No way! I was at the Art Show opening a couple weeks ago for the Rubbercity Roller Girls group fundraiser. Twelve of the ladies had busts cast and they had local artists paint them. My sister was one of the local artists who they asked to participate.
(Mega Beth in the the Rubbercity Rollergirls, but wasn't one of the skaters who had a bust made.)
@applejuice: You were actually at the NEO Rock N Roller Girls' art show- I'm one of the skaters who got cast.
Rubber City is another league in Akron, they split from us & founded their league when there was a dispute over coaching and the role of men in the leadership of women's roller derby.
Which bust did your sister do? Was she(were you) able to make it out to the bout and auction this Saturday? We raised over 4 grand for our chosen cancer charity.
@metrorachel: Oh I'm very sorry, that is so bad that I got confused about all that! And interesting too to learn about the men in leadership thing!
I am out of the country and my sister has just moved out of state to start a teaching job at a University so unfortunately neither of us was able to be at the auction and bout. The bust she did was for Amber Vendetta. :)
I really enjoyed the opening. Can you send me a personal message to say which skater you are? I would love to put a commenter to the bust! (But I totally understand if you don't want to!)
@applejuice: Not to worry, we're used to clarifying who's who. Bummer you couldn't be there- it was really quite a cool display, and the auction was really interesting- to say nothing of the bout, a nail-biter that we only lost by 17 points. I loved V's bust- the yarn/paint combo was really interesting! Tell your sister she does lovely work. :)
@ImproperDancing: I'm trying out in October. I have two really good names on ice, but I'm afraid sharing them will jinx it for me! Don't forget to check the national roller girl registry to make sure your potential names aren't taken.
I haven't used the Brooklyn Library, but in most cases, there's a big difference between banning a book and moving it to closed stacks. Such a move does restrict access, but describing it as "semi-banned" is something of a stretch and plenty of major libraries don't have any open stacks at all (the Library of Congress and the British Library come to mind). The Hunt Collection isn't a bibliographic purgatory; it's a special collection of historic children's literature ([www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org]) and in such cases a vault (for protection of valuable items and also regulation of temperature and humidity) is pretty standard. Describing it as a "secret book room" is a bit of a stretch.
True, you won't stumble on Tintin in the Congo while it's shelved in the Hunt Collection, but neither will you stumble across a first folio of Shakespeare or a Hemingway manuscript. But that hasn't stopped people from learning about this material, and working with it for both scholarship and pleasure. We could, and probably should, debate the merits of moving the book from open shelving to special collections, but there are a LOT of shades of grey between "totally available" and "banned," and a good special collections librarian will make sure the materials under his or her guardianship are as available as possible to users, even if they're not available for checkout.
(Also, I'd like to know the age and condition of the particular volume in question, which could also have something to do with the part of the library's collection in which it wound up...)
I feel the librarians' position here, but until I have a good reason to think otherwise, my kids will be allowed to read anything they want. Articles like this always solidify that for me. Little out there is truly harmful (naked people in art? Please) to children, and I hope my son will talk to me about what he reads, and ask questions. I hate to think what I could have been deprived of if some of these parents had control over my reading list. What's left? The Bible and A Purpose-Driven Life?
Man, I used to work at a library and there was no 'secret room' or collection (that I knew of). Apparently "Mein Kampf" is ok though. I remember having to shelve that on several occasions.
@ginseng_you_sing: Most universities and big central libraries (think the main branch of the NYC public, not the local Chinatown branch) have collections like these. Normally they are historic books that could easily be damaged so they want you to look at them with a librarian, but I've heard of similar collections of un pc stuff.
@ginseng_you_sing: I'm awlays a little wary around people when I check out Mein Kamph for them. School project or personal enrichment? You never know...
@clevernamehere: Lovely. I'd bleach my brain before I finished. Is there actual like, sensible ... paragraphs and sentences in legible order? i've never read MK but I imagine it's Charlie manson-like rantings.
@clevernamehere: Lovely. I'd bleach my brain before I finished. Is there actual like, sensible ... paragraphs and sentences in legible order? i've never read MK but I imagine it's Charlie manson-like rantings.
I think it is big a problem that someone who specifically asked to see the book was told it wasn't for the public, you shouldn't need researcher credentials to see a book in a public library. But I do think that its probably a good idea to take offensive books out of the picture book section. This isn't the same thing as removing Harry Potter because it talks about magic, this is not putting racist books where a 3 year old might pick them up.
There are several Nazi children's books like this one [www.calvin.edu] Libraries should keep this type of material for people who are interested, but it really isn't appropriate for the children's stacks. I think people should have to go looking for books like that. There are already plenty of books that cover the same material in a balanced way, we don't have to treat propaganda like its standard fiction.
I've used this quote before in posts about banning books:
Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.
Alfred Whitney
Essays on Education
I vehemently believe that "hiding history" is insidious and there is much to be learned from examining culturally significant phenomena from the past - I don't think libraries should be segregated in any form. These works represent an opportunity to learn how far we've come, and have yet to go - and should be cross-referenced to applicable criticism and academic examination.
So, when is Song of the South being reissued from the Disney vaults? Oh, n/m...
@Jack_Burton: I agree that we should be exposed to our history. However, works like Song of the South are marketed towards children and could be damaging. I would support making Song of the South more widely available without promoting it as a general children's release. We shouldn't make 7-year-olds deal with the entire history of race in America.
As for libraries, I think that segregating some of these (such as the TinTin) out of the children's section is a decent idea. They should then be available in the general fiction sections.
This is a stupid idea. The books that get banned are always the most popular and the best ones anyway. I don't want other people trying to control my morality. They should stay the fuck out of my personal life, including what I read.
One of the things that nobody seems to be mentioning is a serious problem for many librarians: limited resources and limited shelf space. Some weeding is necessary, and if someone decides that the best way to serve the public needs is for Little Black Sambo to make way for What's So Funny Ketu? and In the Night Kitchen on the shelves, that's not necessarily a bad thing. The librarians who deal with complaints about books with "objectional content" take the idea of restricting access to information very very seriously.
There's something subversively alluring to me in the idea of locking all the "objectionable" books in a fireproof safe, especially when we live in a world where one in 10 Americans either believes Hawaii isn't part of the union, or is unsure.
I think a separate room is fair, but it shouldn't be locked. Children should be accompanied by a parent or have a parent's permission to enter. I'm all for opposing book censorship, but that doesn't mean that I think that the library has to carry every single book every printed. It's a library's job to use their limited funds to make available the books that they think will be most useful to people. The library obviously thinks that books like Tintin in the Congo will be less useful to the average reader than most of their others, and I don't necessarily think they're wrong in that assumption. And of course, if somebody does think that such a book will be useful to them, it's there for the asking.
I am fiercely against taking books out of libraries, even books you find offensive. Carry Neo-Nazi novels, carry anti-gay stuff so offensive it slithers. I will applaud you. Because nothing is more insidious than pretending something doesn't exist. Explain it to your kids. Explain it to them over and over and over again. But for the LOVE OF GOD, don't hide things from people. And like the article said, everything is offensive to someone. My aunt is convinced Yertle the Turtle is Marxist propaganda, and she's mad I read it to her kids.
I generally expect better of librarians -- who seem to frequently be badasses railing against the Patriot Act and any sort of banned book attempts. I grew up reading "Tintin" books, but in many ways they're not remotely suitable for young children. And "Tintin in the Congo" (one of two I have never read) is supposed to be VERY bad. Nevertheless, take it out of the children's section and there you go. Problem solved. Libraries are supposed to safe safes for books, not for being unoffensive to everyone.
Tintin books have major problems, but they're also beautiful comics. I'm conflicted about how much I like them in some ways, but they absolutely shouldb't be shoved out of site in the reject book room.
@Stagtasticfantastic: Yes. This. Tintin does not belong in the children's section, although it probably ends up there a lot just because it's a comic. The Blue Lotus is not remotely culturally sensitive by today's standards either. In fact, I think that's part of what I liked about Tintin as a youngun... it was representative of such a different time/place/world to me, it was essentially historical fantasy. That people thought this way in the thirties and forties was so surreal to me.
In general, I think that even the potentially (and the obviously) offensive books should be available to adults, because like you say, libraries are about books, not people's feelings. And people can and do get themselves offended over little things, too; where do you draw the line?
08/31/09
(Mega Beth in the the Rubbercity Rollergirls, but wasn't one of the skaters who had a bust made.)
Here is a link to the pics: [www.slide.com]
edited to add link!
08/31/09
Rubber City is another league in Akron, they split from us & founded their league when there was a dispute over coaching and the role of men in the leadership of women's roller derby.
Which bust did your sister do? Was she(were you) able to make it out to the bout and auction this Saturday? We raised over 4 grand for our chosen cancer charity.
08/31/09
I am out of the country and my sister has just moved out of state to start a teaching job at a University so unfortunately neither of us was able to be at the auction and bout. The bust she did was for Amber Vendetta. :)
I really enjoyed the opening. Can you send me a personal message to say which skater you are? I would love to put a commenter to the bust! (But I totally understand if you don't want to!)
And well done on the 4 grand!
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*I'm Mexican, that's why it works*
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I'm planning on joining my local roller derby team and I'm having a Dickens of a time trying to think of a name.
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Also, damn she's awesome.
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And I would literally be boo-boo kitteh since i'd be falling on my ass.
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Balls.
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08/19/09
True, you won't stumble on Tintin in the Congo while it's shelved in the Hunt Collection, but neither will you stumble across a first folio of Shakespeare or a Hemingway manuscript. But that hasn't stopped people from learning about this material, and working with it for both scholarship and pleasure. We could, and probably should, debate the merits of moving the book from open shelving to special collections, but there are a LOT of shades of grey between "totally available" and "banned," and a good special collections librarian will make sure the materials under his or her guardianship are as available as possible to users, even if they're not available for checkout.
(Also, I'd like to know the age and condition of the particular volume in question, which could also have something to do with the part of the library's collection in which it wound up...)
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There are several Nazi children's books like this one [www.calvin.edu] Libraries should keep this type of material for people who are interested, but it really isn't appropriate for the children's stacks. I think people should have to go looking for books like that. There are already plenty of books that cover the same material in a balanced way, we don't have to treat propaganda like its standard fiction.
08/19/09
Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The source of better ideas is wisdom. The surest path to wisdom is a liberal education.
Alfred Whitney
Essays on Education
08/19/09
So, when is Song of the South being reissued from the Disney vaults? Oh, n/m...
08/19/09
As for libraries, I think that segregating some of these (such as the TinTin) out of the children's section is a decent idea. They should then be available in the general fiction sections.
08/19/09
Maybe these books should stay where they are and someone needs to write a definitive children's book on the history of racism in children's media.
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We inch closer and closer to F451 every day.
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Tintin books have major problems, but they're also beautiful comics. I'm conflicted about how much I like them in some ways, but they absolutely shouldb't be shoved out of site in the reject book room.
08/19/09
In general, I think that even the potentially (and the obviously) offensive books should be available to adults, because like you say, libraries are about books, not people's feelings. And people can and do get themselves offended over little things, too; where do you draw the line?