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The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf | Grace Lin | TEDxNatick

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A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WNDB aims to create a world where every reader can find themselves in the pages of a book. To reach this goal, we've created programs to mentor diverse writers and illustrators, support diverse publishing professionals, and provide books to classrooms nationwide.

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By Chad Everett, guest blogger

I was an undergraduate student the first time it happened. One of my professors shared the following line from W.E.B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folk: "One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." I was rocked. As I read and re-read the quote, I felt as though layers of myself were being peeled away. This was the first time in all my years of education that an instructor presented me with a piece of text that showed me myself, a mirror. Not a mirror that provides surface level reflection, but a mirror that revealed the innermost thoughts that not even I could fully comprehend. By mirror, I mean a text in which I saw a reflection of my identity and experiences. Sure, I sat in classrooms where we engaged in the obligatory Black History Month readings of African American authors, but never before had an instructor presented one of those texts in a manner that was meant to empower and enlighten.

As I collaborated with classmates and each shared his or her thoughts on the quote, it was as though the fog on that metaphorical mirror I had always been acutely aware of, but had never been able to see clearly in, was being slowly wiped away. Bishop (2009) highlights the importance of providing students access to mirror texts: "when children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part." In addition to serving as a mirror for me, the text served as a window for many of my classmates who had only experienced reflections of themselves in books, never experiencing the power of a window text. Books are sometimes the only place where readers may meet people who are not like themselves, who offer alternative worldviews (Tschida, Ryan, & Ticknor, 2014).

Take a moment to think about the texts students have access to in your classroom and the texts they have access to in your school's library. Think about the stories being told, who is telling them, and who is being left out. If I were a student in your school, would I be able to find multiple texts with reflections of myself and multiple texts that serve as windows into the worlds of others?

Viewing literature through a lens of windows and mirrors helps us understand that, in addition to texts being stories to be enjoyed, they are powerful tools of social justice. In the primary and intermediate grades as we are devoting copious amounts of time to helping students become proficient readers, we must remember that students are discovering their place in school and world, and the texts we provide access to inform this discovery. With access to mirror texts, students are able to see that their narrative matters, and with access to window texts, students learn to understand and appreciate the narratives of others. The power of literacy to transform lives does not exist in skill and strategy instruction alone; it also resides within the stories students read. What message do we send students when they do not see themselves reflected in the texts we use in our classrooms? What message do we send to students from non-marginalized groups when we only use texts that reflect their culture and experiences?

The diversity provided through window and mirror texts extends beyond ethnicity. Diversity includes how a piece of literature addresses family structures, dialects; cultural traditions and values. Presenting diverse, enabling texts is especially important for African American males, a group that often feels disconnected from school at an early age. The reading achievement gap that persists between African American males and their peers could be attributed to a lack of literacy engagement, rather than a lack of ability. Alfred Tatum phrases it this way, "Neither effective reading strategies nor literacy reform will close the reading achievement gap unless meaningful texts are at the core of the curriculum and educators know how to mediate such texts."

The need for diverse books extends beyond the English classroom. In social studies, students need access to multiple texts so they have more than a single story about an event. According to Adichie (2009), "the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."

So, as you are out placing orders on Amazon and searching the shelves of your local bookstore, think about the variety of narratives each of your students bring into your classroom. And if your students are unable to find a mirror text in which they can see themselves, encourage them to pick up a pen or keyboard and create their own.

About Chad:

Chad Everett is a self-proclaimed literacy and technology geek. A strong believer in the power of collaboration and the power of technology to expand learning communities, Chad co-founded #MSedchat, Mississippi's education Twitter chat. He is also deeply involved with community adult literacy, believing the change needed to transform education extends beyond the school's walls. Chad serves on the volunteer council and tutors with Literacy Mid-South. He is also a consultant with The Educator Collaborative. A frequent professional development leader and conference presenter, Chad spreads a love and enthusiasm for learning and the role technology plays in literacy instruction.

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Windows and Mirrors: Why We Need Diverse Books

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By Chad Everett, guest blogger I was an undergraduate student the first time it happened. One of my professors shared the following line from W.E.B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folk: "One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder."

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What is Intellectual Freedom? | Why is Intellectual Freedom Important? | What is Censorship?
How Does Censorship Happen? | Who Attempts Censorship?
What is the Relationship Between Censorship and Intellectual Freedom?
How Do Censors Justify Their Demands that Information Be Suppressed?
What Are the Most Frequently Censored Materials? | Aren't There Some Kinds of Expression that Really Should Be Censored?
What Is Obscenity? | What about Protecting Children from Pornography, Whether or Not It Is Legally Obscene?
How Do You Guide Children When You Can't Be with Them 24 Hours A Day?
Don't Librarians Censor Everything They Choose Not to Buy for the Library?
What If I Can't Find Something in My Library that Represents My Point of View?
If Materials are on a Library Shelf, Doesn't That Mean the Library Approves of Those Materials?
What Can I Do to Fight Censorship?

What Is Intellectual Freedom?

Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored.

Why Is Intellectual Freedom Important?

Intellectual freedom is the basis for our democratic system. We expect our people to be self-governors. But to do so responsibly, our citizenry must be well-informed. Libraries provide the ideas and information, in a variety of formats, to allow people to inform themselves.

Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.

What Is Censorship?

Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons-individuals, groups or government officials-find objectionable or dangerous. It is no more complicated than someone saying, "Don't let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it! " Censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove from public access information they judge inappropriate or dangerous, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone.

How Does Censorship Happen?

Censorship occurs when expressive materials, like books, magazines, films and videos, or works of art, are removed or kept from public access. Individuals and pressure groups identify materials to which they object. Sometimes they succeed in pressuring schools not to use them, libraries not to shelve them, book and video stores not to carry them, publishers not to publish them, or art galleries not to display them. Censorship also occurs when materials are restricted to particular audiences, based on their age or other characteristics.

Who Attempts Censorship?

In most instances, a censor is a sincerely concerned individual who believes that censorship can improve society, protect children, and restore what the censor sees as lost moral values. But under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, each of us has the right to read, view, listen to, and disseminate constitutionally protected ideas, even if a censor finds those ideas offensive.

What Is The Relationship Between Censorship And Intellectual Freedom?

In expressing their opinions and concerns, would-be censors are exercising the same rights librarians seek to protect when they confront censorship. In making their criticisms known, people who object to certain ideas are exercising the same rights as those who created and disseminated the material to which they object. Their rights to voice opinions and try to persuade others to adopt those opinions is protected only if the rights of persons to express ideas they despise are also protected. The rights of both sides must be protected, or neither will survive.

How Do Censors Justify Their Demands That Information Be Suppressed?

Censors might sincerely believe that certain materials are so offensive, or present ideas that are so hateful and destructive to society, that they simply must not see the light of day. Others are worried that younger or weaker people will be badly influenced by bad ideas, and will do bad things as a result. Still others believe that there is a very clear distinction between ideas that are right and morally uplifting, and ideas that are wrong and morally corrupting, and wish to ensure that society has the benefit of their perception. They believe that certain individuals, certain institutions, even society itself, will be endangered if particular ideas are disseminated without restriction. What censors often don't consider is that, if they succeed in suppressing the ideas they don't like today, others may use that precedent to suppress the ideas they do like tomorrow.

What Are The Most Frequently Censored Materials?

Throughout history, books have been challenged for many reasons, including political content, sexual expression, or language offensive to some people's racial, cultural, or ethnic background, gender or sexuality, or political or religious beliefs. Materials considered heretical, blasphemous, seditious, obscene or inappropriate for children have often been censored.

Since the dawn of recorded human expression, people have been burned at the stake, forced to drink poison, crucified, ostracized and vilified for what they wrote and believed.

Aren't There Some Kinds Of Expression That Really Should Be Censored?

The United States Supreme Court has ruled that there are certain narrow categories of speech that are not protected by the First Amendment: obscenity, child pornography, defamation, and "fighting words," or speech that incites immediate and imminent lawless action. The government is also allowed to enforce secrecy of some information when it is considered essential to national security, like troop movements in time of war, classified information about defense, etc.

What Is Obscenity?

Sexual expression is a frequent target of censorship. But the Supreme Court has told us that material is not obscene unless a judge or jury finds that an average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that the material appeals to the prurient (or morbid, shameful, and unhealthy) interest in sex (note that, by its definition, the Court implicitly recognized that there is such a thing as a healthy interest in sex!); that it depicts or describes certain sexual acts defined in state law in a patently offensive way; and that a reasonable person (community standards do not control this last element) would find that the material lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value. All three elements must be present for material to be judged by a judge or jury as obscene and, therefore, illegal.

What About Protecting Children From Pornography, Whether Or Not It Is Legally Obscene?

The primary responsibility for rearing children rests with parents. If parents want to keep certain ideas or forms of expression away from their children, they must assume the responsibility for shielding those children. Governmental institutions cannot be expected to usurp or interfere with parental obligations and responsibilities when it comes to deciding what a child may read or view.

How Do You Guide Children When You Can't Be With Them 24 Hours A Day?

Parents who believe that the current state of society and communications make it difficult to shield their children must nevertheless find a way to cope with what they see as that reality within the context of their own family. Libraries can be extremely helpful, providing information about parenting, open communication between parents and children, how to communicate with caregivers and the parents of your children's friends about your rules, and the opinions of various organizations representing a wide spectrum of points of view about materials for children.

If a child borrows something from a library which that child's parent believes is inappropriate, the parents are encouraged to return the item and make use of the expertise of their librarian to locate materials they prefer, among the hundreds of thousands of choices most public libraries make available.

Don't Librarians Censor Everything They Choose Not To Buy For The Library?

No library can make everything available, and selection decisions must be made. Selection is an inclusive process, where the library affirmatively seeks out materials which will serve its mission of providing a broad diversity of points of view and subject matter. By contrast, censorship is an exclusive process, by which individuals or institutions seek to deny access to or otherwise suppress ideas and information because they find those ideas offensive and do not want others to have access to them. There are many objective reasons unrelated to the ideas expressed in materials that a library might decide not to add those materials to its collection: redundancy, lack of community interest, expense, space, etc. Unless the decision is based on a disapproval of the ideas expressed and desire to keep those ideas away from public access, a decision not to select materials for a library collection is not censorship.

What If I Can't Find Something In My Library That Represents My Point Of View?

Ask for the materials you want. Libraries strive to serve the interests of the entire community. If your library is unable to purchase the material you want, it may be able to obtain it for you on interlibrary loan. Your library is there to help you find the information you need or want.

If Materials Are On A Library Shelf, Doesn't That Mean The Library Approves Of Those Materials?

The presence of any particular materials in a library collection does not imply endorsement of the ideas expressed in those materials. The library is simply doing its job as a neutral provider of information from all points of view-if the library "endorses" anything, it is your right to have access to a broad selection of materials. If you don't find materials to your liking, ask your librarian to help you!

What Can I Do To Fight Censorship?

Stay informed. Know what is happening in your state legislature, local school and library boards, and city councils. Write letters expressing your view to your mayor, and your state and federal representatives and senators. Attend your local school and library board meetings.

May 29, 2007

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Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A

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What is Intellectual Freedom? | Why is Intellectual Freedom Important? | What is Censorship?How Does Censorship Happen? | Who Attempts Censorship?What is the Relationship Between Censorship and Intellectual Freedom?How Do Censors Justify Their Demands that Information Be Suppressed?Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction.

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A commitment to intellectual freedom transforms your library.

ALA actively advocates and educates in defense of intellectual freedom-the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession, and a basic right in our democratic society. A publicly supported library provides free, equitable, and confidential access to information for all people of its community.

Assistance and Consultation

The staff of the Office for Intellectual Freedom is available to answer questions or provide assistance to librarians, trustees, educators and the public about intellectual freedom issues and resources. Areas of assistance include policy development, First Amendment issues, and professional ethics. Inquiries can be directed via email to oif@ala.org or via phone at (312) 280-4226.

Updated 2017

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Intellectual Freedom: Issues and Resources

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A commitment to intellectual freedom transforms your library. ALA actively advocates and educates in defense of intellectual freedom-the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. Intellectual freedom is a core value of the library profession, and a basic right in our democratic society.

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By: guest blogger E. F. Schraeder

Growing up and feeling like you don't fit in is a common enough experience, but for LGBTQ youth, libraries often feel like a safe zone. Even though there remains no federal employment protection or housing discrimination protection, other recent modest gains for the LGBTQ community at large seem to be resulting in pushback this summer against one of the community's most vulnerable members: youth. First in June, a law was proposed in Ohio that would force teachers (and presumably librarians) to "out" transgender students. When it comes to targeting LGBTQ kids for outing, at a basic level this issue falls in direct opposition to the core values of librarians, who are dedicated to protecting patron privacy. At a human level, this also jeopardizes the safety of at-risk youth, especially considered in light of the reality that roughly 40% of the homeless youth served in organizations identify as members of the LGBTQ community. Then in August, the Washington county Utah library district banned LGBTQ displays, and while it's getting a lot of attention, this library isn't alone in the fight to erase LGBTQ identity. Utah eventually opted for a "libraries are for everyone" display instead. While there is nothing wrong with the notion that "libraries are for everyone," this potentially erases LGBTQ identity, history, and reality.

These incidents contradict two core values of the ALA, specifically privacy and diversity. At a time when hate groups continue to climb across the U.S., people (like librarians) who can safely speak up for inclusion are desperately needed because here's the thing, LGBTQ people exist. We existed as youth a generation ago, when we hardly ever found ourselves reflected in library displays, books, or media (and still managed to grow up queer). Neither outing or ignoring LGBTQ youth will make them go away, but silence and inaction may make them suffer. If a librarian works in a district that seems hostile to LGBTQ inclusion, here are six strategies to consider that may help keep your library from erasing the rainbow.

1) Make Diversity a Starting Point

Imagine what the bookshelves would be like without LGBTQ authors like Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, Rita Mae Brown, Virginia Woolf, Radclyffe Hall, Oscar Wilde, Getrude Stein James Baldwin, and so many others- those are some of the most celebrated and popular authors on the library shelves! Consider diversity as a starting point rather than an add on, and always include work by LGBTQ authors and members of historically marginalized groups in displays to recognize these significant literary contributions outside pride month and other celebrations. Please remember to include brief bios so these authors' identities are not erased! Beyond the classics, from science fiction, horror, romance, to mysteries and more, there are also LGBTQ authors in all genres (many of us writing the stories we didn't get to read growing up) that may be included in Mystery Month, Women in Horror Month, etc. *Hot tip if you have science fiction fans in your library, include new classics like Rivers Solomon's Unkindness of Ghosts. Confused about where to start? Visit morediverse.com.

2) Stick to It

There are stickers marking mysteries, romance, and other subject classifications. Rainbow stickers on the spine may seem subtle and wouldn't have to be 'on display' to be easily found, but use caution: some patrons may prefer not having their book selections with visible markers, so consider highlighting in a more subtle way like "Award Winner," "Diverse Book," etc.

3) Community Resources

When all the displays are banned, a library can still be a hub for community resources. Invite local branches of PFLAG, GLSEN, and other community groups to drop off materials and newsletters to make available to the public.

4) Think Outside the Rainbow

The LGBTQ community is not new, and LGBTQ impact is not limited to the struggle for LGBTQ rights: commemorate Bayard Rustin during African American History Month; Saeed Jones, Audre Lorde, June Jordan, Assotto Saint, Chrystos during National Poetry Month; James Baldwin during Banned Books Week; Billie Jean King during women's history month; And others! Don't doubt that LGBTQ activists and authors have impacted history and seek resources to recognize LGBTQ accomplishments all year.

5) Now a Major Motion Picture

If your public library highlights "Read the Movie" themes with displays, include LGBTQ titles like Reinaldo Arena's Before Night Falls, André Aciman's Call Me By Your Name, Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt and Carol, Alice Walker's The Color Purple, Shamim Sarif's I Can't Think Straight, Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet, Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and others!

If your library honors literary award winners with displays, include Lambda Literary Award winners, too.

Discovering LGBTQ themed books probably won't make anyone 'more queer,' but it just may help patrons from feeling alone. Your library shelves can make all the difference in the world, and here's hoping these six strategies help keep the rainbow visible.

Works Cited

Ethicist, poet, and speculative fiction writer E. F. Schraeder is the author of two poetry chapbooks, most recently Chapter Eleven (Partisan Press). Schraeder's poetry and speculative fiction have appeared or are forthcoming in many journals and anthologies including Sinister Wisdom, Lavender Review: Poems from the First Five Years, The Literary Hatchet, The Feminist Wire, and others. Currently an MLIS student, Schraeder holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. emphasizing applied ethics. Dr. Schraeder's current projects include a queer monster's coming of age novella and a full length manuscript of poems.

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Invisible Rainbow - Intellectual Freedom Blog

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Discovering LGBTQ themed books probably won't make anyone 'more queer,' but it just may help patrons from feeling alone. Your library shelves can make all the difference in the world, and here's hoping these six strategies help keep the rainbow visible.