Trations Such As William Steig's

382 College & Research Libraries July 2006

York (1941), we see reproductions of illus- discussed in historical overviews. (Zoia trations such as William Steig’s (of Sylvester Horn and Eric Moon do recount that mis- and the Magic Pebble fame) cartoon protest- adventure in their memoirs, and detailed ing the firing of New York City teachers information also appears in the 1992 E.J. following the infamous Rapp–Courdert Josey festschrift.) And serious critics of the hearings, and learn all about Langston much-vaunted, but essentially fraudulent, Hughes’s relations with his publisher, Banned Books Week go unmentioned. Franklin Watts, in the 1950s. Because, even after previous prodding, The last third of Mickenberg’s book, OIF refuses to cite divergent views on “Science and History for Girls and Boys,” BBW, here are a few: Charles Willett , “The describes exactly how it was that left-wing Almost Banned Book Awards” (Counter- authors continued to be gainfully em- poise, Jan. 1999); Earl Lee, “Really Banned ployed during the McCarthy era. Learning Books” (Counterpoise, April 1998); Earl Lee. from the Left has all the hallmarks of being “Almost Banned Books, 1998 and 1999” a seminal contribution to a litt le explored (Counterpoise, April 2000); Dan Cherubin, aspect of children’s literature and progres- “Banned Books Week: Creating the Ac- sive social change, it should be read by ceptable Taboo” (Counterpoise, Oct. 2003); everyone with an interest in that genre Earl Lee, “Almost Banned Books 2002” and is a “must purchase” for all library (Counterpoise, Oct. 2003); Earl Lee, “Almost collections serving schools of library Banned Books: A Brief History” (Counter- and information science, departments of poise, April 2001); and Fred Woodworth, education, and the general public.—Elaine “Crap-Detection Department” (The Match, Harger, Mount Si High School, Snoqualmie, winter 2001/2002; reprinted in Unabashed Washington Librarian, no. 124). Laudably new are three discrete ref- Intellectual Freedom Manual, 7th ed. erences to ALA’s Poor People’s Policy, Comp. the Office for Intellectual adopted in 1990 and substantially ignored Freedom. Chicago: ALA, 2006. 521p. since then. However, there is no mention alk. paper, $52 ($46.80 ALA members) whatever of the recent cascade of barriers (ISBN 0838935613). LC 2005-22409. to poor people’s use of library resources, As with earlier incarnations, this edition reported from Denver, Philadelphia, and consists largely of “guidelines, policies, Houston to San Luis Obispo, California, and interpretations of the Library Bill and Elgin, Illinois. Typically, libraries in of Rights, along with the ALA Code of low-income areas are open fewer hours Ethics and Freedom to Read Statement.” than those in more affl uent neighborhoods Additionally, it contains essays on “timely and are more likely to be closed complete- issues” such as minors’ First Amendment ly or reduced to clerk-only service during rights, Internet access, and Public Forum budget crunches. Some institutions have Doctrine, as well as a guide to OIF’s Web deliberately proscribed “off ensive body site and a short glossary. Contributors in- odor” (aka homeless people) and sleep- clude Candace D. Morgan, Judith F. Krug, ing on the premises. Others have devised Beverley Becker, Evelyn Shaevel, Theresa elaborate behavior codes and have limited Chmara, Daniel Mach, Larra Clark, Linda time spent, for instance, in the concession K. Wallace, and Don Wood. room. This alarming trend, clearly counter Unquestionably, a necessary item for all to the intent of ALA’s Poor People’s policy, libraries, the Manual nevertheless displays goes unremarked, even though SRRT’s a number of serious flaws and omissions. Poverty Task Force issued an urgent alert It continues to itself exclude dissident on the topic (partially reprinted in Public or inconvenient opinions and events. Libraries, May/June 2005), and I addressed For instance, the widely condemned, the problem at ALA’s 2005 Annual Confer- OIF-sponsored film, The Speaker, is not ence (“Classism in the Stacks: Libraries Book Reviews 383 and Poor People,” Counterpoise, summer … professional and policy matt ers about 2005). the operation of the library and matt ers of The treatment “Expurgation of Library public concern.” Regrettably, there is no Materials” righteously denounces the “de- indication of the original wording, which letion, excision, alteration or obliteration” was far more direct and unencumbered of items already in the collection. Notably by legalistic qualifications. The tone is de- absent is any consideration of how acquir- cidedly tepid. And no references appear ing expurgated materials such as “sani- to relevant literature and opinion outside tized” CDs and videos might itself violate anointed ALA sources (for example, ALA mandates to actively oppose censor- no citations for “Berman’s Bag: ‘Not In ship. Doesn’t selecting preexpurgated My Library,’” [Unabashed Librarian, no. material, in effect, support censorious ac- 125]; Stephen Michael Carney, “Demo- tivity, often sparked by retail giants such as cratic Communication and the Library as Wal-Mart and Blockbuster Video? What’s Workplace” [Journal of Information Ethics, the difference between content restrictions fall 2003]; S. Berman, “Rights or Ethics” imposed before and after acquisition? [American Libraries, Sept. 1999; reprinted Aren’t they both deplorable, fundamen- as “An Open Letter to ALA Members,” in tally damaging the artistic or intellectual Alternative Library Literature, 1998/1999]; integrity of a work as well restricting “the and S. Berman, “Letter to William R. availability of the material”? Gordon, ALA Executive Director, on Free Merely two paragraphs deal with the Speech Rights for Librarians” [Librarians issue of repression in Cuba, particularly at Liberty, Dec. 2002]). the persecution of “independent librar- Radio frequency identifi cation (RFID), ians” and destruction of library materials. apparently not an issue in 2002, this time Indeed, the text doesn’t even explicitly gets some attention. Although noting that mention the “bibliotecas independientes” consumer groups, librarians, and users movement nor the fact that ten librarians “have raised concerns about the misuse figured among the more than seventy-five of RFID technology to collect information dissidents subjected to kangaroo court on library users’ reading habits and other trials and long prison sentences in early activities without their consent or knowl- 2003. Nor is there any reference to the edge,” the treatment nonetheless declares weighty national and overseas opposition that “this rapidly developing technology to those acts of suppression, refl ected in has the potential to increase the level of myriad statements and documents by privacy … , increase the effi ciency of li- individuals and organizations as varied brary transactions, and reduce workplace as Amnesty International, Human Rights injuries.” In fact, opponents’ views are Watch, International PEN, Friends of severely misstated. Criticisms of RFID ac- Cuban Libraries, Vaclav Havel, Eric Al- tually range from doubt that it performs as terman, Ray Bradbury, Nat Hentoff (who efficiently as claimed to skepticism that it renounced an earlier ALA intellectual has any benign effect on repetitive motion freedom award over its inaction), Barbara and other workplace disorders. Beyond Ehrenreich, Elena Bonner, Howard Zinn that, critics charge that its hazards to pri- (who candidly characterizes Castro as vacy are intrinsic and not readily fixable. a dictator), Cornel West, John W. Berry, It would have been more accurate and Naomi Klein, and Noam Chomsky. enlightening to record that community Workplace speech at last gains ac- and staff protests have so far prevented or knowledgment as an intellectual freedom slowed RFID implementation in the San concern, mainly because ALA Council in Francisco and Berkeley public libraries, 2005 passed a long-gestating resolution perhaps quoting, or at least citing, a few that encourages libraries to promote critiques and editorials by, among others, “discussion among library workers … of James Chaffee (Save Our Libraries), Peter 384 College & Research Libraries July 2006

Warﬁeld (Library Users Association), Lee Daddy’s Roommate; Harry Potter and the Tien (Electronic Frontier Foundation), and Sorcerer’s Stone; Heather Has Two Mommies; Ann Brick (ACLU-NC). Little Black Sambo; Man Who Declared War In reviewing the previous edition on America; Sarokin, H. Lee; Steig, William; (C&RL, Nov. 2002), I suggested that the Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; transgen- next “would greatly beneﬁt from an an- dered persons; user fees.—Sanford Ber- notated directory of journals, groups, and man, ALA Honorary Member. Websites concerning freedom of information, censorship, and media democracy.” Centers for Learning: Writing Centers and Although the latest edition, like its prede- Libraries, Eds. James K. Elmborg and cessor, does contain a guide to basically Sheril Hook, Chicago: ACRL (Publica- ALA resources and activities compiled tions in Librarianship, no. 58), 2005. by Don Wood and featuring many more 231p. alk. paper, $28 ($25.20 for ACRL online citations, it still does not extend members) (ISBN 0838983359). LC beyond the parochial confines of ALA 2005-13806. itself. No entries appear in Wood’s chapter The twelve chapters in this book were writ- or the overall index for Project Censored, ten by a group of experienced academic Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting librarians, educators, and writing center (FAIR), People for the American Way, and professionals and provide insightful re- Comic Book Legal Defense Fund; Privacy views and reports illustrating possible and Rights Clearinghouse and other watchdog successful cases of collaboration between organizations; international human rights libraries and writing centers in creating an groups such as Reporters Without Borders enhanced learning environment. and Human Rights First; and such sources For a long time, writing centers and for identifying and acquiring diverse libraries on university campuses around and alternative materials (to genuinely the country have shared in the common vi- implement and revivify the Library Bill sion of their parent institutions. However, of Rights) as Multicultural Review, Coun- they have usually acted independent of terpoise, International Directory of Little each other as separate campus support Magazines and Small Presses, Independent units. The driving force behind their re- Press Association, Alternative Press Cen- cent collaboration, as stated in the book, ter, Alternative Press Review, Books to Watch has come from major changes “driven Out For, Broken Pencil, Factsheet Five, Queer by (among other things) technology, the Zine Explosion, Rain Text, Zine World, Small increasing diversity of American culture, Press Review, and Xerography Debt. a global economy, and a new accountabil- It’s a pleasure to observe that “Intel- ity demanded by funding agencies and lectual Freedom” appears as an assigned the workplace.” Chapter One presents a subject heading in the Cataloging-In-Pub- theoretical framework for a pragmatic ori- lication (CIP) entry. For the preceding six entation of libraries and writing centers, editions, it did not. Although welcome, examining the process-based activities why it took so long for the nation’s pre- of the two units, the social nature of aca- mier library to recognize and validate one demic work involving writing and library of the profession’s core concepts remains research, and the importance of peer tutor- a mystery. ing and counseling in writing centers. Lastly, as a major library reference In the ever-changing landscape of took, the index should be impeccable. It’s higher education, library and writing cen- not, for instance, lacking entries for these ter professionals continually face issues clearly mentioned persons and topics: Bin related to institutional support, funding, Laden, Osama; bisexual persons; Book In- space, and training when they attempt dustry Study Group; Catch-22; Cat’s Cradle; to make their collaborations work. The Colorado Constitutional Amendment 2; examples dealing with these issues are