Warning: Strong opinions shared here!
In her article “Clean Books, Please” on School Library Journal’s Blog A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, Liz B gives her reaction to the question “I need a list of clean books!” This is a question that all librarians are most likely going to face at some point or another in their career. I will apologize now, because I’m sure my views on this are not going to be “popular”. I respectfully, utterly and completely disagree with her rant. Just because someone comes to you and asks for a list of clean books does not necessarily mean they consider all other books to be dirty! Since when is wanting to read a “certain kind” of book a bad thing? She certainly has no problem defending the reverse side. We should all read and make available everything that is out there just because it’s there? Why? Where does the line get drawn? I’m not saying people shouldn’t read what they want to read, because I will never try to make choices for another person because I believe that to be wrong, but I also believe that sometimes things go just a little too far, and that is my right.
Some people are trying to get back to traditional family values, and as a patron of your library shouldn’t they garner the same amount of respect as the person asking for “questionable” materials? In her case, she immediately has a negative view or outlook towards this patron because they do not subscribe to her beliefs in literature, though she may say differently. Haven’t we consistently been warned against that as librarians? Isn’t that censorship in reverse? We tend to rabidly defend a book that is challenged even if we do not like it just because we believe in “freedom of access”, but when someone wants something a little less controversial we seem to look down on them for it. Why? Isn’t that their right to choose not to read certain books? From what she was saying it doesn’t sound like the patron is trying to stop someone else from reading those materials, just that they want something different.
If a teen came to me and asked for “clean” books I would most likely ask some clarifying questions about what they considered “clean” and then proceed to do the best I could to find them exactly what they were looking for. Likewise, if a teen were to come to me and ask me to find them books of a more controversial nature I would do the same thing and find them exactly what they were looking for, not because I agree with whatever they want, or because I think it’s right or wrong, but because I have taken an oath, if you will, to provide people with the best level of customer service and access to information that I can.
After reading her article or post (whichever you want to call it) I begin to wonder if she has any values at all, if she can so cavalierly mock others beliefs, values and choices. If you want tolerance for your literature choices then, for heaven’s sake, have some tolerance for other’s choices as well, or cease you griping.
