March 1999
Staff -- School Library Journal, 3/1/1999
"School librarians are teachers, we don't simply serve teachers."
IP2 and the Real World
I read with interest Dr. Keith Swigger's condemnation of the new Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning ("Weighing In on IP2," January 1999, pp. 33-37). Aside from the obvious rebuttal that IP2 was not intended to be a text for his graduate students, I would like to pose a more substantial concern that I have with his comments.
Dr. Swigger does not understand the fundamental shift in school librarianship that is taking place. School librarianship is not limited to his old-fashioned definition encompassing "collection development," "service," and "respect for the independence and privacy of readers." School librarianship has a larger mission; it is focused on learning -- of students, teachers, and others in the school community.
School librarians are teachers, we don't simply serve teachers. We teach our students to find, evaluate, and use information in order to develop their understanding about subject-area content. We teach students how to learn -- by reading for understanding, by using information literacy skills and technology, and by thinking about ideas and communicating conclusions.Of course collection development is important, but the collection must be built around the learning that is expected in the school. Reading is certainly a focus of school librarianship, but our efforts in that area go way beyond simply providing good books and granting students independence and privacy. We help students use reading to learn.
Swigger proclaims that IP2 will not prepare his graduate students for the real world of school librarianship. I contend that Swigger does not understand the essence of the real world of school librarianship.
Barbara K. Stripling
Director of Instructional Services
Fayetteville Public Schools
Fayetteville, AR
Barbara Stripling is a former president of the American Association of School Librarians and is the co-author of IP2.
ALA & BSA
Your report "Who speaks for ALA?" ("ALA's Executive Board Reins in the Roundtables," December 1998, p. 16) is disturbingly one-sided. [SLJ's former editor-in-chief, now editor-at-large] Lillian Gerhardt, a veteran observer of the American Library Association (ALA), has either inexplicably swallowed hook, line, and sinker the executive board's unsubstantiated accusations against ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) -- or purposefully decided that SLJ should enlist its forces in the executive board's campaign to intimidate and silence SRRT.
The SRRT action council issues statements that reflect the concerns of SRRT members on matters such as discrimination, the environment, corporate influence in librarianship, human rights, war, etc. SRRT has every right to release statements under its own auspices, and it has never pretended to "speak for ALA." All statements issued by SRRT are sent out on SRRT letterhead, with cover letters stating that accompanying resolutions are issued by the Social Responsibilities Round Table of ALA.
The SLJ report misleads readers when it parrots the executive board's accusation that SRRT has violated ALA policy. Gerhardt should take a closer look at those policies. They do, indeed, clearly and unequivocably establish which ALA officers and divisions are allowed to issue statements on behalf of the entire association. However, there is no constitutional prohibition against round-tables issuing statements under their own auspices. The constitution is silent on that matter, and this is no trifling semantic distinction.
In regard to the SRRT resolution concerning the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), I would be very interested to see the "what's this all about" letter supposedly sent by the BSA to Bill Gordon. To date, the executive board has not presented a single shred of evidence that documents the "confusion" SRRT is accused of generating.
As for "sweeping up after SRRT," the only sweeping the executive board does is of the under-the-rug variety, as evidenced in the way it has temporarily handled the Boy Scouts matter -- by simply removing from the ALA Handbook of Organizations 1998-99 the entire list of "Representatives to Other Organizations." The inclusion of the BSA on this list indicated that through the Association for Library Services to Children, ALA maintained either an official representative or a liaison to an organization (the BSA) that discriminates against atheists and homosexuals -- and that certainly violates ALA policies prohibiting relations with organizations that discriminate or otherwise violate human rights.
Elaine Harger
SRRT Secretary
Librarian
W. Haywood Burns School
New York, NY
Editor's Note
For a full report of ALA action concerning BSA, see our coverage of the ALA Midwinter Meeting, p. 93.
"Sleeper" Choices a Challenge
[As one of the SLJ reviewers who contributed to the article "Sleepers: 100 Books Too Good to Miss" (August 1998)], I wish to respond to Paul B. Janeczko's request (Letters, December 1998) for rationales behind the selections for the article. Let me assure him that neither lack of enthusiasm for poetry, nor a belief that poetry was "covered" in the school curriculum, were part of the thinking behind my choices!
For me, the process began with a list of about 50 books that I loved and knew were popular in central Pennsylvania. I then considered each one according to the criteria we were given. I wanted my final 10 to include a variety of picture books, nonfiction, fiction for a range of ages, and, yes, poetry. When I submitted my list, the editor suggested that Jack Prelutsky's A Pizza the Size of the Sun (Greenwillow, 1996) was too universally well known to be considered a "sleeper" and requested that I pick another. (I happened to reach for fiction.) I mention this not to pass the blame onto the editor, but rather to point out the irony of the removal and the struggle involved in balancing the criteria, which required we select books that had been published since 1990, had been deemed high-quality, had won no major awards (and might therefore be considered "sleepers"), but were popular for some reason in our region.
While my final list omitted poetry, it did include a song, Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky (Dutton, 1990), and at least two works of fiction notable for play with words and language so beautiful it catches your breath: Teller of Tales by William J. Brooke (HarperCollins, 1994) and Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein (S&S/Atheneum, 1993). Since the latter was by a local author, I wanted it to reach a wider audience. All three titles, however, elicit the pleasure, surprise, and moments of understanding that are also brought forth by encounters with the arrangements of words and the strength of the images in poetry (albeit for different ages).
I hope Mr. Janeczko will be pleased to learn that poetry is not only alive, but thriving in our library system. We have writing workshops with poets for children and adults, our monthly displays always include anthologies and works by single authors, and each graded reading list points out our favorite poetry titles. Our young adult list includes one of my personal favorites: I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You (S&S, 1996), edited by Naomi Shihab Nye and Paul B. Janeczko.
Wendy Lukehart
Coordinator of Children's and Young Adult Services
Dauphin County Library System
Harrisburg, PA
Offended by Blandness
I can't quite believe that Mr. Indriso (Letters, December 1998) is calling for school libraries to be free of any controversial material that would offend or upset children or their parents. I can only assume that his library does not contain books like the Little House series, which offends some people in our area because of the portrayal of Native Americans, or Newbery and Caldecott Award-winners Bridge to Terabithia (HarperCollins, 1977) and Smoky Night (Harcourt Brace, 1994), which have been challenged for offending someone at some time -- as have poems by Shel Silverstein, folktales such as Red Riding Hood, and nursery rhymes. I assume these books are not found in Mr. Indriso's collection. I was hoping that I read this letter wrong and he was being sarcastic, but I'm afraid he is actually serious about offering an inoffensive library collection to his community. That leaves only bland material. Bland material offends me, so if I were a parent in his district, he'd have to remove it -- leaving a nice collection of bare shelves for the community. Please tell me you were joking, sir.
Rob Reid
Associate Lecturer
Foundations of Education Department
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI
Mr. Indriso says there should not be anything controversial in a school or public library to offend parents and children. Just what is controversial? Is it the Bible, because of all the sex and violence? Is it a book with an African-American or Jewish protagonist because the community is all white and Christian?
A school should be a place where students learn to think for themselves. Students can be introduced to different ideas without trauma. To avoid all controversy in life is impossible. To blindly follow the leader leads to tyranny. No one can protest every injustice, of course, without leading a life of turmoil, but to never question any decision is what led to the Holocaust, the Mai Lai massacre, and other atrocities.
A person can protest poor policy without yelling, being offensive, or losing one's job. One may have to compromise, but can still feel a differing view has been expressed. In my district, we librarians were able to discuss concerns we had without problems. We feel we made our case and raised the awareness of those involved. We are still considered team players and valued ones at that.
I'd hate to work in a district that allows no discussion of ideas and questioning of policy. While Mr. Indriso may have no headaches because he toes the line, I would have headaches in the same situation. I'd like to think I have some independence of thought and will. I am a team player but, I hope, not an automaton.
Janice L. Weiner
Librarian
Aptakisic Junior High School
Buffalo Grove, IL
After reading the letter from Frank J. Indriso, I couldn't help but think of a poster we have in the library that resembles an eye chart in an optician's office: "Censorship Causes Blindness. Read!"
As librarians, we have the responsibility to give children the skills to critique and analyze a wide array of viewpoints, which in turn will help them in their quest for continued enlightenment and knowledge.
Libraries around the country should review the U.S. Bill of Rights, remembering that it is only as strong as the paper it is written on -- so what really will matter is the strength of the people who defend these rights. Our salaries as librarians should not depend on doing what the public feels is correct or incorrect concerning literature; this comes with our intuitive knowledge. In other words, what we believe in should not be overshadowed by the fear of losing our jobs. Our popularity should never be an issue. Our commitment to education and our conscience are the real issues.
Marsha Whitney
Library Assistant
South Meadow School
Peterboro, NH
Regarding Frank J. Indriso III's letter in the December 1998 issue: he says, "Call me a conservative or call me a wimp." I think I'll call him a disservice to school librarians. Since he feels "there should not be any controversial materials in public school libraries that would offend or upset children and/or their parents," I shudder to think what his middle school library contains.
How does he determine what will be offensive? Most librarians are well aware that in any library there will be something to offend everyone.Yes, Mr. Indriso, an administrator is your boss, but remember that you were hired to do the job a librarian is trained to do. You were also hired to provide library materials for varying skill levels and interests, and to support your school's curriculum. How can you do that if you're so afraid of offending or upsetting someone? War and AIDS are intrinsically upsetting. Some famous people do offensive things. You are not doing your job and as an administrator, I would not hire you.
Christine Allen
District Librarian, K-12
Riverside Unified School District
Instructional Media Services
Riverside, CA
CorrectionPatricia MacLachlan's novel Sarah, Plain and Tall (HarperCollins, 1985) was titled incorrectly ("The Polar Express Chugs into First Place," February 1999, p. 15).
