5 ms·

> The McMinn County School board’s ten members voted to axe Maus from curricula and school libraries, citing its use of the phrase “God Damn” and its drawings o

by pm90 5y ago

> The McMinn County School board’s ten members voted to axe Maus from curricula and school libraries, citing its use of the phrase “God Damn” and its drawings of “naked pictures,” though those are cartoon mice. They did ban it from the library. The dubious reasons for the ban are actually really important; if that’s ok they will find dubious reasons to ban other books which make them feel uncomfortable as well. The concern seems justified to me.

WillPostForFood 5y ago
What's the difference between banning and curating? A school library doesn't contain all books, so setting some criteria for age appropriateness always happens. You can argue whether "god damn" should cross the line, or the n-word, or hard core porn. Calling it banning stifles useful discussion on what standards are appropriate.
- klyrs 5y ago
  > What's the difference between banning and curating? When it's a legislative decision, and not the librarian's / teacher's.
  - WillPostForFood 5y ago
    It is a school board; oversight is their job. Librarians should have leeway, but they don't have unlimited power. If a librarian was putting anti-vax books in the science section of the library, it is the duty of the principal, the superintendent, and ultimately the school board to intervene.
NovemberWhiskey 5y ago
The minutes of the meeting do not indicate anything about a library ban; that seems to be a novelty introduced by the article itself rather than being a piece of reporting. In fact, those minutes indicate that the exact same book is being used in a freshman high school curriculum in the same county, which rather casts doubt on the assertion. I should also be clear that, when I say I find the reasoning dubious, I do not mean to suggest that it is not based on a genuinely-held belief. I simply mean I think they're being unrealistic about what kids know/say.

by pm90 5y ago

WillPostForFood 5y ago

What's the difference between banning and curating? A school library doesn't contain all books, so setting some criteria for age appropriateness always happens. You can argue whether "god damn" should cross the line, or the n-word, or hard core porn. Calling it banning stifles useful discussion on what standards are appropriate.

klyrs 5y ago
> What's the difference between banning and curating? When it's a legislative decision, and not the librarian's / teacher's.
- WillPostForFood 5y ago
  It is a school board; oversight is their job. Librarians should have leeway, but they don't have unlimited power. If a librarian was putting anti-vax books in the science section of the library, it is the duty of the principal, the superintendent, and ultimately the school board to intervene.

NovemberWhiskey 5y ago

The minutes of the meeting do not indicate anything about a library ban; that seems to be a novelty introduced by the article itself rather than being a piece of reporting. In fact, those minutes indicate that the exact same book is being used in a freshman high school curriculum in the same county, which rather casts doubt on the assertion. I should also be clear that, when I say I find the reasoning dubious, I do not mean to suggest that it is not based on a genuinely-held belief. I simply mean I think they're being unrealistic about what kids know/say.