Kristin Fletcher-Spear and Kelly Tyler. (2014). Intellectual Freedom for Teens: A Practical Guide for Young Adult and School Librarians. Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1200-3
Year after year a majority of the titles on ALA’s Banned Books
list, which compiles titles threatened with censorship, are either YA
books or adult books that are frequently read by teens. It’s important
for YA librarians to understand the types of challenges occurring in
libraries around the nation and to be ready to deal with such challenges
when they occur. The Young Adult Library Services (YALSA) has tailored
this book specifically for these situations, providing much-needed
guidance on the highly charged topic of intellectual freedom for teens.
Among the issues addressed are
- How to prepare yourself and your staff for potential challenges by developing a thoughtful selection policy and response plan
- Resources for help when a challenge occurs
- The art of crafting a defense for a challenged book, and pointers for effectively disseminating your response through the press and social media
- The latest on intellectual freedom in the digital realm, including an examination of library technology
Using
examples of censorship battles in both school and public libraries to
illustrate possible scenarios, this guidebook gives YA librarians the
foreknowledge and support to ensure intellectual freedom for teens.
(book description)
(book description)
