CASL,

Now that I'm retired, I think it's safe to tell my censorship story.  

For two years around 2007-2008, I had a co-librarian at my high school.  That she did not like me personally was no secret to anyone.  She was always looking for ways to make me or my work look bad to our administration.  Seriously, if I looked at her sideways she'd run to the principal to "tell." One day, a student returned a book and let my co-worker know that there were illustrations she was uncomfortable with.  I looked and concurred that the purchase had been an "oops" based on positive reviews that had left that little detail out.  We've all done it.  No problem withdrawing the book.  But . . . 

Of course my co-worker got the principal involved, because the book had been added when it was just me in the library.  The next day, my co-worker was combing through the entire fiction collection in search of other material she deemed inappropriate.  She delivered every book she personally disapproved of to the principal's office, where the "porn shelf" (teachers' name for it) grew and grew.  Gossip Girls--gone.  The Coldest Winter Ever--gone.  Push--gone.  (Somehow I managed to explain the empty spaces to the kids asking for those books without implicating my co-worker or the principal. I realized how smart those kids were when one girl stopped my explanation and said, "Miss, it's okay.  We know."  They just wanted to know I wasn't okay with it.) For reasons I will never understand, my colleague removed the novel Grendel, which I remember having to read when I was in high school, alongside Beowulf.  She missed a handful that I knew would be on her radar, so I combed the shelves myself one day in her absence and hid books in my desk.  Despite my having tenure, my principal was talking about firing me for making bad decision after bad decision, evidenced by all those "dirty" books.  ALA was not able to help me because the challenges were coming from inside--though they did promise to help financially if I lost my job as a result of censorship, which they agreed this was.  Yes, we had a dated, but serviceable, selection policy; the books in question met the criteria--even, technically, the one that started it all, since it HAD gotten a starred review.

I did not survive this on my own.  I will always be thankful for my psychologist, and for the meds that kept me from committing a murder.  : ).  Colleagues going through this, IT'S HARD.  Get help.

Administration looked a little more carefully into my co-worker's complaints. Not sure what happened, but she was not there when school began the following September, and was replaced by one of my favorite librarians in the world.  The principal retired after a bit, too.  I chose to stay in the job, even after all that, because I genuinely loved working with those kids--and because I'd built that collection, I knew what I had (even if there were one or two oopses that I took responsibility for and eventually weeded out).  

I guess my takeaway is that administration will not always be on your side when a book is challenged.  They may not care that you are following a selection policy.  And the students are your friends in all of this.

For them, we're still doing the right thing; be strong.

Cathy Andronik
On Tuesday, 28 March 2023 at 02:30:10 pm GMT-4, Laura Hedenberg <lhedenberg@barkhamstedschool.org> wrote:


I shared with my admin, including superintendent.  They all agree it was well done.

On Tue, Mar 28, 2023 at 12:33 PM Jenny Lussier <jlussier@rsd13.org> wrote:
Thank you for sharing Melissa! This is remarkable and I wish all districts would do a similar thing.

Jenny

On Tue, Mar 28, 2023 at 10:25 AM Melissa Thom via CASL-L <casl-l@mylist.net> wrote:
Good Morning,

I wanted to share this article with everyone that was shared with me--thanks Dave St. Germain!!


It is a great model for anyone (all of us) who is working to get support from admin and spreading the word about the importance of freedom to read!!

Melissa


Melissa Thom
she | her | hers    What is this? 
@MsThomBookitis
Bristow Middle School Teacher Librarian
West Hartford Public Schools
Bristow Library Learning Commons Webpage: http://bit.ly/BristowLibrary
Follow us on Twitter: @bristowllc
Follow me on Goodreads 
Join the Libro.fm ACL and receive free audiobooks each month! Use my referral code: lfm82519

Currently Reading:     
Nothing is Little by Carmella Van Vleet
Moonflower by Kacen Callender
Textured Teaching: A Framework for Culturally Sustaining Practices by Lorena Ecsoto German **Professional
Currently Listening:
Suggested Reading by Dave Connis  (Hoopla)
We Are Not Free by Traci Chee (Hoopla)
Recently Finished:      
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
Map of Flames (The Forgotten Five #1) by Lisa McMann
Controlled Burn by Erin Soderberg Downing
When Winter Robeson Came by Brenda Woods
Hope to Read Next:
Send me your recommendations!
Check out my blog all about books and reading!  
http://www.msthomsbookitis.weebly.com                                    




CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE:
This West Hartford Public Schools e-mail may contain confidential information. It is intended solely for the original designated recipient(s).
Any other use is prohibited and access to this email by anyone else is unauthorized.
Any opinions expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by WHPS.
_______________________________________________
CASL-L mailing list
CASL-L@mylist.net
https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l


--
(she/hers)
ALA/AASL, ISTE, CASL, NESLA, CSTA member
CASL Vice-President

FB: @mrslussierslibrary, Twitter: @jluss, Instagram: mrslussierlibrary

-----

Jenny Lussier

Library Media Specialist

Brewster Elementary School

jlussier@rsd13.org

Visit us at: http://brewster.rsd13ct.org


CONFIDENTIALITY: This email (including any attachments) may contain confidential, proprietary and privileged information, and unauthorized disclosure or use is prohibited. If you received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email from your system.

_______________________________________________
CASL-L mailing list
CASL-L@mylist.net
https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l


--
Laura Hedenberg
Library Media Specialist
Barkhamsted School
"By not running from the books that pain us, we can allow them to transform us."  Dr.  Ibram X. Kendi

Currently Reading
The Real Deal
Odder
Ellen Outside the Lines

Just finished
New From Here
Invisible Spy
You Go First

To Be Read (TBR)
Nowhere But Here
Best Liars in Riverview
The Last Beekeeper

        

The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and/or proprietary 
to Laura Hedenberg and/or  The Barkhamsted School. The information 
transmitted herewith is intended only for use by the individual or entity 
to which it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended 
recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, retransmission, 
dissemination, distribution, copying or other use of, or taking of any 
action in reliance upon this information is strictly prohibited. If you 
have received this communication in error, please contact the sender and 
delete the material from your computer.

_______________________________________________
CASL-L mailing list
CASL-L@mylist.net
https://mylist.net/listinfo/casl-l