Intellectual Freedom 101 Presented by MLA Intellectual Freedom Committee at Park High School Livingston, Montana November 18, 2010

Has this ever happened at your school? A parent complains that a teacher has been showing videos in your high school biology classroom that are biased toward environmentalists. A book on World War II is challenged in your elementary school collection because of “disturbing images.” A parent objects to four books, including The Guy Book by Mavis Jukes, in your middle school library because they are too “sexually explicit.” Fellow faculty members in your high school object to a teacher lending Sexy by Joyce Carol Oates to a student from a classroom collection. A mother is seeking the removal of Horse by Juliet Clutton-Brock from your elementary school library because she contends the book promotes evolution. The principal at your high school orders a popular magazine removed from the library because it “glorifies violence, illicit sex and illegal drug use.” Intellectual Freedom 1012

First Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the U. S. Constitution “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. “ Intellectual Freedom 1013

Intellectual Freedom Freedom of Speech The right to receive information The right to seek and receive information without scrutiny Intellectual Freedom 1014

Notable First Amendment Cases Intellectual Freedom 1015

Decisions - The Right to Read Freely Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico (New York 1982) U.S. Supreme Court Case v. Unified School District no. 23 (Kansas 1995) District Court Counts v. Cederville School District (Arkansas 2003) District Court Intellectual Freedom 1016

ALA Intellectual Freedom Documents Library Bill of Rights (1939) Freedom to Read Statement (1953) Code of Ethics of the American Library Association (1997) Library Bill of Rights (LBOR) Interpretations Intellectual Freedom 1017

Library Bill of Rights Intellectual Freedom 1018

Freedom to Read Statement Intellectual Freedom 1019

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom 10110

Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights Intellectual Freedom 10111

Interpretations include… Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program Free Access to Libraries for Minors Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials Minors and Internet Interactivity Importance of Education to Intellectual Freedom …and more Intellectual Freedom 10112

MCA Title 20 Chapter 7 School Instruction and Special Programs Intellectual Freedom 10113

Montana Standards for Information Literacy/Library Media “All Montana students require equitable access to a variety of resources, encompassing the breadth of human conversations and creations for academic achievement and personal growth. By learning to access and evaluate information they gain an appreciation and respect for diverse ideas and creative expressions…Library media specialists, in collaboration with other classroom and content area teachers, empower all students to become information literate.” Intellectual Freedom 10114

Information Literacy/Library Media Content Standard 5 “School Libraries provide equitable access to literature and information resources that contribute to the development of lifelong learners. Central to learning is a respect and appreciation for the many voices and cultures in our world, including Montana American Indians. Students deserve the opportunity to explore creative expression, engage in independent learning, and read for personal enjoyment as well as fulfill academic tasks.” Intellectual Freedom 10115

Role of librarians … Librarians have not always been champions of free speech Some rights reservedSome rights reserved Creative Commons License Lin Pernille ♥ PhotographyLin Pernille ♥ Photography

ALA President Arthur E. Bostwick said in his 1908 inaugural address: “Some are born great; some achieve greatness; some have greatness thrust upon them.” It is in this way that the librarian has become the censor of literature … Books that directly commend what is wrong, that teach how to sin and how pleasant sin is, sometimes with and sometimes without the added sauce of impropriety, are increasingly popular, tempting the author to imitate them, the publishers to produce, the bookseller to exploit. Thank heaven they do not tempt the librarian.”

ALA Censorship Timeline ALA Executive Board declined to take action regarding book burning in Germany first ALA Library Bill of Rights ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee formed 1950’s–70’s - amendments to Library Bill of Rights dealing with political issues, social views, and challenged materials.

ALA establishes the Office for Intellectual Freedom (Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom) Freedom to Read Foundation founded ALA starts Banned Books Week (same year as Board of Education v. Pico)

Intellectual Freedom one of seven “key action areas” for ALA Today...

What are we talking about? Top 10 Banned Books of 2009

A brief history … Books have been challenged since day one: 387 B.C. Plato suggested that Homer’s works should be expurgated for immature readers 250 B. C. China’s ruler wanted to consolidate power so burned books relating to the teachings of Confucius 35 A. D. Caligula tried to suppress The Odyssey because it expressed Greek ideals of freedom 1885 First of many challenges to Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Number of challenges in schools growing

Types of censorship … Traditional censorship Proactive censorship Abridgement and adaption Self-censorship

Why challenges?

Sexual grounds …

Political grounds. …

Religious grounds …

Social grounds …

Challenges in Montana

Quiz Internet access issues

1902 A “storm of controversy”

1918 Sedition!

1985 Intellectual Freedom “By making these books available, [the schools] are teaching profanity and immorality.”

1989, 1994 “…violence and ghosts … are inappropriate …

1996 Inappropriate for some age groups?

2002 “…many of the articles are contrary to the curriculum…”

2006 Interest in the book increased after the challenge

1999, 2000, 2007 “...it’s sad for the young people of Laurel. They won’t get to learn more about the Indian culture.”

Challenges in Montana continue: 2008 Helena Public Schools World War II by Ivor Matanle 2009 Big Sky High School/Missoula Bad Folks by Jon Jackson Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 2010 ?

“The irony of book-banning attempts is that the publicity often causes people to read the books for the wrong reasons. If a book is controversial, perhaps the best place for it is in the classroom, where, under the guidance of a teacher, the book can be discussed and evaluated, where each student will be free to proclaim how he or she feels about the book and, if fact, can even refuse to read the book. The point is that free choice must be involved. Robert Cormier from Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read

Be Prepared for Censorship Challenges Understand the philosophy and principles of intellectual freedom Know your school district policies Be informed about Montana Office of Public Instruction Content Standards Provide rationales for all acquisitions Provide/attend trainings on intellectual freedom and challenge management Intellectual Freedom 10141

Create, Review and Revise Policies & Procedures Intellectual Freedom 10142

Reconsideration Procedures Sample Flowchart Intellectual Freedom 10143

When a Challenge Occurs Differentiate between informal and formal complaints Provide the educational rationales for the material in question Explain district procedures for reconsideration Provide the necessary forms, if available Intellectual Freedom 10144

If the Challenge reaches the public hearing stage… Employ a neutral facilitator to manage the proceedings Let people have their say Be prepared to deal with the press Remember that the ultimate decision about retention of items rests with the District Superintendent (MCA ) Intellectual Freedom 10145

Resources ALA School Library Media Centers and Intellectual Freedom fifthedition/schoollibrary.cfm Intellectual Freedom - American Association of School Librarians Essential Links eedom eedom National Coalition against Censorship National Council of Teachers of English Anti-Censorship Center MLA Intellectual Freedom Committee Wiki Intellectual Freedom 10146

MLA Intellectual Freedom Committee Intellectual Freedom 10147

Questions? Lauren McMullen Sheila Bonnand Lisa Sukut Now, let’s practice with case studies and scenarios! Intellectual Freedom 10148