Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools - Softcover

Reichman, Henry

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9780838907986: Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0838907989 ISBN 13: 9780838907986

Publisher: ALA Editions, 2001

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Censorship! The word itself sparks debate, especially when the context is the public school. Since the publication of the second edition of this landmark book in 1993, wired classrooms, legal challenges, and societal shifts have changed the landscape for the free exchange of ideas. Completely revised and updated, this new edition remains the most comprehensive guide for protecting the freedom to read in schools: For school librarians and media specialists, teachers, and administrators, Reichman covers the different media (including books, school newspapers, and the Internet), the important court cases (including recent litigations involving Harry Potter, the Internet, and Huck Finn), the issues in dispute (including violence, religion, and profanity), and how the laws on the books can be incorporated into selection policies. An entire chapter is devoted to troubleshooting and answering the question of "What do we do if...?" Look no further for the best and most specific information on providing access and facing challenges to intellectual freedom. You'll find answers if you are asking questions like these: * What is the distinction between making selection decisions and censoring? * What are the legal constraints on schools offering electronic information sources and the Internet? * What rights and responsibilities does a school administration have when faced with censorship challenges? * What are the legal precedents that have been set in recent cases relating to popular fiction (e.g., Stephen King, R. L. Stine, J. K. Rowling)? Written by a long-time expert on the protections of the First Amendment and U.S. Constitution, the new Censorship and Selection will provide you with all of the need-to-knows for crafting a selection policy in the digital age.

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About the Author:

Henry Reichman, Ph.D., is chair of the history department and professor of history at California State University in Hayward. He is Associate Editor and principal writer for ALA's Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom and served as Assistant Director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Reichman is a graduate of Columbia University and earned his doctorate degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley. A specialist in Russian history, he is the author of a historical monograph and numerous scholarly articles and reviews.

From School Library Journal:

This revision of the 1993 edition has been updated to include sections on Internet filtering, gay and lesbian literature, and challenges to books on witchcraft and the occult. Reichman addresses what to do to prevent or prepare for censorship problems, what to do in specific situations, and legal issues and relevant cases. The appendixes offer an interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights, a workbook for selection-policy writing, a sample selection policy, guidelines for student publications, dealing with questions about library resources, a selected list of concerned national organizations, summaries of related legal cases, and an annotated bibliography on the First Amendment and Intellectual Freedom. The author mentions an evening course for parents taught by an English teacher on "Books Our Children Read" noting: "It is imperative that public schools reach out-before controversy arises." This book, paired with Pat Scales's Teaching Banned Books (ALA, 2001), would certainly satisfy needs on this topic for librarians and media specialists, and is a great resource for teaching First Amendment rights in the classroom.

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