Given the possibilities of censorship by the government, the community, and the librarian, it is critical to establish guidelines for protecting intellectual freedom (such as the Library Bill of Rights) and to consider potentially controversial collection development issues. Any and all of these issues affect small local libraries as often, if not more often, than they affect big urban libraries and school districts. Here are some issues to consider:
Gender/Sex
Should material that presents stereotypical sex roles be considered, such as women as good housewives or homosexuals as deviants? What about materials discussing sexual aberration or manuals such as The Joy of Sex? Whether we approve of it or not, not everyone conforms to what is considered “normal,” and censoring materials that portray “alternative” lifestyles is a challenge to intellectual freedom. One of the first children’s books to come under fire for portraying homosexuality as an acceptable life style was Daddy’s Roommate. Groups who wanted the book censored found an alternative title, Alphie’s House, which called homosexuality a curable disease. The concept of intellectual freedom says that both books have the right to be in a library, regardless of personal opinions on the issue of homosexuality. This relates to the earlier issue of balance. Protecting intellectual freedom does not mean that a book cannot be rejected for other selection criteria reasons, such as the quality of the material.
Should material that presents stereotypical sex roles be considered, such as women as good housewives or homosexuals as deviants? What about materials discussing sexual aberration or manuals such as The Joy of Sex? Whether we approve of it or not, not everyone conforms to what is considered “normal,” and censoring materials that portray “alternative” lifestyles is a challenge to intellectual freedom. One of the first children’s books to come under fire for portraying homosexuality as an acceptable life style was Daddy’s Roommate. Groups who wanted the book censored found an alternative title, Alphie’s House, which called homosexuality a curable disease. The concept of intellectual freedom says that both books have the right to be in a library, regardless of personal opinions on the issue of homosexuality. This relates to the earlier issue of balance. Protecting intellectual freedom does not mean that a book cannot be rejected for other selection criteria reasons, such as the quality of the material.
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