitan, it is still more expensive than a number of superior works, namely Goode's World Atlas, Times Atlas of the World Second Edition, and Oxford's Concise Atlas of the World 4th Edition, among others.--Stephen Del Vecchio, Librarian, The Family Academy, New York, NY.

Call for Reviewers

School Library Journal's Audiovisual Review Department is looking for school library media specialists and public librarians to volunteer their services as video and audio reviewers. If you would like to review educational videocassettes and audio programs for pre-K-12 students, contact Phyllis Levy Mandell, Audiovisual Review Editor, School Library Journal, 245 W. 17th St., New York, NY 10011; pmandell@slj.cahners.com.