Yesterday I upgraded the threat of censorship of libraries under the City’s control from “Laughable” to “possible, but not probable.” That didn’t sit right with reader & perpetual City booster Saugus Splasher, who accused me of jumping the shark and pandering to hysterics:
We need a new thread entitled “City Library Hysterics – can it get more hysterical?”
Jeff, you jumped the shark on this one, buddy. It’s like you first decided the city running the libraries is bad and now you’re trying to come up with every possible (and impossible) arguement against it. But to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, you “paid for this microphone” so you can say and spin any which way you can.
I read all comments posted on this blog and I take allegations of shark jumping -particularly those that quote Reagan- seriously.
Am I being hysterical? I don’t think so. Remember I said “possible, but not probable.” And I cited evidence to support my thesis, particularly the fact that Hart District parents just last year pressured the Hart District to remove books containing “vulgar language and sexual themes” from its curriculum. Is it really such a leap to imagine a similar group of uptight parents banding together to force a City library system to drop Harry Potter? How about Origin of Species? Or, to add some Prop 8 flava, King & King?
I admit, it is a remote possibility, and not at all probable. But other than the Hart example are there any other local book-banning precedents?
I pinged none other than John Boston this morning to find out if library censorship had happened in the SCV and he says not just yes, but cripes yes:
Cripes yes!
One of my great disappointments with approaching adulthood was when LA County Library and the Newhall Branch banned all the Tarzan novels. This was in the 1960s. Because in the movies it seemed Tarzan was not legally married to Jane, they yanked the books off the shelves.
The Tarzan character in the Edgar Rice Burroughs series is more like a married James Bond than Johnny Weismueller’s grunting character (he couldn’t handle lines). I went in to show, chapter and verse, to the local librarian that Tarzan and Jane were married — in Wisconsin of all places. The facts didn’t seem to affect her and she was rather snooty.
Yes, it seems that back in the day (starting in the 1930s, our Newhall branch was just late to the party), libraries started banning Tarzan of the Apes because a movie version of the classic book hinted that Tarzan and Jane might have shared a few hot, passionate (yet hetero!) nights in the jungle prior to their marriage.
And that just didn’t fly in Norman Rockwell’s America or John Boston’s Newhall.
You see, the movie adaptation was enough to convince our Newhall librarian that the books were immoral, and she, along with COLA Library, pulled them from the shelves, distressing our resident folklorist and historian in his formative, swashbuckling teenage years.
Could it happen again? Possible, not probable. Case closed Saugus Splasher!
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Take the example of “Last of the Mohicans.” Modern readers always wonder why the protaganist, Nathaniel Bumpo (Indian names Long Rifle and Hawkeye) always introduced himself as someone NOT of mixed blood even though raised by Mohican Indians. The historical fact was that any character like Hawkeye (skilled in tracking and wood craft and raised by Indians) would have almost certainly been a half breed, but James Fenimore Cooper knew that books wouldn’t sell in mid-1800′s America that stated this obvious fact.
In today’s clime Tarzan and Cheetah could have a thing going and be perfectly acceptable.
Jeff, Just a couple of comments.
You cite the Hart School District as removing certain books. Hart is tasked with educating CHILDREN primarily under the age of 18 years old and parents’ should have the right to object if they do not want their children exposed to certain ideas, subjects, etc. A public library is for the enjoyment of all age groups including adults, which makes a big difference.
In addition, the example of the censorship during the 30’s, 60’s etc by your own account was the COLA Library system. Santa Clarita residents then and now have much less influence in decisions made by COLA than any proposed local library system. Particularly in reference to both banning books and citizen outcry prohibiting banning books. I really think this book banning issue is a non-issue. The City would have NO incentive to ban books altogether and create more citizen angst, and besides we have many vocal residents to prevent it should it become an issue. In my opinion, highly unlikely bordering on impossible with a City library system, more likely under COLA as per your example.
I don’t think the issue is outright censorship, I think the issue is how will money be spent on new materials. Professional librarians and the diversity of the county system help to insure that new materials, both books and periodicals, represent a wide variety of views and interests. Would the locally controlled, for-profit library shift it’s purchasing to represent the “tastes” of it’s smaller and less diverse constituent group? I could see this most impacting kids doing research for school projects. They might accept the books found on the shelves as the final world. Would new books on the shelves on contemporary topics trend towards the popular viewpoints of the community, or will a variety of viewpoints be available right in the local branches?