|
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 20:04:16 -0400 (EDT)
To: pubyac-digest@nysernet.org
Subject: pubyac V1 #825
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:24:29 -0600
From: Leslie Hauschildt <lhauscht@jefferson.lib.co.us>
Subject: RE: Harry Potter
A challenge, no....however I did a mother discuss with me her questions
about Harry going to "wizard school" and related issues. As all our
copies
were (and are -surprise!) checked-out at the moment, I don't know if she
will ultimately let her son read it - but when she left she was open to it.
Leslie Hauschildt
Childrens Librarian
Villa Library, Jefferson County Public Library
Lakewood, CO
- -----Original Message-----
From: Jean Hewlett [mailto:nbclsref@sonic.net]
Sent: Monday, September 20, 1999 12:46 PM
To: pubyac@nysernet.org
Cc: nbclsref@sonic.net
Subject: Harry Potter
Just curious--Has anyone every had a challenge to Harry Potter, on the
grounds that the books encourage interest in the occult?
Jean Hewlett
North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa CA
nbclsref@sonic.net
All opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employers.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 09:36:14 MDT
From: "sharon morris" <sharmor@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: FF and FFL Announce list of:"10 Most Unsafe Public
Librariesfor Children"
Chuck,
As a former children's librarian who worked in one of the "Top 10," I
share
Chuck's frustration about one thing. Libraries' responses to this ongoing
issue are not very good sound bites or PR for libraries. I know librarians
aren't Marketing savvy by nature, but if there was ever a time in our
profession when we needed to be, it is now.
Instead, most of the higher ups I have talked with express, with some
definance, how proud they are to be part of the "Top 10" list. Okay, I
can
get that in principle. We do not censor material (and are proud of that-as
we should be).
But what ARE we doing to make children's library experiences enlightening,
engaging and rewarding? I am sure each of your libraries has SOME services
for kids related to computers and information gathering. Why aren't we
getting this information out? Why didn't we get this information out five
years ago? Anyone could see that it was only a matter of time before the
Dr. Lauras of the world would use this issue to gain listenership and media
sponsorship for their programs.
I know all of us on this listserv work hard every day to help children find
information so that they can grow and become better people. My frustration
is that this effort is being misrepresented as some kind of a sinister plot
to give kids pornography. Perhaps it is time for our library leaders to be
a little more specific about what libraries do for their citizens and less
high and mighty about the "Knight in shining non-censorship armor."
Have a good day.
Sharon Morris
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:41:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Mary Vanstone <mvanstone@tln.lib.mi.us>
Subject: mother Daughter and boys
There has been much discussion regarding letting boys into Mother/daughter
book clubs. When I started our group I read a wonderful book called The
Mother-Daughter Book Club... by Shireen Dodson. In it she describes
beautifully the need for this to be a girls only group. There is much
research pointing out that at the onset of the teen years our daughters
"lose their Voices". That is, they no longer feel comfortable or in
some
cases entititled to express opinions in a mixed gender setting. They fear
being made fun of or feeling their opinions are not valued. There are many
schools, both public and private, who are using this research to justify
all girl math and science classrooms. A secondary purpose of this club was
to help fascilitate discussion of sensitive issues between mothers and
daughters. It is much easier for both the parent and the daughter to talk
about drug use, racism and sexual issues in the context of how they
responded to a book than to come out and say I know people in my peer
group are doing this and this is how I feel. Throw a boy into the mix and
most of these girls are going to clam up. When approached by a parent who
wanted to come with their son I told them the above reasoning and offered
to start a father son group. Of course no one signed up for it and we had
to cancel the class. I know this equal but seperate thing doesn't always
fly but I truly believe sometimes we need to recognize the need for
seperating the sexes. I do let girls without an available mother sign up
as
long as they bring another adult female such as an Aunt or Grandmother, or
if someone-elses Mom in the group agrees to be their "parent- for- the
discussion". I've even had a mom come to the discussion alone because her
daughter had a game and she didin't want to miss the group, and a daughter
who came alone because Mom had an unexpected business meeting.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 12:33:43 -0400
From: YA assistant <JDICKEY@ESCHER.dnet.cuyahoga.lib.oh.us>
Subject: Correction: Teen Writers
OOPS! A couple of people have pointed out an error in the URL I
listed for the info on a 6 week Teen Writers Workshop. (My brain
isn't dyslexic but my fingers are?) Here's the correct address:
http://dbldog.com/teenwriters.html
Sorry for the confusion.
Janet
@/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\@
Janet Dickey, YA assistant, Cuyahoga Cty. PL (suburban Cleveland)
<jdickey@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us>
*************
Anyone's Guess (grades 6 9) and InvestiCats (grades 3 5)
Mystery Kits
http://dbldog.com/ <blakdog@en.com>
@\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/^\^/@
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:03:10 -0400
From: Amy Lilien <alilien@flvax.ferg.lib.ct.us>
Subject: Re: Free Expression Network: An Appeal to Reason
Then what is your solution, chuck? That there be no internet terminals at
all? I agree that filters don't answer the problem, which is why
ultimately the responsibility has to remain with the parents. If it is
completely on us, 1. we may not allow, or allow things that the parents
don't agree with, and 2. We wouldn't have time to do our REAL jobs. Let's
not forget one thing here: we are supposed to be acting as librarians, not
parents and not policemen.
Just my two cents after watching this discussion rage on for the billionth
time on this listserv. I would think we could all agree on one thing here:
There is NO good solution to this problem, and certainly not one that will
satisfy everyone. If someone has something new to say, please add your
ideas to the pot.
One other thing: my library DOES have filters (only in the chidlren's
room) and I have to say that they certainly give a very FALSE sense of
security, because they don't screen out things that one might want screened
out and sometimes screen out things that a patron might legitimately want.....
- --Amy Lilien-Harper
Children's Librarian
(of course these opinions are my own and have no reflection upon those of
my employer....)At 10:22 AM 9/18/99 -0400, you wrote:
>I don't know much about how filters of various sorts work, but I have a real
>hard time understanding how you could have one that would be reasonably
>effective as long as seemingly innocuous words have been given salacious
>meanings by certain groups . I did an AltaVista search on "Arab
slavery"
a few
>days ago and got some sites pushing SERIOUSLY alternate sexual practices
that
>would make a dung beetle queasy. How would a filter protect kids from things
>like this when the commonly accepted meaning of the words in question is
>harmless?
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 10:14:40 -0700
From: Mary Ann Gilpatrick <magilpat@walnet.walla-walla.wa.us>
Subject: Re: FF and FFL Announce list of:"10 Most Unsafe Public
Librariesfor Children"
O yes; I especially like the part about "winning back parental
rights." So
where ARE the parents, whose job it is to monitor the kids?? How many times
does this need to be repeated?
Charles, a "but" negates what has just gone before.
Charles Schacht wrote:
> Friends, Romans, Countrypersons - I am in NO way a big fan of David Burt
> or Doctor Laura, but
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:12:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: Kirsten Edwards <kirstedw@kcls.org>
Subject: Re: Free Expression Network: An Appeal to Reason
Hi Chuck,
I was reading a Florence King essay the other day about "nose phobia"
(i.e. fear of the camel's nose in the tent door) and one of the things she
mentioned (paraphrased, since I don't have it with me) was "if we censor
Hustler, does it mean we'll censor ---oh some good but controversial thing
- - Das Kapital [1] --?"
And I got to thinking. Whenever a politician promises to "revive
morality/ethics/virtue" (as opposed to just being ethical, himself), he's
pulling a scam. Societies are moral from the bottom, up, so to speak.
So what if Huster, the vileness on the 'net, the violence, sleaze & lies
of Madison Avenue really are the mirror. Or more acurately, the canaries.
When the canary starts to pass out in the coal mine, do you stifle the
canary? Or ventilate the mine?
Which may be another reason not to have anything but voluntary filters [2]
on public library computers: Not just a false sense of the filters
*working* but a false picture of our society. We're a democratic republic,
and working with blinkers on is bad citizenship.
What do you think?
Kirsten Edwards
kirstedw@kcls.org
[1] Well, no, actually, the "labour theory of value" is rubbish &
his
dialectic basically ignored static tyrannies like China, but hey, millions
of Marxists disagree with me...
[2] I've always said that if your children are actively seeking porn,
your parenting problems are bigger than *librarians* can solve.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 00:15:44 -0600
From: joslund@colosys.net
Subject: Re: Theory for Storytimes
Hi Meredith,
I just returned from a day-long reading summit put on by the
Colorado Dept. of Education in which newly published research
was presented and discussed that has direct bearing upon our
work, as public librarians, with small children and their parents.
The findings are available in print format and online. The publisher
is The National Research Council; the work was done by a special
commision called the Committee on the Prevention of Reading
Difficulties in Young Children. There are two reports, one formal
and lengthy, primarily for researchers and academics, and a
condensed and popularized version which is more accessible to
parents, librarians, teachers and child care providers.
The latter is entitled _Starting Our Right: A Guide to Promoting
Children's Reading Success_. Print version is available through the
National Academy Press at 800-624-6242. The report is also
available online at http://www.nap.edu. The ISBN is 0-309-06410-4.
The comprehensive report is called _Preventing Reading Difficulties
in Young Children_. The editors are Catherine E. Snow, M. Susan
Burns, and Peg Griffin. I don't have the book in hand for the ISBN,
but you can find it online at
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/prdyc/ch10.html.
I returned with a pertinent chapter downloaded and distributed to
my breakout group of people working with preschool children in
literacy efforts. Specific findings, conclusions, and
recommendations are in Chapter 10, which is the last part of the
URL above. I think that you will find some very solid information to
use for your presentation if you just access this one chapter at this
point, since you probably don't have a lot of lead time. See in
particular pages 3 & 4 of Chapter 10, a section entitled "The
Preschool Years."
Feel free to contact me directly if you need more specific
information about these resources.
Cheers,
Janet Oslund
_________________________________________
Date sent: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 09:24:28 -0700
To: pubyac@nysernet.org
From: Merideth Jenson-Benjamin <mjenson-@glenpub.lib.az.us>
Subject: Theory for Storytimes
Send reply to: pubyac@nysernet.org
> Dear Pubyackers,
>
> I have volunteered to give a storytime presentation to a group of city
> officals and interested citizens. In addition to a "sample storytime"
> I've been asked to provide a brief explanation/justification/theoretical
> grounding for why storytimes are beneficial.
> I've come up with the ideas of exposing children to books, equating
> reading with enjoyment, helping to develop language skills, and fostering
> community involvement, does anybody outthere have a real whiz-bang
> theoretical standpoint for "Why Storytime?"
>
> Thanks in advance to anyone who replies, I'll post a summary of answers to
> the list.
>
> Merideth Jenson-Benjamin
> Who never learned how to spell
> Merideth Jenson-Benjamin
> Young Adult Librarian
> Glendale (AZ) Public Library
> mjenson-@glenpub.lib.az.us
>
>
Janet L. Oslund
Youth Services Librarian
Montrose Library District
320 S. 2nd St.
Montrose, CO 81401
Voice: 970.249.9656
Fax: 970.240.1901
E: joslund@colosys.net
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:45:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Linda Nelson <l_nelson45@yahoo.com>
Subject: request for info re: inclusion and AT in school libraries
I'm seeking sources of information, both on-line and
in print, addressing the issue of "inclusion" as may
be applied to the school media center/library.
Specifically, ideas for uses of assistive technology
which could serve the broadest population and meet
fiscal constraints. Any ideas?
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 11:44:33 -0700
From: "Charlette Hines Poteat" <charlettehines@eudoramail.com>
Subject: Re: headphones
even our schools have realized that anti-bacterial
wipes do nothing against headlice and are searching
for another solution...because of the flooding in
this area 2 years ago, the infestation is tremendous:
headphones in the schools are one reason the outbreak
has not been contained...anti-bacterial wipes are good
for other contaminants but headlice are even becoming
immune to the very strong pesticides required to deal
with them. do we want to keep dousing our children
with a product that can do bodily harm just so they
can use a set of headphones? Bringing them from home
is an option, perhaps.
- ---
On Mon, 20 Sep 99 20:00:40 - The Kales wrote:
>We require and supply headphones. We give the people an antibacterial wipe
to use on the headphones before they put them on.
>
>Another possibility is to require that they bring their own headphones. If
you have it set up so either of the two most popular jacks will plug in, I bet
most people have a head set at home that would work. I could be wrong on that,
though.
>
>Bonita Kale
>
>
Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account at
http://www.eudoramail.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 16:43:14 -0400
From: "Earl and Kirsten Martindale" <earlmart@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: food for thought:violence in the media
Julie,
I understand your desire to make your Christian testimony known, both in
your workplace and to YACCERS involved in this discussion, and I appreciate
the fact that you took the time to write. Although your letter says you
won't, I would encourage you to feel free to post again, as PUBYAC is a
"society" of people who think, respond, and think again.
It may be important to remember that many people feel strongly about their
religious beliefs. I am concerned, however, about your assumption that
everyone else is "the opponent." Your library board is probably not
nearly
as interested in your beliefs as you would like them to be. In fact, it has
been my experience that library boards only care about such things when they
prevent you from doing that which you were hired to do.
A librarian, while he/she is on duty, does not have a religious agenda.
Whether you're a Christian or an Atheist you certainly remain one 24 hours a
day, but you do not have the freedom to promote your religion in any aspect
of your employment, whether it be collection development, readers' advisory
or reference services.
I once worked with a Jehovah's Witness who refused to check out (or shelve)
books about the occult, witchcraft, magic, patriotism, etc. She felt just as
strongly about her beliefs as you do! Unfortunately, she provided poor
service to the patrons because she let her personal beliefs infringe on
their rights to read the materials that they had chosen. Yes, she eventually
lost her job, due to a myriad of personality problems that prevented her
from giving library patrons good customer service. And no, she didn't care.
She thought she was "taking a stand" for what she believed in, when,
in
effect, she showed very little respect or courtesy for others who believed
differently than she.
My suggestion, if you find that you cannot work in good conscience within
the parameters of public library service, would be to accept a position with
a religious library (or other religious institution) where you do not feel
such a conflict with your mission (no pun intended). You must be able to
respect (not accept...just respect!) the rights and beliefs of others in
order to maintain an acceptable standard of public library service. You may
believe you have found "the Truth," but so does everyone else who has
strong
religious beliefs.
Lest you think I am an opponent, I should be honest enough to tell you that
I graduated form a Christian high school, Christian college, and am a member
in good standing (I even sing in the choir!) of an independent, fundamental
Baptist church. It seems, Julie, that we are all more alike than we are
different.
Kirsten Martindale
Buford, GA
- ----- Original Message -----
>
> Have I done it? Yes. Should I get fired? Yes, probably. And I will add
a
> disclaimer, at this time, that all of the opinions in this PubYac posting
> are solely mine and not that of my library. I'll also add that each of my
> board members know my Christian beliefs and know I would give up my job
> before I would give up my beliefs. No question.
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 17:03:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: "<Lesley Knieriem>" <lknierie@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
Subject: Re: food for thought:violence in the media
Julie, your post concerned me deeply, as a librarian, as a parent,
and as a Christian. As a librarian, I am deeply disturbed by the thought
that you are making judgments about the "moral and ethical
appropriateness" of your patron's needs and desires. As a parent, I am
terrified of the thought that a public servant who could have power over
my children believes that the constitutional protections of free speech
are over-ridden by the commands one individual receives from "a higher
power." And as a Christian, I am worried about your clearly expressed
anguish that your profession is in conflict with your moral ideals.
Not to be too personal, but I too have strongly held religious
beliefs -- so strongly held, that I could not in good conscience find
employment in a field which I found violated my religious principles.
Happily for me, being a librarian is almost an expression of my most
deeply held beliefs. With its unshakeable commitment to such ideals as
"the truth shall set you free", that we should "judge not lest
we be judged", and that service to others is the highest form of service
to God, librarianship is, in my opinion, one of the most appropriate
careers for anyone who seeks integration between their spiritual and
their professional life.
Unfortunately, like Jesus, librarians all too often have to serve
tax collectors and sinners, to those diseased in both body and mind. It's
hard not to confuse the particular calling of library service with all the
other kinds of service that I feel these people need. But I am not
trained, nor called to be a physician, a mental health counsellor, a
therapist, a police officer, or a priest. I *am* trained, and I am darn
good at, connecting people to the books, media, and information that they
want and need. Beyond those limits, I could only interfere "with great
fear and trembling."
Julie, I get the feeling that you find a profound disconnect
between professional and personal ethics. You sound like a truly caring
and thoughtful person. I have a great fear that living up to the demands
of professional librarianship might make you very unhappy. Have you
thoughtfully reconsidered whether or not this is your true calling?
On Mon, 20 Sep 1999, Julie Ray wrote:
> I know many of you immediately had thoughts cross your mind when you read
> "as a Christian" and that is OK. You have to do...to think...what
you have
> to do. And I believe, from someone higher than me, that I have to write
> this entry to PubYac.
<snip>
>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Lesley Knieriem ~
~ YA / Reference Librarian (516) 549-4411 ~
~ South Huntington Public Library fax (516) 549-6832 ~
~ Huntington Station, NY 11746 lknierie@suffolk.lib.ny.us ~
~ ----------------------------------------------------------------- ~
~ "You? I know you! You trust beyond reason." ~
~ "Yes. It's how I get results beyond hope." ~
~ -- from A CIVIL CAMPAIGN, by Lois McMaster Bujold ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 17:12:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: "<Lesley Knieriem>" <lknierie@suffolk.lib.ny.us>
Subject: Re: food for thought:violence in the media
My deepest apologies to the list for sending to everybody a
message which was clearly intended as a private message to Julie.
I was very careless with the <send> button and I am sorry!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Lesley Knieriem ~
~ YA / Reference Librarian (516) 549-4411 ~
~ South Huntington Public Library fax (516) 549-6832 ~
~ Huntington Station, NY 11746 lknierie@suffolk.lib.ny.us ~
~ ----------------------------------------------------------------- ~
~ "You? I know you! You trust beyond reason." ~
~ "Yes. It's how I get results beyond hope." ~
~ -- from A CIVIL CAMPAIGN, by Lois McMaster Bujold ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 16:18:01 -0500
From: Carol Thornton-Anderson <meltonkids@smithville.net>
Subject: Re: Harry Potter
I am amazed that this is the first mention of this possibility. Around
here, "withcraft" and those "other" words have big red
buttons on them.
Now with the tidal waves of media coverage of these books, I'm afraid
those issues will be catching up as soon as the books are read by those
who are...umm...very upset by these kinds of references. I hope I'm
wrong...
Carol Thornton-Anderson
Youth Services
Melton Public Library
French Lick, IN
Jean Hewlett wrote:
> Just curious--Has anyone every had a challenge to Harry Potter, on the
> grounds that the books encourage interest in the occult?
> Jean Hewlett
> North Bay Cooperative Library System, Santa Rosa CA
> nbclsref@sonic.net
> All opinions are my own, and do not represent those of my employers.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 17:23:36 -0500
From: James Asbury <jamesasbury@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Free Expression Network: An Appeal to Reason
Dana Estes wrote:
> Mary,
> Thanks for the insight. But we are on very shaky ground here. The point
> is, if you start censoring anything in small ways it can lead to book
> burnings, etc. This is because some people do not want to leave well
> enough alone. They start out by getting rid of shocking images on the
> computer,
True, some people do, but that does not mean everyone. It is possible to want
to shield children from hard core porn and just stop there, then defend
everything else in the library. The old arguments just don't apply. For any
book in the library, it could be argued that some parent somewhere wants their
8 year old child to have access to it. That makes it defensible. The same
cannot be said for pornography.
- --
"Berry"
jamesasbury@yahoo.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 19:47:25 -0400
From: bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us (Bina Williams)
Subject: FW: [necba] Re: FW: Harry Potter
This reply is from Carol Chittenden, an independent bookseller at Eight
Cousins in Falmouth MA. I forwarded to her the inquiry from Jean Hewlett as
to whether there had been any challenges to the use of Harry Potter.
Carol is one of the wonderful booksellers who first turned me onto Harry
Potter a year ago.
Bina Williams
Bridgeport Public Library
bwilliams@brdgprtpl.lib.ct.us
p.s. NEBA is the New Engalnd Bookseller Association and NECBA is the New
England Children's Booksellers Advisory, the bookstore equivalent of a
children's librarians' roundtable.
- ----------
From: Cousin8@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 7:29 PM
To: necba@egroups.com; nbclsref@sonic.net
Subject: [necba] Re: FW: Harry Potter
Dear Colleagues, Dear Jean Hewlett,
Yes, there has been a letter in the local newspaper from a couple,
highly
religious, who object to the use of Harry Potter in their child's third
grade
classroom. I'll bring the text to NEBA, along with replies. The support
for
the book, the teacher and the bookstore (I wrote a response, which was also
published) has been terrific, both in letters and in phone calls, comments,
conversations, etc. It does remind me (and I think this will be an
editorial
in my next newsletter) that teachers need to hear from people who support
their professional judgement in selecting reading. I see teachers censor
their selections SO OFTEN in the store, chiefly on the basis of one or two
families who MIGHT object. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, of
course,
as fearful parents become moreso, and idealistic ones seek to hold some
ever-higher form of holiness before their own kids. I have great faith in
books, and great faith that kids are themselves one of the best reality
checks ever invented.
Carol Chittenden
Eight Cousins Children's Books
Falmouth, MA
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
@Backup - The #1 Online Backup Service. Protect your files before
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:54:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Mary Johnson (amk)" <mjohnson@wlsmail.wls.lib.ny.us>
Subject: Re: Free Expression Network: An Appeal to Reason
Thanks for your courteous response, Dana - but you didn't really answer
my question. I still maintain that denying internet privileges (or even
tossing out of the library) a (hypothetical) young man who's downloading
violent pornography *in the children's room* is *not* censorship. I
haven't, in such a case, prevented the pornographers from speaking freely
nor denied them an audience - I've simply told the audience member to
get his information elsewhere. I don't see the slippery slope here. Of
course, I do realize the young man concerned might be doing legitimate
research and might not have a home internet connection. I wouldn't be
judging him at all (although a legitimate researcher would most likely have
shred his problem with the library staff and tried to come up with a
solution). I would simply be telling him the location he has chosen is
inappropriate. Or do this hypothetical patron's first amendment rights
always outweigh both the children's first amendment rights (since an
internet terminal in the children's room is primarily for the children's
use) and their right to assemble in the room? That's the point I was
really making - that first amendment rights of various patrons may be in
conflict, so that merely quoting the first amendment won't necessarily
help us deal with these problems. Also, that the right to freedom of
information/speech does not necessarily outweigh all other rights granted
by our Constitution. Just a thought-
Mary Johnson, Young Adult librarian, North Castle Library, Armonk, NY
mjohnson@wls.lib.ny.us
On Sat, 18 Sep 1999, Dana Estes wrote:
> Mary,
> Thanks for the insight. But we are on very shaky ground here. The point
> is, if you start censoring anything in small ways it can lead to book
> burnings, etc. This is because some people do not want to leave well
> enough alone. They start out by getting rid of shocking images on the
> computer, then it is movies, then it is books and finally it becomes
> communism. I know many people don't agree and they will not listen until
> this actually happens. Then of course it will be too late and we will have
> to suffer the consequences.
> Parents are the main providers of good moral values. These parents must
> help their children understand that the world can be an ugly, frightening
> place. But we cannot shield our children from the horrors of our society.
> We must help them understand how to cope with things they might be confused
> about or any immoral or criminalistic people they may encounter. Education
> in these matters is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.
> Protect but do not pretend that these unsavory aspects of our society do
> not exist. Satanism, the KKK, cults, pornography, murder, drugs, etc will
> always be in our world and children need to know that they do exist and
> most importantly about how to protect themselves from predators who may
> prey on their innocence.
> Dana Estes
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 06:10:40 -0700
From: Betsy Johnson <betsyhdpl@earthlink.net>
Subject: Fwd: Teen Book Discussion
>Thanks to everyone who responded to my request for help finding teen book
>discussion questions. I had my first teen book discussion last night. I
>had 25 kids, mostly because two junior high reading teachers I know
>offered extra credit for attendance.
For the first meeting I had them bring a book they loved or hated. About
half brought the first Harry Potter book and only two of them really loved
it. Next month we will do Nothing But the Truth.
Here are the responses:
>
>You can try the Children's Literature Web Guide @
>-http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown
>or the Carol Hurst Children's Literature Site @ http://www.carolhurst.com/
The CCBC (Cooperative book center, Madison, WI) has some discussion
questions for teen books.
April 1998 SLJ has an article "Having their Say"
Contact Sonya Bundridge at SBundridge@scholastic.com.
Thanks again for all the help
Betsy Johnson
Henderson District Public Libraries
Bestyhdpl@earthlink.net
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 10:10:21 -0500
From: "Don Wood" <dwood@ala.org>
Subject: Updated Guidelines
The guidelines posted by William Gordon on responding to pickets is
below. (All points remain the same except #6, which suggests
contacting PIO for support materials.) Below also is the original
message accompanying the guidelines.
_____________________________
It has come to our attention that one letter on a website calls for
picketing libraries on September 18th. Here are some brief
guidelines that you may want to consider if there are picketers at
your library. Please post to any list you believe this information
would be useful.
Guidelines
1. Don't panic
2. Check to see if your library has a policy about pickets
3. Inform the Board and/or elected officials
4. Check local laws about public demonstrations
5. Be sure safety issues are respected
6. Don't contact the press but be prepared to respond if you are
contacted. Contact the ALA Public Information Office (pio@ala.org) for
sample message sheets and other support materials.
7. Do not contact local police unless local guidelines require it
or
safety issues are involved
8. Welcome the demonstrators and take this opportunity to listen and
discuss their issues
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:38:39 -0800 (AKDT)
From: SHERIF SUE _ <fsss@aurora.uaf.edu>
Subject: Re: Theory for Storytimes
There has been some research (at the library school in Denton, Texas?)
about preschoolers' receptivity to language and, I believe, pre-reading
skills and storytimes. Does anyone out there remember this? I believe it
was in the mid- or late-70's. I am not remembering the researcher's name
at the time. (It has changed since.) It seems that it was Frances Dowd?
I am not able to research this right now, but maybe this clue would job
the memory of someone else?
Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library
On Mon, 20 Sep 1999, Marilyn Darrow wrote:
> If you haven't read it, read Jim Trelease's "The Read-Aloud
> Handbook".....the first 30 pages. It's not storytime
> per se but it's about reading to children and what a difference it
> makes in their lives. I feel like I'm often modeling for parents
> different approaches for reading to children (dramatic voice,
> pauses, songs poems, flannelboard,inter-action) as well as
> introducing them to great read alouds they may not be familiar with.
> Trelease
> talks about what a difference it makes for a beginning kindergartner
> (what an advantaged child they are) if they have been read to as
> opposed to a child who has not been read to. Storytime is a part o
> this process for both parents and children.
>
> Children's Reference Petaluma Library
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:50:30 -0400
From: Don Saklad <dsaklad@gnu.org>
Subject: Re: BBW Celebrations
City of Boston public library department exhibits have pulled together
information about banning for previous generations of library visitors
a statue replaced in our urban public library. A visitor reading the
exhibit information attempted to chat with an officer of the lib who
happened to be in the exhibit area. But met with a dismissive attitude
typical of our urban public library's officers, left the lib. With the
BPL institutional change program and the BPL strategic master plan,
will our library officers get over their imperious attitudes?...
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 16:52:48 -0500
From: Michelle DiGiacomo <mdigiacomo@ci.sat.tx.us>
Subject: need to replace beloved puppet
Rick Grimm, a children's librarian with San Antonio Public Library, needs
help in finding a replacement for his storytelling, going to the schools,
pal, his puppet "Ricardo". Ricardo is beginning to feel his age, and
is
thinking about retirement. Rick will be needing someone like Ricardo to keep
the children of his branch happy (They expect Ricardo to be part of their
storytimes)
Ricardo looks like Ernie on Sesame Street. He is about 18 inches high with
black hair, a heart shaped tongue, brown skin and a big moveable mouth. He
is just upper body and head. Rick has added legs.
According to Ricardo's tag, he was made by "Puppet Productions, Inc. The
company seems to have folded.
If anyone knows of a puppet company making a puppet that matches the above
description, or has a Ricardo that they would be willing to sell, please
e-mail Rick Grimm at the following address:
albertg@x1.ci.sat.tx.us
Thank you,
Michelle Di Giacomo MDiGiacomo@x1.ci.sat.tx.us
Cortez Branch
San Antonio Public Library
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 05:38:08 -0500
From: "Kathryn Appleton" <kappleton@bham.lib.al.us>
Subject: Computer usage
I was interested in reading the policies of other libraries about
computer usage (mostly for CD-ROM games) in the children's departments
of public libraries. Do any libraries require library cards for access
to the computers? Send your replies directly to me at
kappleton@bham.lib.al.us. Thanks for your input.
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