Martha Spear is the chair of MAME’s Intellectual Freedom Committee. She has been in the “library business” for over 40 years, including the past 30 as the Library Media Specialist at Berkley High School
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Martha writes: I believe that the student’s right to know is balanced by parental control and tempered with economic realities. The parent retains the right to dictate his/her child’s reading material and I am not sure I would fight to keep, say, What’s Happening to My Body on my library shelves if it meant losing my job. Yet the reality remains that for many youth, the school library is the only place they can safely and easily explore age-appropriate, accurate information in the areas of anatomy, relationships, sexuality, social issues, and more. As Library Media Specialists we have a duty to provide timely, age-appropriate information on these sensitive topics.
We face many challenges in meeting the informational needs of our students. Some LMSs encounter strong administrative resistance, including possible job jeopardy, when trying to build a comprehensive collection. Political or religious groups may exert strong pressure to censor. And some factors are often beyond our control, such as online filters and classroom libraries. Saddest of all, many school libraries are managed by support personnel who are not aware of, nor subscribe to, ALA intellectual freedom standards.
We as LMSs must be aware of Intellectual Freedom (IF) issues and strive to meet the informational needs of all of our students without fear or defensiveness. We have tools at our disposal. Our first weapon of defense is an up-to-date Material Selection Policy. We should also have a Board-approved procedure/policy for handling challenges when they occur. The ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom is a great resource as is the organization People for the American Way. The MAME IF Committee is a safe way to find a community of support. There is strength in numbers and openness.
Intellectual Freedom is the cornerstone of our profession; librarians are unique in supporting young people’s right to know. We must fight the good fight. If we don’t do it, who will?
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Martha writes: I believe that the student’s right to know is balanced by parental control and tempered with economic realities. The parent retains the right to dictate his/her child’s reading material and I am not sure I would fight to keep, say, What’s Happening to My Body on my library shelves if it meant losing my job. Yet the reality remains that for many youth, the school library is the only place they can safely and easily explore age-appropriate, accurate information in the areas of anatomy, relationships, sexuality, social issues, and more. As Library Media Specialists we have a duty to provide timely, age-appropriate information on these sensitive topics.
We face many challenges in meeting the informational needs of our students. Some LMSs encounter strong administrative resistance, including possible job jeopardy, when trying to build a comprehensive collection. Political or religious groups may exert strong pressure to censor. And some factors are often beyond our control, such as online filters and classroom libraries. Saddest of all, many school libraries are managed by support personnel who are not aware of, nor subscribe to, ALA intellectual freedom standards.
We as LMSs must be aware of Intellectual Freedom (IF) issues and strive to meet the informational needs of all of our students without fear or defensiveness. We have tools at our disposal. Our first weapon of defense is an up-to-date Material Selection Policy. We should also have a Board-approved procedure/policy for handling challenges when they occur. The ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom is a great resource as is the organization People for the American Way. The MAME IF Committee is a safe way to find a community of support. There is strength in numbers and openness.
Intellectual Freedom is the cornerstone of our profession; librarians are unique in supporting young people’s right to know. We must fight the good fight. If we don’t do it, who will?