...is that I miss TOTALLY CRAZY stories like the one that has surrounded Revolutionary Voices: A Multicultural Queer Youth Anthology for months and months now.
TOTALLY CRAZY in that an informal complaint was made at a public library, and the library director had the book pulled. From the adult section. Because children might find it there. Without going through any sort of review process or anything. One complaint, and BAM. Goodbye, book.
Judging by the emails that have been released, it seems like the director pulled it and then just hoped that no one outside of the library would notice. (Also, check it out -- Liz B.'s June post about the situation comes up in conversation, but THEY WEREN'T FAMILIAR WITH HER BLOG! Shocking.)
My favorite comment over at the SLJ article is from Josh (not mine, as far as I know), who said, "No one is removing books marketed toward preteen girls in which 150 year old men eating the placenta out of their new wife so that the baby that is devouring her from the inside can be freed. Nope, they are simply further marginalizing an already shaky and oft oppressed teen demographic."
Gross. And disheartening. And unfortunate. And many other bad things, but I'm sure you can come up with your own list -- I have to go and pick some more zucchini.
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Previously:
From the email link:
"... How can we grab the books so they never, ever get back in to circulation. Copies would have to totally disappear..."
Sounds like a mob hit. Do they realize they are talking about a BOOK and they are LIBRARIANS??
Posted by: reader and writer | 28 July 2010 at 09:02 AM
Right? Right? It's a line that sounds like it's straight out of a dystopian novel (or a really crappy movie OR a really funny library spoof), but it's FROM A REAL LIVE LIBRARIAN. BAD. BAAAAAAAAAAAAD.
Posted by: Leila | 28 July 2010 at 09:28 AM