The American Library Association takes ethics very seriously. Their Code of Ethics, first published in 1939, includes statements about intellectual freedom, right to privacy, intellectual property rights, etc (ALA, 2006). The entire code can be viewed here.
One of the statements that stands out to me is:
11. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
The word cloud above is about banned books week. I firmly believe that people of all ages have the right to read whatever they choose, regardless of the content. As a school librarian, I'm sure I will run into parents who question the inclusion of a certain book in my library. I hope to be able to explain to them that while they can certainly censor what their child reads, they do not have the authority or the right to censor what other children read. I hope to be a champion for intellectual freedom. I do obviously believe that some books are not age-appropriate for elementary school, and I will use my best judgement and reputable review sources to make those decisions. I plan to celebrate Banned Books week each year to raise awareness for how dangerous censoring can really be. If censorship was widespread, we would not be able to enjoy several classics like Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, The Catcher in the Rye, The Scarlett Letter, and so many more.
American Library Association. (2006, July 7). Code of ethics of the American Library Association. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics
One of the statements that stands out to me is:
11. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
The word cloud above is about banned books week. I firmly believe that people of all ages have the right to read whatever they choose, regardless of the content. As a school librarian, I'm sure I will run into parents who question the inclusion of a certain book in my library. I hope to be able to explain to them that while they can certainly censor what their child reads, they do not have the authority or the right to censor what other children read. I hope to be a champion for intellectual freedom. I do obviously believe that some books are not age-appropriate for elementary school, and I will use my best judgement and reputable review sources to make those decisions. I plan to celebrate Banned Books week each year to raise awareness for how dangerous censoring can really be. If censorship was widespread, we would not be able to enjoy several classics like Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, The Catcher in the Rye, The Scarlett Letter, and so many more.
American Library Association. (2006, July 7). Code of ethics of the American Library Association. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/proethics/codeofethics/codeethics