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SLO 1, ARTIFACT 4:
Letter Opposing Censorship This letter simulates a real-world application of the ALA Core Values of Intellectual Freedom, Democracy, and Access. It addresses the topic of book banning, an act that the American Library Association opposes but one that is practiced in some libraries. It illustrates the challenges of balancing ethical principles and community concerns. I wrote this letter after a semester during which I had to argue both for and against banning a highly controversial graphic novel from a library. Having to argue both sides of the issue really made me understand the complex tensions that can exist between one's own personal convictions and one's professional responsibilities. In this particular assignment I was arguing a position that I actually supported, and yet because I had argued from the other side and had myself found the book very difficult to read, I had heightened empathy for the people who opposed keeping the book in the library. The fact that the assignment scenario was based on a real situation that took place in South Carolina made working on the assignment all the more powerful. It also gave me confidence that, should I ever find myself in the middle of a book challenge, I could handle the situation ethically and professionally. Communications of this type have special relevance for marginalized and minority populations, I believe, because very often their creative works are the ones that people want censored. While doing research for this letter - and, later, when doing readings for my collection management class - I came across numerous examples of books by racial and sexual minorities that had been opposed by community members due to the content that the authors had addressed. The section of this letter that deals with Alice Walker's book The Color Purple is an example of how I might handle a challenge to a book written by a writer from a minority or marginalized group as a future public library director. This letter serves as an example of how one can use both legal arguments and ALA guidelines to support the library's stance on issues of intellectual freedom and censorship. I plan to refer to this letter when preparing to communicate with library users or library boards about controversial materials. |