[CALIBK12] Weeding the 398.2's

Fri Feb 29 11:02:47 PST 2008

It has been interesting seeing the various reactions and emotions this issue
brings up. We all bring our individual professional and personal experiences
to this in numerous ways as we decide what stays in a collection.
Additionally, every library is a unique institution.

I am definitely more on the side of weeding than not in general, and
especially regarding materials that promote stereotypes or negative bias
with regards to gender, race, ethnic background, etc. However, I do agree
there is some educational benefit to maintaining selected books (we aren¹t
the LOC or an archival institution) as examples and students do have a right
to judge Huckleberry Finn for themselves.

This is an example of how I handle some items in the K-8 where I work.
I respect Oyate as an advocate for portraying Native people accurately in
literature, and consult them for books to avoid, etc.(
http://www.oyate.org/books-to-avoid/index.html ) yet I do keep some of the
books in the collection that they have concerns about. While Mary puts a
sticker on the front, I often include a paragraph or two from the
organization that has critiques of the work pasted inside the cover. I think
that is a way to open up discussions about the material. I also do this with
some frequently challenged books, including a blurb inside about why the
material was challenged or banned.

Jill

-- 
Windrush School Library
1800 Elm Street 
El Cerrito, CA 94530
510-970-7580 ext. 208
jdetweiler at windrush.org

On 2/29/08 6:37 AM, "Megan Fuller" <meg_ful at msn.com> wrote:

> Well, hasn't this been an interesting discussion!  This is why I love this
> list, all the well thought out opinions, and well written arguments.  I think
> this type of discussion shows the people on this list in the best light.
>  
> After taking into consideration all your opinions, and putting in a little
> research time.  I have decided to keep the Uncle Remus Stories. I will
> suppliment by purchasing the Julius Lester anthology and maybe the picture
> book too...When I have funding. ^_^
>  
>  Did you know the University of Virginia uses/used Uncle Remus in their
> American Studies program, some interesting commentary and analysis on their
> site. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~UG97/remus/remus.html
> Project Gutenberg has the complete text online.
> http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext00/remus11.txt
>  
> While Blanche Woolls had a very good argument for weeding the books, in the
> final analysis I tend to find John McVey's argument the most compelling.
> "Changing history to fit the current PC-ness  (or government leaders) and
> doing away with something that may be offensive to some, only for the sake of
> not offending, will leave generations of the future without the knowledge of
> what was and how we got to the place we find ourselves at today."
>  
> What a responsibility we have.  I wish people in power took us more seriously!
>  
> Thanks for all your input.
> 
> 
> 
> Megan Fuller 
> Aptos Junior High
> http://www.aptosjr.pvusd.net/library/
> 
> Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.
> -- Wernher von Braun
> 
> 
>> 
>> From: RichardGuy at aol.com
>> Date: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:16:19 -0500
>> To: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.edu
>> Subject: Re: [CALIBK12] Weeding the 398.2's
>> 
>> 
>> Thank you for this, John.
>> 
>> In my library I KEPT books that predicted when man would walk on the moon --
>> and visit Mars --- because it helped kids see clearly what we have lost by
>> giving up our aspirations toward space.
>> 
>> A school library collection is a garden which is not torn out and replaced
>> with every new fad plant that arrives, but reflects time, art, craft and care
>> in its keeping.
>> 
>> RMoore (sig below)
>> 
>> 
>> In a message dated 2/28/08 2:25:01 PM, jmcvey at tusd.net writes:
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I realize the necessity to upgrade and weed out the old.  However,  there are
>> some sections to our libraries, and some discussions we really should
>> maintain so as not to become too 1984-ish.  Changing history to fit the
>> current PC-ness  (or government leaders) and doing away with something that
>> may be offensive to some, only for the sake of not offending, will leave
>> generations of the future without the knowledge of what was and how we got to
>> the place we find ourselves at today.  What a wonderful springboard for
>> discussion with students of how society changes and why, and whether or not
>> it may actually be a good thing.   Having a 398 title from different time
>> periods is a great way to teach history, social change, and comparison of
>> art, writing, etc.  And they will be reading!!  If education truly wants to
>> help students be critical thinkers and able to deal with a changing society,
>> perhaps a trip to a really well-chosen library would save time and money we
>> seem to cycle away on Œnew¹ approaches in textbooks and teaching styles.
>> Actually, almost the same reasoning can be used for cutting libraries at the
>> present‹because they aren¹t used, they are outdated, not the technology of
>> the future.  I think we all heard this when computers first came on the
>> scene‹that books were a thing of the past, as were teachers in the flesh‹or
>> at least in each classroom.  I suppose my thoughts are strong from a sense of
>> history and love of reading a variety of sources.  It¹s hard to know where we
>> are if you can¹t know where you¹ve been.  Perhaps we are just too busy with
>> the here and now, and perhaps too many just don¹t care.
>>  
>> John McVey
>> Library Technician
>> North School   K-8 YRE
>> Tracy, CA
>> From: calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu
>> [mailto:calibk12-bounces at lists.sjsu.edu] On Behalf Of Megan Fuller
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 6:35 AM
>> To: library
>> Subject: [CALIBK12] Weeding the 398.2's
>> 
>> 
>>  
>> I recently set myself a task.  After checking out Debbie Reese's site, I
>> became curious about the state of my folk tales.  Jan James, the woman who
>> was the credentialed library media specialist before I came, truly loved folk
>> tales, so I have a large collection.  But as we all know times change and we
>> have to eye some things in new ways.  With Debbie's advise I weeded several
>> Native American retellings, but overall was happy with what I have.  So now I
>> am looking at the rest of the 398.2s. I have come across two Joel Chandler
>> Harris books, Tales of Uncle Remus, and The stories of Brer Rabbit, copyright
>> 1941.
>>  
>> I am in a quandary, while trying to explain trickster tales to the 8th grade
>> I talked about Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby, and my students do not know
>> these stories.  They have heard of Anansi, but not Brer Rabbit.  The forward
>> in the Uncle Remus is by Margaret Wise Brown, talks about the Gulluh dialect
>> of the S. Carolina, Georgia coast.  These stories are very much told in the
>> "Dis, Dem, Dos." vernacular style.  I  love these stories and do not own any
>> modern retellings, nor after looking around have have I been able to find a
>> modern anthology.  Lots of single picture books, but not a collection.
>>  
>> So, do they stay or do they go? Does anyone have a vendor they would suggest
>> for replacement?
>> 
>> 
>> Megan Fuller 
>> Aptos Junior High
>> http://www.aptosjr.pvusd.net/library/
>> 
>> Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.
>> -- Wernher von Braun
>> 
>> 
>> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Richard K. Moore, InfoSherpa
> Huntington Beach, CA
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