Banned Books Pathfinder

Pathfinder Breakdown: 

Introduction-This pathfinder will be discussing the issue of banned books. Since the beginning of time, book banning has been a phenomenon that has affected cultures and countries all over the world. In America, it has especially played a prominent role. For this reason it is important to investigate the rules of censorship in American schools and libraries in accordance with the First Amendment, and to determine whether or not constitutional rights are being violated by banning books. This pathfinder will investigate books that have been banned over the years, the reason behind their banning, and the implications and repercussions book banning has produced. I will investigate books that have not been accepted in the past but are now considered beloved classics, and how the attitude of Americans towards such novels has changed over time. This pathfinder will also examine whether these restrictions on which books should be banned have been relaxed or not and, if so, what that means for the book censorship and the interpretation of the First Amendment today. This topic is important because it shows the development of literary culture over time and the way our culture's reception of books has evolved over the centuries according to the tastes and morals of a particular era.

5 Reference Resources-

1.)    My first resource is the book 120 Banned Books. This source discusses books that have been banned over the centuries for social, religious, political, or sexual reasons. It gives specific examples of books that have been banned over the centuries and the reasons certain eras decided they were inappropriate and intolerable due to the beliefs and tastes of the time.  

Karolides, Nicholas J., Margaret Bald, Dawn B. Sova, and Nicholas J. Karolides. 120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature. New York: Checkmark /Facts On File, 2005. Print.

2.)    My second reference resource is the book Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. It discusses the challenge of censorship, the First Amendment, and the freedom to read as well as the struggle for intellectual freedom.  This resource addresses the understanding of banned books in correlation with the freedom of expression, which is a significant American principle that cannot be overlooked.

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 2010. Print.

3.)    My third reference resource is Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds.  It can be found in Cook Library and discusses how governments, states, and churches and other political entities have banned books over the decades for disputable political context. This resource will be useful to my research because it will provide me with a historical background on the political suppression of books over the decades, on what grounds certain books were suppressed, and how this speaks to intellectual freedom.

Karolides, Nicholas J. Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds. New York: Facts on File, 1998. Print.

4.)    My fourth source is True Stories of Censorship Battles in America’s Libraries. This source is found in Cook Library and online and discusses how librarians handle the challenge of banned books, and will be helpful to my research by giving another viewpoint on the censorship of books and its far-reaching effect.

Nye, Valerie, and Kathy Barco. True Stories of Censorship Battles in America's Libraries. Chicago: American Library Association, 2012. Print.

5.)    My final source is Censorship, an e-book found on the USM libraries website. This source discusses the censorship controversy in America, and will be helpful in my research because of the chapter on Censorship of Books which explores more of the history behind the controversy of banned books.

Paxton, Mark. Censorship. Westport: Greenwood, 2008. Electronic.

5 Journal Articles-

1.)    My first journal resource is an article titled Just Open The Door: Banned Books (And A Librarian!) In The Classroom from the journal Young Adult Library Services. In this article, which is narrated in the first person, the author discusses her experiences speaking to high school students about banned books. In her book she talks about how hard it is to talk to students about such a sensitive topic, and discusses how she came to the conclusion that she will inform students on matters of the freedom of speech and intellectual freedom and let them make their own decisions about the issue of banned books.

Howerton, Erin Downey. "Just Open The Door: Banned Books (And A Librarian!) In The Classroom." Young Adult Library Services 5.3 (2007): 9-12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

2.)    My second journal resource is an article titled "Banned Book Week September 22-29, 2001: Look What They've Done To My Books, Mom!.” From the journal Black Scholar. This article talks about the 20^th year anniversary of Banned Books Week which was celebrated in September 2001. This weeks is made possible by the American Library Association, and the book refers to several specific banned books, including the “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.” The article teaches the history of censorship and the significance of Banned Book Week.

Muse, Daphne. "Banned Book Week September 22-29, 2001: Look What They've Done To My Books, Mom!." Black Scholar 32.2 (2002): 22. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

3.)    My third journal resource is an article titled “An Exploratory Study Of Children's Views Of Censorship" from the journal Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children. This article discusses research conducted with a group of children between the ages of 9 and 12 to determine how they feel about book censorship and parent’s restrictions on what they can and cannot read. The article also examines the responses of children when accessing library use, intellectual freedom, and restricted material.

sajlovic-Terry, Natasha, and Lynne (E.F.) McKechnie. "An Exploratory Study Of Children's Views Of Censorship." Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children 10.1 (2012): 38-43. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

4.)    My fourth journal resource is an article titled “The Origins Of The Freedom To Read Foundation: Public Librarians' Campaign To Establish A Legal Defense Against Library Censorship" from the journal Public Library Quarterly. The article discusses the anger and frustration experienced by librarians faced with the issue of banned books.  It explains how some of the most dismayed librarians formed the American Library Association and traces the history of this now highly popular organization, and discusses how the creation of the Freedom to Read Foundation become the greatest move towards promoting intellectual freedom.

Asato, Noriko. "The Origins Of The Freedom To Read Foundation: Public Librarians' Campaign To Establish A Legal Defense Against Library Censorship." Public Library Quarterly 30.4 (2011): 286-306. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

5.)    My fifth and final journal resource is an article titled "Banned Books, Blocked Bytes" from the journal Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children. This article focuses on the challenges faced by publishers as they deal with the issue of banned books for children and young adults. It discusses the resistance publishers may meet from parents and communities who disapprove of certain reading material, and even makes reference to the issue of possibly banning certain Internet websites that contain questionable material.

Kaplan, Allison G., and Bradley Debrick. "Banned Books, Blocked Bytes." Children & Libraries: The Journal Of The Association For Library Service To Children 7.2 (2009): 56-58. Academic Search Premier. Web. 25 Sept. 2012.

5 Websites/Books/Your Choice-

1.)     My first source is Banned books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. This book discusses the legal aspects of censorship and explains the First Amendment, and discusses books that have been banned at many various and different times through history. It discusses censorship as it was enforced by different religions, political groups, and government bureaus and how trends in censorship have attacked school libraries and textbooks. It also references popular, historical figures from a vast span of time such as Thomas Jefferson, John Milton and John Stuart Mill who have discussed the issue of censorship and lists U.S. laws pertaining to First Amendment issues. It is located in Cook Library.

Haight, Anne Lyon., and Chandler B. Grannis. Banned Books, 387 B.C. to 1978 A.D. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1978. Print.

2.)    My second book source is Censorship and selection: issues and answers for schools by Henry Reichman. This book can be found in the fifth floor stacks in Cook Library. The book strives to provide both citizens and educators with an understanding of upholding a free marketplace in education. The book discusses censorship in schools, controversies that have occurred, conflict that has arisen in schools around the issue, primary concerns with censorship, and tips for how a school can handle their response to issues of censorship. This book will be helpful in my paper because it delves into the issue of how free schools should be to provide what books they want to for their students.

Reichman, Henry. Censorship and Selection: Issues and Answers for Schools. Chicago: American Library Association, 1988. Print.

3.)    My third book source is Censorship: changing attitudes, 1900-2000 by Scarlett MccGwire. This book discusses censorship, what it is, and how people have viewed it over the last century. It discusses the ways attitudes have changed towards the issue of censorship, the First Amendment, and the freedom of the marketplace and provides arguments both for and against censorship so that the reader may come to an educated understanding of what censorship is and how its definition has been changed over the years.  This book can be found on the third floor of Cook Library.

MccGwire, Scarlett. Censorship: Changing Attitudes, 1900-2000. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2000. Print.

4.)    My fourth source is Opposing Censorship in the Public Schools: Religion, Morality and Literature by June Edwards. It can be found in the Cook Library fourth floor stacks and it discusses the practice of censorship in public schools. The book is divided into two parts: the first part talks about the censorship debate in public schools between humanism and democracy, over biblical interpretations, over morality in literature and over the purpose of teaching in literature. The second part of the book chooses two specific novels—Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger to discuss the issue of censorship in detail.

Edwards, June. Opposing Censorship in the Public Schools: Religion, Morality, and Literature. Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates, 1998. Print.

5.)    My fifth and final book source is Censorship in Children’s Literature, which was edited by Alleen Pace Nilsen. This book is a collection of short essays discussing the censorship of children’s literature in public schools and the various issues it has caused. It will be helpful in my pathfinder because one of the biggest censorship issues lies in the problem of which books children should or should not be allowed to read. For instance, when Harry Potter was first released many school were banning it from their libraries. This book can be found in the fifth floor stacks of Cook Library.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace. Censorship in Children's Literature. Vashon Island, WA: Para-doxa, 1996. Print.

Conclusion:

This pathfinder targets an audience that would like to learn more about the struggle and debate of banned books. Over the centuries, certain books have been met with resistance by political groups, religious groups, or communities and parents who object questionable material in the content of particular novels. For librarians, it has been a long struggle and uphill battle to encourage the acceptance of all books, but this battle led to the foundation of the American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Foundation. These organizations advocate for intellectual freedom on the basis of the First Amendment, which guarantees the freedom of speech. The resources in this pathfinder direct its audience towards books, articles, websites and references that will teach more about the censorship of books, Banned Books Week, how librarians and publishers are dealing with the conflict of banned books, and how America has handled the struggle for centuries. The pathfinder will be a useful tool for directing its audience towards lists of banned books and hopefully generate a better understanding of how book banning has evolved and changed over the years. It is important for any individual interested in working either in schools, libraries, or the publishing business to understand the censorship of books and the effect that banning certain books on a basis of political, religious, sexual or moral reasons can have on children and young adult readers.