The stated research question of this study was “whether [Texas] SLMSs engage in self-censorship as part of the collection development process with regard to YA literature having content that significantly increases the probability the materials will be challenged” (Coley, 2002, para. 11). The concept being studied is self-censorship by School Library Media Specialists. The researcher’s nominal definition of self-censorship by media specialists is “the process by which a librarian chooses not to purchase a given book because of the item's potential for being challenged” (Coley, 2002, para. 19). As defined, this is a measurable concept. The conceptualization of the research question is well developed and clear.
The literature review for this study appears to have been thorough. The researcher cites over a dozen studies that confirm the existence of self-censorship. The literature review also revealed that smaller libraries tended to “own fewer potentially controversial works” (Coley, 2002, para. 13), that libraries are more restrictive of fiction titles than non-fiction, and that the typical “pro-censorship librarian worked in a community of less than 35,000, managed their own library, was a female over forty-five years of age, and generally possessed less professional education” (Coley, 2002, para. 13). These findings from the literature review help identify variables that have been shown to potentially correlate with self-censorship. Other information gleaned from the literature review included the concepts previous studies used. For instance, Coley noted, “early studies into self-censorship…wished only to ascertain what effect …[censorship policies] had on circulation statistics and the number of patron complaints” (20...
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The researcher suggested follow-up studies to indicate if the apparent trend of increased self-censorship in small schools can be attributed to smaller budgets or lack of support structure in these schools. Preferably these future studies will employ larger sample sizes, make use of proportionate stratified sampling, include comparisons of holdings of non-controversial well-reviewed works, and use data analysis methods.
Works Cited
Coley, K. P. (2002). Moving toward a method to test for self-censorship by school library media specialists. School Library Media Research, 5. Retrieved September 11, 2005, from the Library Literature & Information Science Full Text database.
Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & DeJong, C. R. (2005). Applied social research: A tool for the human services (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole - Thomson Learning, Inc.
What makes censorship her overall main idea and thesis is that she puts in the article and states how she is involved in the National Coalition Against Censorship by stating this fact makes us a reader feel and be given that she is dead serious on the topic of censorship and that she feels strongly about It. Also list current teachers like Gloria pipkins who was award winning English program was targeted by the censors for using adult literature ,Cecilia lacks was fired by a high school in st.louis for letting her students creating writing express the language by using words they heard outside of school. Another point that censorship is the overall main idea and premise of this article is that the parents of the young teens and adolescence are pressuring the schools to remove her books form the school and banned they form the curriculum because of questionable content and explicit material
The practice of the censorship of books in schools has been prevalent due to the explicit content of them. Parents have been complaining to schools about books that count as required reading because they disapprove with the points made in the book. If a book consists of offensive or sexually explicit material, then parents would challenge the schools about them in order to prevent their children from reading them. Censorship in general has been an intensely debated issue because it is considered an infringement to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution while others argue it is used to conceal inappropriate things (Aliprandini and Sprague). The banning of books in school curriculum has also been debated since parents see certain books as inappropriate while others argue that banning them hinders student learning. Against the censorship of books in schools, Fenice Boyd and Nancy Bailey, authors of Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, believe that banning books creates a barrier between students and intellectual development (Boyd and Bailey, 655). Banning books from schools and removing them from the curriculum prevents students from exploring different ideas and developing creativity and critical thinking skills.
Foerstel, Herbert N. Banned in the U.S.A.: a Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1994. Print.
... Controls Ideology." Libricide: The Regime-Sponsored Destruction of Books and Libraries in the Twentieth Century. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2003. 236-238. Rpt. in Book Banning. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
There are four motivational factors that may lie behind a censor’s actions. Those factors are family values, religion, political views, and minority rights. On the basis of family values, the censor is usually threatened ...
Book banning is a prime target for censorship. Censorship in print media, notably book banning, occurs across homes, schools, stores, and other facilities daily. Censorship in the schools is the most widespread and exposed place for book banning. Do administrators and school boards have the right to ban books? Are we taking away the rights of children to read? In case of Island Trees Schools District V. Pico in New York, the Supreme Court gave the school board broad discretion to frame curriculum and teach civic and moral values. This case resulted in the school board removing ten books from the school library for being "anti-american, anti-christian, anti-semitic, and just plain filthy." Another case involving book banning was Hazelwood School District V. Kuhlmeier. In this case the Supreme Court again gave school officials the broad discretion to control curriculum. This time the court left open the question if this affects the school libraries. In Olathe, Kansas, the district's superintendent made the decision to remove all copies of Nancy Gardner's Annie On My Mind because of it imposing views for gay actions. This standpoint resulted in a public book burning by a homophobic community group. At Hempfield High School in Western Penn...
Books are banned for many reasons but more times than not it is because of the sensitive information found within the novel that agitates the reader. As long as people have been able to develop their own opinions, others have sought to prevent them from sharing. At some point in time, every idea has ultimately become objectionable to someone. The most frequently challenged and most visible targets of such objection are the very books found in classrooms and public libraries. These controversial novels teach lessons that sometimes can be very sensitive to some but there is much more to challenged books than a controversial topic. What lies within these pages is a wealth of knowledge, such as new perspectives for readers, twisting plots, and expressions that are found nowhere else. For example, To Kill A Mockingbird, contains references to rape, racial content, and profanity that have caused many to challenge the novel in the first place. The book was banned from countless
Issues of censorship in public schools are contests between the exercise of discretion and the exercise of a Constitutional right. The law must reconcile conflicting claims of liberty and authority, as expressed by Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 1940 in “Banned in the U.S.A.: A Reference Guide to Book Censorship in Schools and Public Libraries” by Herbert N. Foerstel (23).
Censorship is the practice of concealing parts of a book, movie, show, or any other form of media. Media can be censored in many ways; one of these is to block out the offensive sections of the content. This is generally done when the content of said media is not considered overall offensive or inappropriate but has derogatory and/or blasphemous language. Another way Media can be censored is to have it banned completely. For a book to be banned, it must first be challenged. According the American Library Association, a challenge “is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.” The question over censorship has been debated for years: Should we be allowed to ban Medias we deem unfit and/or inappropriate from our children?
Censorship in School Libraries The most debatable and controversial form of censorship today is the banning of books in school libraries. Banning books that educate students is wrong and selfish. Censorship of books in school libraries is neither uncommon nor an issue of the past. Books with artistic and cultural worth are still challenged constantly by those who want to control what others read. The roots of bigotry and illiteracy that fuel efforts to censor books and free expression are unacceptable and unconditional.
The discussion and knowledge of new, controversial, and necessary subjects is restricted among students due to censorship. Student access to books on topics such as self-harm, sexual orientation, depression, religion, etc. are limited because of censorship. These topics may not be appropriate for all individuals, but these books have the power to save lives, change lives, and awaken stud...
The Houston Chronicle, pp. C14. Retrieved December 2, 2002 from Lexis-Nexis/Academic database. This article emphasizes the point that censors go too far when they attempt to not only ban a book for their own children but want to remove it altogether from a school library, so that other students cannot read it.
Censorship in American society is inconsistent and biased toward things that affect adults. American censorship may help control the bitter world of television, video games, and music, but what about the literary documents? Literature is defined as the body of written works of a language, period, or culture. This can include newspapers, magazines, textbooks, or even the novels and books that are considered classics. These items are not always put under the microscope and censored. Literary “Classics”, like Huckleberry Finn, have violent, racial, and strong adult language. These items in books, to some, may be deemed inappropriate for younger readers. Most of the information in these literary items are available to most teenagers and younger children at libraries and schools.
Reitman, Rainey. " The Cost of Censorship in Libraries: 10 Years Under the Children’s Internet Protection Act." Electronic Frontier Foundation. Electronic Frontier Foundation, 4 Sept. 2013. Web.
Censorship affects our society in many different ways, it affects the music we listen to, the movies we watch, the books we read, and many other aspects of our everyday lives. Even though many might argue that censorship doesn't really have a place in a society that emphases freedom of speech and the freedom to express oneself, but censorship is an essential and needed part of our growing society, it's needed in the television industry, the Internet, and the music industry. Censorship helps to make our world a better place because it creates a better environment for us to live in.