Activity Description
How does censorship impact on access to children’s literature? To explore this question, I found and analysed a recent peer reviewed article by Jennifer Steele ‘Cases of Censorship in Public Libraries: Wichita Falls, TX’ (2021). The article explores the legal case of Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, Texas involving two children’s books, Heather Has Two Mommies (Newman, 1989) and Daddy’s Roommate (Willhoite, 1990) – which depict children with same-sex parents, whose inclusion in the children’s collection was challenged by local church members (Steele, 2021, p. 108). Through a case study approach Steele sought to address the question of ‘What factors allowed librarians to engage in censorship activities in the federal court case of Sund v. City of Wichita Falls, Texas?” (2021, p. 109).
What did you learn?
At one point in the article the Wichita Falls Library Administrator Linda Hughes moves the two books from the Children’s fiction section to the Youth Nonfiction section of the library, against the recommendation of the Library’s boards (Steele, 2021, pp. 111-112). The local City Council then passed a resolution that if the Library received a petition with at least 300 signatures, they were forced to remove the books from the children’s section (Steele, 2021, p. 112). As the Library received a petition with 300 signatures the two books were then places in the adult section, limiting children’s access to them (Steele, 2021, p. 112). It was at this stage group local took the City Manager and the Library Administrator to court. The District Court ruled that the city’s resolution permitting the removal of the two books improperly delegated governmental authority regarding selection decisions of books carried in the library and prohibited the city from enforcing it (American Library Association, 2006).
By moving the two books to less accessible areas to children this was censorship as defined by the American Library Association as it was a change in the access status of books (including exclusion, restriction, removal or age/grade level changes), based on their content and made by a governing authority or its representatives (American Library Association, 2016).
How was the activity relevant to your professional practice?
I had not previously considering Librarians acting as censors, and how this might be directly influenced by external entities like local governments. I also noted the multiple references to having a Collection Development policy that supported the acquisition and retention of diverse materials. As Oltmann found in her case study some public libraries had a ‘specific policy that states: Resources representing different viewpoints on controversial issues will be acquired or made available, including those that may have unpopular or unorthodox positions’ (2016, p. 27), but this was not widespread.
The selection of material in my photographic collection is largely based on identified needs by members of the organisation and when I work with talent (people appearing in photos) I do try to ensure that diverse ethnic backgrounds and same-sex couples are represented in the imagery. I do not have a written collection policy and so I have no documentation that informs these choices, and I intend to explore whether a written policy might make more transparent the decisions made around our collection.
Knowledge gaps?
Much of my reading was around censorship and collection development is U.S. based libraries, I need to explore issues encountered in Australian libraries to gain a better understanding of the constraints that they operate under.
I also had not previously considered the location of items in the Library collection being a form of censorship, that having something like a children’s book in an adult collection would be an act of censorship. I would like to explore literature and policies around this issue to expand my knowledge, especially in the Australian context.
References
American Library Association. (2006). Notable First Amendment Court Cases. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship/courtcases
American Library Association. (2016). Challenge Support. http://www.ala.org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/tools/challengesupport.
Steele, J. E. (2018). Censorship of Library Collections: An Analysis Using Gatekeeping Theory. Collection Management, 43(4), 229-248. https//doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2018.1512917
Steele, J. E. (2021) Cases of Censorship in Public Libraries: Wichita Falls, TX. Public Library Quarterly, 40(2), 108-124. https//doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2019.1692324
Oltmann, S. M. (2016). Public Librarians’ Views on Collection Development and Censorship. Collection Management, 41:1, 23-44. https//doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2015.1117998
Newman, L. (1989). Heather has two mommies. (D. Souza, Illus.). Alyson Books.
Willhoite, M. (1990). Daddy’s Roommate: Alyson Books.
Hi Julia,
The case you described is similar to the situation encountered by Courtney Kincaid, also from Texas, which was shared in the webinar Three ways librarians can combat censorship. The library staff, while being courageous in their defiance of calls to ban LGBTQ books, eventually bowed to public pressure and moved a book from the children’s picture book section and into the adult non-fiction (SAGE Publishing, 2019, 18:10-19:40). The State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) describes restricting access to books such as in this situation in Texas, as an indirect form of censorship (2019, p. 1) and after moving the books Kincaid was left with deep feelings of regret. The foremost defence to censorship, as you have mentioned, appears to be knowing your policies. In Australia we have multiple agencies with policies and guidelines to prohibit censorship (Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), 2018 ; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), 2019 ; SLNSW, 2019). This research into censorship in libraries has certainly made me more aware of subconscious and indirect censorship. I hope this new knowledge will improve my professional practice.
References
• Australian Library and Information Association. (2018). Free access to information statement. https://www.alia.org.au/about-alia/policies-standards-and-guidelines/statement-free-access-information
• International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2019, August). IFLA Statement on Censorship. https://www.ifla.org/publications/node/92391
• SAGE Publishing. (2019, September 24). Three ways librarians can combat censorship . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSxDIAuOCdI
• State Library of New South Wales (2019). Access to information in NSW Public Libraries: Library Council guideline. https://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/accesstoinformation2007.pdf