[CALIBK12] - A response to Tony's post

[ladewig]

Tony cc'd the list with his response to Sarah and myself (original post
replicated below)and included this comment:

"If you, or your community, are unwilling to have the atheist viewpoint
represented then you shouldn't have the pro-religion titles either."

Thank you Tony, for that "gentle and kindly-put" reminder. Oh wait, when did
either Sarah or I say we (or our communities) were unwilling to have atheist
viewpoints represented in the collection??? We didn't!!! 

Tony wrote: "This is just like the Golden Compass debate.  If I can have
C.S. Lewis and Tim La Haye on the shelf then I can have Philip Pullman too."


Is it just like the G.C. debate? I thought Pullman's book was a work of
fiction (albeit with anti-religious undertones) and we are discussing works
cataloged and housed in the nonfiction section (according to Dewey, anyway).


And I didn't realize we were debating - I thought we were discussing. I
thought we were being asked for our insight and opinions, and perhaps legal
aspects if we were knowledgeable in that area. I never wrote nor did I
indicate that a library should not have G.C. (or Phillip Pullman, et al),
via this listserve and I don't think Sarah did either. Tony, I never
DICTATED to you (or anyone else on this listserve) what to put or not put on
your shelves. Am I out of line to expect the same courtesy from you? My
comments were suggestions/observations and a reminder that "when in doubt"
refer to the selection policy.

As far as "Atheism" is concerned, it is a belief system, and therefore falls
into the category of "religion" despite the belief being in the negative
(i.e. God or "god" does not exist). So if Tony (and his community) wants to
stock the 200s shelf with arguments against "religion," that's your business
Tony. Neither I nor Sarah said you couldn't or shouldn't.

As for me, I don't have any of the books Tony mentioned by title - either
religious or anti-religious. I'm at a K - 6 site. I have one shelf (due to
lack of shelving in general)for all the 200s including about half a shelf of
mythology. The other half of the shelf is composed of a variety of books
(and a variety of religions represented) and the ones on the shelf that I
selected all had favorable reviews and were purchased via a secular book
vendor. 

And that's an important aspect that Richard pointed out - do the materials
have favorable reviews? Personally, this is one area I would not "open the
door" and actively promote donations - I'd be very concerned that certain
groups might wish to "flood" the shelf with their particular doctrine in a
proselytizing format or that the books be from private organizations which
have not had their materials submitted to professional review sources, and
might be racist, biased, inaccurate, etc. But that's my personal (and I
think, "Professional") decision and one I would recommend but not one I
would dictate to anyone else.

Joanne Ladewig (A.K.A. "Library Lady")
Library Media Tech
Lawrence Elementary, GGUSD
Garden Grove, California
shatz at verizon.net
 
Comments are my own and may not represent the views of GGUSD

"Never forget, Americans, that yours is a spiritual country. Yes, I know
you're a practical people. Like others, I've marveled at your factories,
your skyscrapers, and your arsenals. But underlying everything else is the
fact that America began as a God-loving, God-fearing, God-worshipping
people." - General Romulo, General of the Philippines
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Doyle_Tony [mailto:tdoyle at muhsd.k12.ca.us] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2008 8:25 AM
To: ladewig; Daydream Queen
Cc: CALIB POST
Subject: RE: [CALIBK12] The Case for a Creator...Lee Strobel

"... As far as having them in a public school (high school) library, I would
think that a good case could be made for them ... if you have similar books
for other faiths, or requests from students. What does your selection policy
say if anything on this topic?..."
 
Balance in this case is not just having books about other religions but also
having books that are critical of religions in general and even specific
religions.  Do you have Bertrand Russell or Sam Harris on the shelf next to
Lee Strobel?  They came to very different conclusions on the same questions.
Do you have Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven on the shelf with The Book
of Mormon?  This is just like the Golden Compass debate.  If I can have C.S.
Lewis and Tim La Haye on the shelf then I can have Philip Pullman too. If
you, or your community, are unwilling to have the atheist viewpoint
represented then you shouldn't have the pro-religion titles either.  In a
high school especially, a religion section (or any other section) should
include as many perspectives as possible.
 
Tony
 
--------------------------------------------------
Tony Doyle, Teacher Librarian 
Member California Young Reader Medal Committee
Livingston High School
Livingston, CA
tdoyle at MUHSD.K12.CA.US
Http://www.lhswolves.org/library/index.htm
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"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture; you just have to get
people to stop reading them."
Ray Bradbury
 
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