This week is Banned Books Week, where we celebrate freedom of speech and press, and we have discussions about how censorship inhibits culture and learning. I could not agree with this more, and outside of parents telling their children what is not allowed in their homes, no one should ever get in the way of anyone's liberty of writing, publishing, or reading any type of book. This especially goes for governments, and even applies to communities who pursue democratic tyranny by outnumbering certain readers and prohibiting their preferences.
We must remember, however, the role of teachers (or school librarians) in any discussion of banning books. Just because a book shouldn't be banned from the general public does not necessarily mean it is appropriate for schools and the youth within them. Legality and appropriateness are two very different things. How books are selected to be used at schools should be done with very careful consideration.
I would say the most important test to run for yourself is, "Why do I think my students should read this book? Is it because the book provides a genuine learning opportunity, or do I want it included so that it pushes forward a particular social/political agenda I happen to endorse?"
Here is what I think about when deciding on my curriculum for my college literature courses:
Does this work offer learning for all people because of the human commonalities it presents, or is the audience so narrow that a broad segment of my population will be unmoved? Does this text go beyond being polemical or didactic and offer a truly artistic representation of the theme that is included? Has this work been appreciated over a reasonably lengthy period of time, by many different readers, and by certain respected or authoritative literary commentators or scholars? Does this book effectively represent a particular literary movement or cultural era? What is it about me that believes this book is optimal for my classroom? Are there any other books that would better for exploring a particular course objective?
Only after I've sifted through questions like these do I determine if I should go forward. If the book is still deemed "controversial" in some way, then I decide how I want to move forward. But the intent is to always offer the best readings for students, not just those that happen to be part of some political cause du jour. This is where the concept of appropriateness from up above comes in.
Should we assign a book on cannibalism or bestiality to third-graders just because we believe in free speech and don't want books censored? Should we assign passages from Mein Kampf to high-schoolers because we are endorsing Nazism, or because we need to see into the mind of a crazy person and study the cultural context of early 20th-century Europe in order to ensure such atrocities never occur again? Intent matters. Careful examination of teaching objectives matters.
So while we celebrate our freedom to read and continue to engage in the fight against book banning, let's make sure we are on this side for the right reasons. When it comes to our youth and our schools, just because some things are permissible doesn't mean they are ideal. Let's take our jobs as purveyors of art and culture seriously by focusing on books that are truly worthy, not just those that are news-worthy.
We must remember, however, the role of teachers (or school librarians) in any discussion of banning books. Just because a book shouldn't be banned from the general public does not necessarily mean it is appropriate for schools and the youth within them. Legality and appropriateness are two very different things. How books are selected to be used at schools should be done with very careful consideration.
I would say the most important test to run for yourself is, "Why do I think my students should read this book? Is it because the book provides a genuine learning opportunity, or do I want it included so that it pushes forward a particular social/political agenda I happen to endorse?"
Here is what I think about when deciding on my curriculum for my college literature courses:
Does this work offer learning for all people because of the human commonalities it presents, or is the audience so narrow that a broad segment of my population will be unmoved? Does this text go beyond being polemical or didactic and offer a truly artistic representation of the theme that is included? Has this work been appreciated over a reasonably lengthy period of time, by many different readers, and by certain respected or authoritative literary commentators or scholars? Does this book effectively represent a particular literary movement or cultural era? What is it about me that believes this book is optimal for my classroom? Are there any other books that would better for exploring a particular course objective?
Only after I've sifted through questions like these do I determine if I should go forward. If the book is still deemed "controversial" in some way, then I decide how I want to move forward. But the intent is to always offer the best readings for students, not just those that happen to be part of some political cause du jour. This is where the concept of appropriateness from up above comes in.
Should we assign a book on cannibalism or bestiality to third-graders just because we believe in free speech and don't want books censored? Should we assign passages from Mein Kampf to high-schoolers because we are endorsing Nazism, or because we need to see into the mind of a crazy person and study the cultural context of early 20th-century Europe in order to ensure such atrocities never occur again? Intent matters. Careful examination of teaching objectives matters.
So while we celebrate our freedom to read and continue to engage in the fight against book banning, let's make sure we are on this side for the right reasons. When it comes to our youth and our schools, just because some things are permissible doesn't mean they are ideal. Let's take our jobs as purveyors of art and culture seriously by focusing on books that are truly worthy, not just those that are news-worthy.