Fighting Censorship
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As individuals working in any public service position know it is inevitable that you will receive complaints, criticisms and suggestions on the service you provide; librarians and educators know this to be especially true when working with youth. It is vitally important that children receive the best education possible and there are many people passionately involved in ensuring children receive a quality education. These passionate people are parents, teachers, community members, administrators, politicians and the students themselves who each have diverse values, religions and political ideas that influence their ideas on what should or should not be covered in a child's education. The intentions of these diverse and passionate audiences are typically to protect and shield children from ideas and information that deem unsuitable or dangerous for their minds and may result in the initiation of a challenge. While it is important to respect the opinions and beliefs of these individuals/groups and to handle their requests politely it is also important to protect the rights of the youth you work with by giving them to the freedom to read. In the event that a text you have incorporated into your instruction is challenged it is important to know what resources and support are available to help you handle the challenge process and fight against censorship.
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American Library Association (ALA)
The ALA has dedicated a section of their website to handling challenges to library materials the section titled "Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials" contains useful information that can be easily applied to challenges you handle as a teacher. The librarians at your school and or public library can be a good resource in helping you handle the challenge process as well.
Strategies provided by the ALA:
The ALA has dedicated a section of their website to handling challenges to library materials the section titled "Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials" contains useful information that can be easily applied to challenges you handle as a teacher. The librarians at your school and or public library can be a good resource in helping you handle the challenge process as well.
Strategies provided by the ALA:
- Communication tips for handling one-on-one meetings with challengers
- Strategies for handling media and public questions about the challenge
- Ideas for communicating with school administrators, other parents and concerned parties
- Responses to potential questions you might receive about the challenged materials and the policies you have for selecting materials
- Guidance in developing a Selection Policy for choosing materials you use in the classroom
- A list of outside resources dedicated to helping fight censorship
- A list of publications (with links to those publications) with information about censorship that will help you become better aware of the implications of book censorship and some strategies for handling those situations
- Confidentially reporting challenges with their Online Challenge Database Form
- Finally, the ALA provides contact information if you need assistance with the challenge process
- Contact: Deborah Caldwell-Stone, OIF Deputy Director,
- Telephone: 800-545-2434, ext. 4221, Fax: 312-280-4227, [email protected],
- Or at the Office for Intellectual Freedom, 800-545-2433, ext. 4223.
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Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF)
A foundation formed in 1969 by librarians to help promote and defend the First Amendment in libraries and other institutions.
Strategies provided by FTRF
Support provided by the FTRF
A foundation formed in 1969 by librarians to help promote and defend the First Amendment in libraries and other institutions.
Strategies provided by FTRF
- Information about the First Amendment rights
- Educational programming and promotion of the First Amendment
- Organizations that you can contact for assistance in learning more about the First Amendment, censorship and assistance in ensuring the end of censorship
Support provided by the FTRF
- Creation of legislation supporting the First Amendment and resistance of legislation that would infringe upon civil libertines
- Financial support and legal assistance for librarians/teachers/community members wishing to fight a legal battle to defend the First Amendment right to read
- Information about past and present cases being fought against censorship of library/classroom materials
- Address: 50 East Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611
- Phone: 312-280-4277
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: 312-280-4277
- Online Contact Form - using this link you can submit questions about FTRF, censorship cases etc...
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National Center of Teachers of English
The NTCE provided a section of their website titled the "NTCE Intellectual Freedom" which strives to help support teachers efforts to prevent and fight censorship in the classroom.
Strategies provided by NCTE
The NTCE provided a section of their website titled the "NTCE Intellectual Freedom" which strives to help support teachers efforts to prevent and fight censorship in the classroom.
Strategies provided by NCTE
- Tips for speaking out against censorship in local communities, the media and by contacting legislators
- Position statements about censorship, intellectual freedom, teachers rights to teach
- Raise awareness about censorship and intellectual freedom
- Defining and defending instructional methods
- Standing Committee Against Censorship - serves to create documents to help teachers understand and fight censorship, raise awareness, develop rationales etc...
- Selecting Materials Guidelines
- Rationales for Teaching Challenged Books- contains benefits for teaching specific novels
- Report A Challenge Form
- Contact: Millie Davis
- Phone: 217-278-3634