In fact, there has been recent controversy over this racy book in my school district as well. Apparently, a conversation about the novel took place in my classroom between a substitute and a few of my students. Whether what was mentioned included the graphic details OR simply harmless light-hearted conversation, one student and her parents went to the school board and complained, which led to various larger issues at the high school being placed under the microscope as well. Recently, I've had to answer questions about my knowledge of students reading this questionable novel, and even whether I've discussed it with them and to what extent. All of this "firestorm" (AKA "wasted time") over one book started me thinking about censorship in schools, and even the library's role in all of it.
As a high school Language Arts teacher, I have been encouraging all of my students to read for pleasure outside the realm of school. Although I don't agree with the subject matter and firmly believe 50 Shades of Grey has no literary value, I cannot fault my students for seeking knowledge through literature. Even after all of this controversy, one of my students, whose first statement to me this school year was, "I hate reading," possesses a copy of the book and is currently reading it outside of school. Can people tell me there is no educational value in that?
Librarians are guardians of literacy, and while I would definitely NOT obtain a copy of 50 Shades of Grey for my school library (check out Mack Rowden's article http://www.cinemablend.com/pop/Why-Libraries-Banning-50-Shades-Grey-Isn-t-Funny-42304.html about a public library that had to remove the book from its shelves), I will most definitely protect the rights of my patrons (in this case, students) to read for literacy and knowledge, and respect the educational value that literature (even banned material) offers to various readers. I also believe that librarians MUST investigate censored books and find out what, if anything, these books have to offer. After all, seek first to understand in order to be understood. A link to the Library Bill of Rights is the best place for a librarian to consult to know his/her rights, as well as the patron's. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/library bill
An interesting website to consult would also be the ALA's list of banned books, and reasons why these books have been challenged by communities and school districts around the country. http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics
Paul, I think you hit the nail on the head here. While 50 Shades does not belong in school library, if it encourages students (and even adults) to read, is it really that terrible? I think a lot of teachers and parents are under the assumption that this book is the first with racy content that students are reading; that is certainly not the case. When I was in high school, Jackie Collins' books were passed around and even read aloud in the girls locker room. So this is not a new phenomenon. My opinion is that it is up to the students and their parents to decide what they read outside of school; as long as it stays out of the classroom and out of the library, I have no real problems with it.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun discussion to have, and I like that the point we all can agree on is how horribly the book is written lol
ReplyDeleteWith all the English 12 classes, the librarians are having us do a Banned Books project with our students where they had to use the 100 books list and will create a presentation on if they agree or not with the banning of their book and have text to support their opinions. When going over the top 10 books banned during their lifetime, the students are dumbstruck over some of them...which tells you that the generations are the argument here, not necessarily the content.