New State of
America’s Libraries Report finds shift in role of U.S. libraries
American
Library Association's 2014 list of most challenged books.
According to The State
of America’s Libraries Report released today by the American Library
Association (ALA), academic, public and school libraries are experiencing a
shift in how they are perceived by their communities and society. No longer just
places for books, libraries of all types are viewed as anchors, centers for
academic life and research and cherished spaces.
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Public libraries and librarians are viewed as change
agents by addressing unique needs and identifying trends that impact the
community. The majority of public libraries offer neutral space for patrons,
residents and students to discuss and resolve critical issues. For example the
fatal shooting of Michael Brown brought chaos to Ferguson, Missouri. Protests
divided residents and caused schools and city services to shut down—but the
Ferguson Municipal Public Library stayed open, providing a much-needed safe
haven for the community and served as an ad hoc school.
Learning is a 24/7 enterprise for students today, and
school libraries continue to become invaluable anchors for education
environments. Certified school librarians play an essential part in nurturing 21st-century
information literacy skills. From
collaborating with classroom teachers to design inquiry-based learning, school
librarians are teaching students critical thinking, technology and information
literacy skills.
Our nation’s academic librarians are working largely
with students and academic researchers to help analyze big data. Academic
librarians traditionally assess the research needs of academics; however, big
data poses new challenges. The sheer quantity and rate of accumulation of data
require evolving skills and resources to enable researchers to share, analyze
and reuse it.
The lack of diverse books for young readers continues to
fuel concern. Over the past 12 months the library community has fostered
conversations and fueled a groundswell toward activism to address the lack of
diversity reflected in children’s literature—both in content and among writers
and illustrators.
A current analysis of book challenges recorded by ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) from 2001 – 2013, shows that attempts to
remove books by authors of color and books with themes about issues concerning
communities of color are disproportionately challenged and banned. A challenge
is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school
requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of
its content or appropriateness.
In 2014, the OIF received 311
reports regarding attempts to remove or restrict materials from school
curricula and library bookshelves. Eighty percent of the 2014 Top Ten List of
Frequently Challenged Books reflect diverse authors and cultural content.
The 2014 Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books
include:
1) "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian," by Sherman Alexie
Reasons:
anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive
language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence.
Additional reasons: “depictions of bullying”
2) "Persepolis," by Marjane Satrapi
Reasons: gambling,
offensive language, political viewpoint. Additional reasons: “politically,
racially, and socially offensive,” “graphic depictions”
3) "And Tango Makes Three," Justin Richardson
and Peter Parnell
Reasons:
Anti-family, homosexuality, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited
for age group. Additional reasons: “promotes the homosexual agenda”
4) "The Bluest Eye," by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Sexually
explicit, unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “contains controversial
issues”
5) "It’s Perfectly Normal," by Robie Harris
Reasons: Nudity,
sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group. Additional reasons:
“alleges it child pornography”
6) "Saga," by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Reasons:
Anti-Family, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for
age group.
7) "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini
Reasons: Offensive
language, unsuited to age group, violence
8) "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," by
Stephen Chbosky
Reasons:
drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, offensive language, sexually explicit,
unsuited for age group. Additional reasons: “date rape and masturbation”
9) "A Stolen Life," Jaycee Dugard
Reasons:
drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for
age group
10) "Drama," by Raina Telgemeier
Reasons: sexually
explicit
Other key trends detailed in the 2015 State of America’s
Libraries Report:
•Digital literacy continues to grow as an important
library service. Research shows that families are increasing their access to
digital media, but they lack the knowledge to use it effectively in a way that
enables learning.
•Makerspaces are trending and provide evidence that
libraries are continuing to evolve beyond the traditional focus on collections.
•Many federal government policy and regulatory issues are
of importance to libraries and the people who use them. Policies related to
personal privacy, library funding, workforce development, and copyright law are
a few of the issues of interest to the library community.
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