Censorship

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Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 9/23/2009 12:17:00 PM

www2.lib.virginia.edu/exhibits/censored/intro.html

Next week is Banned Books Week and many of us will be spending time educating library patrons, staff, and parents about the ongoing efforts to limit what children and adults can read. Get teens thinking and talking about the First Amedment and the many forms of censorship that occur every day, along with their impact on our country’s basic freedoms.

This excellent online exhibit was created by the University of Virginia Library. Its purpose is “not so much to judge censors and censorship but instead to provoke questions.” To start viewing the exhibit, click on the drop-down menu. It is best experienced by selecting the categories in the order in which they are presented.

In order to help students begin to think about such questions as “Who should define propriety?” and “Where are your limits of tolerance?,” the exhibit strives to teach students about the many different types of censorship that have historically been imposed on printed works (including the Bible, history books, dictionaries, and works of fiction), as well as on music, films, and works of art. The site then poses thought-provoking questions to encourage teens to discuss their thoughts and feelings.