Self Censoring

            The article, “A Dirty Little Secret” by Debra Lau Whelan from School Library Journal discusses the issue of self censorship, a belief that’s taking over librarians across the country.  Censorship is when librarians suppress material deemed as inappropriate for children; self censorship is when librarians suppress material that they themselves disapprove of.  For example, a homophobic librarian purposely avoiding books with gay protagonists is self censoring.  Countless children have read these such books and found solace in their themes; when librarians ban them, they may be denying hundreds of children access to these life changing books.  Another point Whelan makes is that although some adults believe that children are all drooling idiots who would keep reading a book they hate or are confused by, some parents and teachers think that’s not the case.  In fact, they believe that children are actually capable of choosing what material is appropriate for them, deeming censorship useless.

            Whelan is trying to express how censoring has come to mean something different to everyone, which has led to books being hidden from the public for ridiculous reasons.  And it’s not just the right-wing conservatives that are lobbying for self censoring.  “Politically correct lefties” are challenging authors, too.  The article describes how Rachel Vail’s book about children’s nightmares was banned because librarians thought children might develop nightmares from the book.  Nationally beloved books are being criticized, too.  Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was criticized for a scene with a dead turtle.  A mom commented, “Don’t you know that reptiles have feelings, and reptiles feel fear?”  Too many people have the power to censor in their own way, and sometimes good books are removed from shelves because of it.

            I think that self censoring has gone too far, so far that it’s become a personal matter, different for each librarian.  I think that children should have the power to choose what they can read, because they know what’s right for them.  I tried to read Sold in sixth grade, but it was too intense for me so I put it down.  There was no debate or discussion, and another student in my class might have been able to read it just fine.  What matters is that my teacher put the book out and let us decide for ourselves if it was on our level.  If more librarians were unbiased, self censorship wouldn’t be a problem, but because many rely on their own opinions when choosing books, it has become a matter that we need to address.  Good books are being taken off shelves because librarians don’t agree with the subject matter, and that needs to change.