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As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

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Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Dr Seuss controversy this year was because his estate decided to stop publishing certain titles. Can you point to any record of his books being banned en mass from any actual school libraries?

A few did - but not many upon further research. I'll admit Dr. Seuss is not the best example.

You are an extremely dishonest person. Stop engaging in bad faith and posting outright lies, it's clear you're trying to obfuscate the truth to push an agenda.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#62
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which radical political ideologies?

Those that espouse unrestricted access to knowledge.

This might be a valid idea for academic research, not for K-12 learning. It's not even worth arguing.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#63
k-12 students are not adults. We ban and censor all sorts of things for the the underage crowd, look up CIPA. There are borderline pedophilia books available at school libraries. I've also seen several examples of incredibly racist CRT books in classrooms.

I don't think young kids should have unfettered access to this stuff. They're not able to process it correctly.

If communities are saying they do not want this is classrooms then I think that's the way it should be. Schools don't get to be an authoritarian decision maker on how everyone's kids should be raised.

Aside from the censorship issue I'd rather my tax dollars go to more useful stuff than smut books.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#64
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But, they are , in some instances, calling for the removal of some of these books from school libraries. I would qualify that as "book burning" (dramatically, metaphorically); its similar to the argument that school lunches have to be healthy, because in unfortunately-to-many cases it may be the only meal that student gets today. Additionally, as you point out of the gulf between this and 1940s Germany, I will point…

You are aware that >40% of this country views flat-earth, LGBTQ studies, and CRT at the same level of regard? If they didn't, why the school board battles going on all over the place? As far as they are concerned, there is no gulf between them.

[deleted]

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A few did - but not many upon further research. I'll admit Dr. Seuss is not the best example.

You are an extremely dishonest person. Stop engaging in bad faith and posting outright lies, it's clear you're trying to obfuscate the truth to push an agenda.

I am trying to engage honestly, and is it dishonest to be engaging in conversation but with some mistaken beliefs that you are admitting your mistakes on?

For example, I legitimately thought from the news story that Dr. Seuss had been removed from many school libraries, and thus it would be reasonable to believe other books had been also removed. Some people called me out on this, I did further research, found I was incorrect in that it was the estate and not the libraries, and posted comments amending my statements and admitting it was not a good example.

Similarly, I believed initially that the proposal would only mess with the curriculum and not school libraries. People again called me out, I disagreed with the moral impact but posted an Edit anyway saying my view of the matter, but admitted my error and will admit my error to anyone who asks.

That's honest participation and good-faith discussion, even if I am in error, but I try to admit my error when people show my errors. Everyone makes mistakes and has incorrect information in their heads somewhere. If I was engaged in bad faith, I wouldn't admit my mistakes anywhere but would double-down.

EDIT: Also, it's actually a little ironic that you would call me dishonest by replying to my correction to my earlier mistaken belief.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#66
post #45

It's a classic autoritarian and conservative plot. Knowledge is power, and they are fcking scared of it.

Love how the left is now framing this as some sort of authoritarian Fascist plot of the right, when they themselves have created the cancel culture we're now drowning in.

Seems to me that the right is simply trying to curate books that are pushed on impressionable children and young adults, who are FORCED to attend public schools, paid for by taxpayers who are FORCED to fund them. I have not seen a single instance of conservative groups attempting to censor books from the public itself (i.e. via the publisher, author, book sellers like Amazon, online sources like Google, etc).

This is in contrast to the leftist mob going after these entities in an attempt to ensure nobody can obtain material with which they disagree, even private citizens obtaining it on their own dime.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#67
post #45

It's a classic autoritarian and conservative plot. Knowledge is power, and they are fcking scared of it.

I like to think I am open minded to freedom of knowledge, but there is definitely information that shouldn't be available in K-12 libraries.

"TidePods are Safe and Nutritious to eat (seriously kids, don't believe the lies)" should not be a book in a public school library visited by children. I think most people agree with that and they aren't authoritarian conservatives. Some knowledge is very dangerous for people not old enough to understand better.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#69
post #45

It's a classic autoritarian and conservative plot. Knowledge is power, and they are fcking scared of it.

Love how the left is now framing this as some sort of authoritarian Fascist plot of the right, when they themselves have created the cancel culture we're now drowning in. Seems to me that the right is simply trying to curate books that are pushed on impressionable children and young adults, who are FORCED to attend public schools, paid for by taxpayers who are FORCED to fund them. I have not seen a single instance of…

Yes sure, everyone knows that librarians hide books with which they disagree, because, since Socrates, their only goal is to corrupt the young, the innocent and the virgins. LOL You don't look very familiar with libraries and books.

Re: As calls to ban books intensify, digital librarians offer perspective

#70
post #36
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I know most libraries (school libraries too probably?) are open to book requests. Unless you're asking for something like mein kampf, I don't think the librarians will look at you weirdly when asking for _any_ book whatsoever.

I would assume that if someone asked a librarian for Mein Kampf, the assumption is that the student is interested in history. Similar, a student reading the Communist Manifesto is most likely not a revolutionary that want to draw inspiration for an violent insurrection, but rather a philosophy/history student that is interested to read the original text. Naturally context matter. If the student is wearing a beret and…

In your last example I think only the gun is the problem. Even if the kid started a club for socialists and wanted to read the communist manifesto as part of their book club that should be allowed.
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