Censorship news and advice for librarians and educators from School Library Journal
Nintendo Magazine Pulled From Middle School Library By Rocco Staino - 03/31/2009
A magazine cover of a woman holding a gun has led a middle school principal to pull it from the media center, over the objection of the librarian. More
DC School District Restores Gay-Themed Titles to Summer Reading Lists By Rocco Staino - 07/02/2009
The Washington, DC, school district that had previously scrubbed gay-themed books from its summer reading list has restored all of thetitles following objections from librarians and the capital’s gay and lesbian community.
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Have No Fear: Don't Be Frightened by Book Challenges—Be Prepared By Pat Scales - 07/01/2009
I live in fear that someone will challenge one of our books. I’m not very confident about dealing with censorship because I didn’t have a single course about it in library school. Now that I’m an elementary school librarian, I feel that my library school failed me. Where can I go for help? I don’t know very many library schools that offer a course that deals exclusively ...
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GLBT Titles Scrubbed from DC Public Schools’ Summer Reading List By Rocco Staino - 06/21/2009
You won’t see books like And Tango Makes Three (S & S, 2005), The Geography Club (HarperCollins, 2003) or any other gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLTB)-themed title on the summer reading lists for the District of Columbia Public Schools.
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Morrison, Lebowitz, Blume Talk Censorship By Rocco Staino - 06/10/2009
Famed authors Toni Morrison and Fran Lebowitz gathered at a New York City cocktail party last week to talk about book banning—in libraries, schools, and stores.
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WI’s West Bend Library Board Says ‘No’ to Relocating YA Books By Debra Lau Whelan - 06/08/2009
A list of sexually explicit and gay-themed titles will remain on the YA shelves of Wisconsin’s West Bend Community Library following the board’s unanimous vote to reject efforts by local parents to restrict access to those books.
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TN Schools Ends Censorship of GLBT Web Sites By Rocco Staino - 06/05/2009
Access to online information about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues has been restored to dozens of Tennessee schools.
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West Bend City Council Fails to Reinstate Library Board Members By Debra Lau Whelan - 05/20/2009
The four board members of Wisconsin’s West Bend Community Memorial Public Library who were likely to vote against moving sexually explicit YA books to the adult section won’t be reinstated—a move that the library’s director finds disturbing.
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BookExpo America 2009: SLJ's Day of Dialog School Library Journal held a Day of Dialog in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America on May 28, 2009 at the Brooklyn Public Library. Full story: bit.ly/1a0G7o
2008 National Book Awards Nominees in the young people's literature category graced the red carpet on Awards night Nov. 20, 2008.
The Buzz Nov. 2008 So the economy’s gone south, you still need your gadgets.
Folktales from Around the World: The Bear Prince. DVD. 11:56 min. with tchr’s. guide. Prod. by Colman Communications. Dist. by 100% Educational Media (schoolvideos.com). 2008. $39.95.
K-Gr 4–While this animated Mexican fairy tale will be new to most viewers, the story contains familiar elements from such popular tales as “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Puss in Boots.”
Let them eat cake! Library aide Shanta Ramkhelawan (left), librarian Camina Raphael, and Colleen McCrea, head of the children's library, served delectable dessert to more than 130 people celebrating the 85th anniversary of the historic Robert Bacon Memorial Children's Library in Westbury, NY. Upon opening its doors in 1924 it was only the third children's library in the world.
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