![]() ![]() This is despite studies that show that access to a school library can significantly improve student literacy and achievement. Of the 215 Philadelphia public schools, only six have a certified school librarian, according to the Pennsylvania Association of School Librarians. Notably missing from any of these ad hoc classroom collections are librarians to assist in the research process, procure academic databases, or teach digital citizenry. Like mine in Room 250, these usually take the form of clusters of orange Wawa shelving crates. In the absence of school libraries, it is not uncommon for teachers to create private classroom libraries from donations. When the teachers I work with can get our hands on the releases that are most likely to come under fire, it is only through our own efforts, like using the website Donors Choose. Though my current school has a book closet that is not an environmental biohazard and features some recent(ish) titles, it does not offer the breadth of titles that the school libraries under threat from book-banning efforts do. (Apparently, the copies of Of Mice and Men had seen more than furry rodents.) Down the street, in my next position, I had an allergic reaction to the book lice infesting the classics. Fearful of the blizzard of asbestos from a damaged ceiling, I didn’t dare touch decades-old resources in the book room of the high school in the North Philadelphia neighborhood where I taught several years ago. In fact, many often-contested books are not taught in underresourced classrooms not because of ideology but rather because of resource availability. Those “libraries” were missing all the controversial titles that are being contested in capitol halls across the country. None of them had graphic novels, anime archives, or contemporary young-adult literature that might grab students’ interest. Oaken shelves sat empty except for a few dusty jackets, highlighting SAT tips from 16 years prior or offering workforce tips that predated the iPhone. Those rooms instead functioned as overflow space for detentions and overheated classrooms. I have never worked in a school with a functional school library, much less a controversial one. ![]() Politicians, families, and policymakers who argue the finer points of book selection in schools are ignoring the low-income schools in their states that don’t have adequate literary resources. However, a closer look at the conflict reveals the inequity that has long defined the educational landscape. However, many underresourced schools do not have school libraries or many of the materials to fill them that could be examined for explicit content.Īt face value, the national debates over book banning may appear to be a tension between the right and left. The bill follows other attempts throughout the country to limit student access to books with controversial thematic matter. The provision aims to inform parents of suggestive material in curricula and libraries. Though so-called book-banning legislation was recently introduced in Pennsylvania, I doubt it will affect my practice at an underresourced public school in the West Philadelphia neighborhood. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |