Gay-Anthology Ban Engulfs Burlington County Public Library
PrintSome six months after Burlington County, New Jersey, resident Beverly Martinelli appeared before the Rancocas Valley Regional High School Board of Education seeking the removal of Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology from the school library collection, a Freedom of Information Act request has revealed that the Burlington County (N.J.) Library System has removed the book at Martinelli’s informal request—and indeed may have done so several weeks before the school board’s May 4 vote to ban the book from the district.
An email exchange obtained by the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union documents correspondence (PDF file) between BCLS Director Gail Sweet and Martinelli about Revolutionary Voices. Sweet assures Martinelli April 27 that “the Library Commissioners supported our staff recommendation to remove Revolutionary Voices from our shelves. As the copies that are checked out return, we will take them out of circulation.” On May 3, Sweet apprises two BCLS staffers of the decision and asks, “How can we grab the books so that they never, ever get back into circulation … (not a good idea to send copies to the book sale).” In answer to Bordentown branch librarian Andy Woodworth inquiring about a rumor “that the system is taking [Revolutionary Voices] off the shelves,” Sweet replies May 24, “We were aware of the challenge at Rancocas Valley High School and took a look at the book… . We made the decision before the Board of Ed decided to remove the book at RV.” The next day, Sweet told him the reason for the removal was “child pornography.”
On July 28, the title was not listed in the BCLS catalog.
According to a July 23 posting at the LibraryLaw.com blog, BCLS did not follow its material reconsideration policy because Martinelli seems never to have made a written request, even though Sweet sent her the PDF file) March 16, noting in her cover letter that she was following up at the prompting of library Commissioner Patrick Delany, with whom Martinelli had been in touch. The gay-rights website Box Turtle noted July 28 that Martinelli served on the Lumberton (Pa.) Township Council from 2005 to 2008 while Delany was Lumberton mayor, and that the two also may also know each other through their membership in Fox-TV personality Glenn Beck’s 912 Project.
“The take-home message for libraries, especially public institutions,” wrote Law Library blogger Mary Minow, “is that book removal policies are immensely important. Libraries can protect themselves against exposure to lawsuits, if they adopt procedures for handling challenges and for ‘weeding,’—and then exercise care to follow those procedures carefully.”
American Libraries, Wed, 07/28/2010 - 14:04
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Comments
Disgusting
I used to live there, very recently, and was a fan of the county library. This makes me ashamed to be associated with them.
another dead kid
This is exactly why libraries need books that speak to being adolescent and queer, for both straight and gay kids, as silence and censorship can lead to this:
http://www.queerty.com/shock-gay-texas-13-year-old-asher-brown-shoots-hi…
Banning Revolutionary Voices
Books of this nature can help gay, lesbian, transgender and questioning youth to come to terms with their experience. Why is the library choosing to, in effect, dispossess them?
Gail Sweet needs to hand in
Gail Sweet needs to hand in her resignation. She is unfit to be called a librarian
Et tu, Mary Minow? Then Fall, Gail Sweet!
Gail Sweet is correct. See "Et tu, Mary Minow? Then Fall, Gail Sweet!" where I discuss this AL story.
Doesn't fit material selection policy? "[G]et it out of there."
"On rare occasion, we have situations where a piece of material is not what it appears to be on the surface and the material is totally inappropriate for a school library. In that case, yes, it is appropriate to remove materials. If it doesn’t fit your material selection policy, get it out of there."
"Marking 25 Years of Banned Books Week," by Judith Krug, Curriculum Review, 46:1, Sep. 2006.
safelibraries? "Safe" for whom?
You might want to rethink that color scheme.
Do it for TEH CHEEELLLLDRUNNNNN!!!!!
I think it was Goebbels who first pointed out that if you scream enough about "the children" you can get people to vote for any idiotic policy.
And now a word from the enemies of libraries...
I guess you know nothing about the ALA code of ethics….
and there is NOTHING safe about your vision of public libraries.
Unless you are a big fan of book burnings.
Unless you are a big fan
Unless you are a big fan of book burnings.
That’s usually what removing educational materials under the guise of "child pornography" means.
Gay-Anthology
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the ALA Code of Ethics states in sections VI and VII that "We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users,…. etc." And,"We…do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions…."
If two people in position of power are actively involved with Glenn Beck’s maniacal activities, then their private beliefs in this matter must be taken into account. Censorship involving a book that is trying to speak to a segment of the population that is already the subject of severe harrassment, is especially onerous.
Public libraries belong to all of us. Removing a book based on private prejudice and a trumped up reason is unconscionable and needs to be reversed.
Hear, hear! Maniacal is too
Hear, hear! Maniacal is too tender a word for the outrageous antics that leave Glenn Beck’s followers swooning in his wake. What a shame that any adult with competent faculties for reasoning would support an endeavor such as removing material from a place where knowledge and exploration should be prized and protected. Do they think that there are no such related materials throughout the library? Do they think that Barnes & Noble is going to monitor what teens are reading while they sit in the lounge chairs where they are welcome to stay as long as they like? If anyone is concerned about what their kids are reading, then they should be taking the time to monitor it. The public library is hardly the only place to find books such as those. It is not their right to limit the library to "protect" a few. Should we all carry crutches to make the handicapped feel more at ease? Do not cripple the rights of others to suit your own tastes.
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