I am a public librarian who is concerned about having Sarah Palin in the White House. While mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin attempted to ban some books from the city library. When the chief librarian would not ban books without going through the formal book challenging process, Sarah Palin attempted to terminate the librarian’s employment. Only after public outcry was the termination withdrawn.
I do not want a book banner in the White house!
This blog is for library staff, library lovers, and anyone who cares about public libraries and freedom to read!
Librarians Against Palin! 
I am a school librarian and a daily user of the public library. I am horrified that Sarah Palin is even a candidate for vice president in a democratic country.
This is the problem with electing people who would inflict their religious values on the rest of us.
Banning books is something that was supposed to terrify us as children. Remember in middle school being required to read Farenhight by Bradbury?
Taking our books and burning them seemed like something so horrible that it could only happen in Nazi Germany…informed librarians are among the few groups who realize book banning goes on all the time. People are always surprised to hear that it’s quite commen, even in the U.S.
Thanks for making this site available and for all the posters who have added bits from newspapers and personal knowledge. This frightening information tells us a lot about her and needs to be passed along to as many people as possible.
I’m a librarian in a private law firm library and I have posted the link to this site on a law librarians listserv.
How ironic that late night comics have been making jokes about Palin looking like a “sexy librarian.”
Where can we get a reliable copy of the titles of the books Mayor Palin wanted banned from the library?
As an concerned citizen, I’ve spent much of the day reading about Sarah Palen and trying to get some straight answers about her past performance; what I’m learning terrifies me. As a published author, I’m even more frightened after learning about her attempts at censorship. Congratulations to your community for blocking those efforts. It is indeed ironic to have heard SP described as a “sexy librarian.” Thank you very much for getting these facts out into the world. I’ll be forwarding your website address to Nancy Pearl, librarian, author of BOOKLUST, and one of Seattle’s local treasures.
All the very best to you,
Stephanie Kallos
Seattle WA
P.S. Where can I get one of those bumper stickers?!
As an concerned citizen, I’ve spent much of the day reading about Sarah Palin and trying to get some straight answers about her past performance; what I’m learning terrifies me. As a published author, I’m even more frightened after learning about her attempts at censorship. Congratulations to your community for blocking those efforts. It is indeed ironic to have heard SP described as a “sexy librarian.” Thank you very much for getting these facts out into the world. I’ll be forwarding your website address to Nancy Pearl, librarian, author of BOOKLUST, and one of Seattle’s local treasures.
All the very best to you,
Stephanie Kallos
Seattle WA
P.S. Where can I get one of those bumper stickers?!
Thank you for doing this! I am working on my MLIS and am OUTRAGED. See the recent article in today’s Boston Herald linked below. How can Barbara Bush assertedly be “thrilled” with Palin? As a librarian she should be horrified.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1117009&srvc=2008campaign&position=6
Who are you? A lack of contact details makes it very hard to contact you about possible interview(s) for the podcast I produce. I at least want to be balanced and get both sides but you make that nearly impossible.
I just wanted to let you know that many of us support your efforts.
Several of us have been following the Palin Library scandal closely for several days and will continue to update this article as the facts come in.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Sarah-Palin-Small-Mind-In-by-Judy-Swindler-080904-485.html
Will be working up a story on your group to help get the word out as well.
Rindi White informed me that anyone can download F.O.I.A. forms online at the Wasilla city website to fill out and fax to the Wasilla Clerk’s office: http://www.cityofwasilla.com
If you want to organize further, you are most welcome to use the tools on my website, http://www.dotpoli.com.
I created the website as a way of giving individuals and groups the activism tools necessary for grass roots organizations. This
is a most worthy effort on your part and Dotpoli is ready to help however we can.
I’ve just now brought the core of it online and it’s mean, lean and clean so your forum posts would be highlighted on the web well. You can create blogs and copy your posts from here to your blogs there to ensure maximum exposure for your message.
Will be adding other tools such as online petitions and group pages, similar to the user pages, but with more tools. Until I get the calendars for the group pages up you are welcome to have exclusive use of the main calendar on the front page. You can link to Dotpoli from your webpage and use it however you wish. This is a non-partisan site as I am a firm believer in freedom of speech no matter the views.
Several of us are also making sure this and other Palin stories hit the IRC political chatrooms and I will make sure that word of your group goes out there as well. Even though it looks as if no books have been officially banned, this goes beyond that. It is a mindset we cannot allow in the highest offices of our nation.
I am not a librarian and the only work experience I have in this regard was was working at our local community college library while in school for two years. I started in the stacks, had the privilege of helping to set up the new campus library, and worked my way up to secretary to the Director and Assistant Director. It was an incredible experience, especially for my children.
Anything we can do to help, please let me know.
You can contact me through the message system at Op Ed News or through http://dotpoli.com
P.S. If you want a some bumper stickers, let me know. My son has a friend who produces stickers, teeshirts, etc. If you send me the logo file, even another design, will be glad to contribute an order of them to your cause.
Congratulations on setting up this site. I’ve just add a link to this location in another blog discussing politics and this election in particular.
Hold on, everyone. It seems things have been blown out of proportion. Here, for example, is a comment on a Library Journal blog:
I frankly think, that the amount of psychotic blogging in the past few days is appalling. We are seeing an unprecedented smear campaign orchestrated by the like of the Daily Kos on behalf of the Obama campaign and that is what really should scare people. Palin was inundated with requests from some local citizens about removing some books which were unsuitable for children or putting them in a section controlled by the librarian. Palin simply asked about the issue in open forum responding to citizen requests like a mayor is supposed to do. It seems by all records that the library response was to immediately be combative and defensive which is what led to further problems. Palin never actually took further steps to ban books. On the contrary, if you in fact love the free expression of views in all forms, then why is it that Obama seeks to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine of censorship and ban other books from school libraries which take contrary views to his? First we heard that she really didn’t have a baby and that she was covering for her daughter….then we were told by the same left wing zealots that she had an affair with her husband’s business partner, then we told she was a member of a secessionist movement…the lies continue, so be careful how far you’re willing to run with them.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/blog/1010000101/post/1110032711.html
Wonder what she intends to do with the “Library of Congress??” Change History???
Thank you for establishing this website. I earn my living as a law librarian at a private firm and I am appalled that a government official who attempted to ban books is now running for vice president.
Each day, as I read about arrests of journalists and other attempts to limit our constitutional rights, I become more and more frightened about what could happen to this country if McCain and Palin win.
Again, thank you for establishing this website.
[Edited by Moderator to change name]
Thank you for establishing this site. Between what has been banned to read, unread, or misread, we have the history of this decade.
Depending on the number of illiterates supporting the McThusala/Impaylem ticket, why would book censorship be an issue? Under DoubleBoorish/Chicanery, one couldn’t speak English; the other hardly would speak. Four more years now means not even reading.
You might find this interesting too:
http://www.thepresidentialcandidates.us/about-sarah-palin-a-letter-from-anne-kilkenny/741/
Just a note to ask that on my earlier post, would you please change my name to Marion L. rather than displaying my full last name. I would have emailed this message to you (creator of this blog) but did not see an email address for you on the website. You may then delete this comment. Thank you.
That’s funny, Marion L. I read your comment, saw your full name listed, and mentally gave you a lot of credit for taking credit in such a manner.
Listen, while I am writing to you, you called Sarah Palin a “government official who attempted to ban books.” I just don’t see how asking a librarian about the issue equates to attempting to ban books.
Let’s say the library removed the books. Then the library would have done the removing, not Sarah Palin.
And I refuse to accept the library would have removed the books at Sarah Palin’s request blindly. The library has a policy that specifies it will “resist” legal process. I doubt it would do what Sarah Palin said if it is willing to defy legal process:
Confidentiality: Any information that identifies Internet users with specific materials or subject matter is considered confidential. Such records shall not be made available to any agency of local, state or federal government except pursuant to such process, order or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of federal, state or local law relating to criminal, civil or administrative discovery procedures or legislative investigatory power. Wasilla Public Library resists the issuance or enforcement of any such process, order or subpoena until such time as proper showing of good cause has been made in court of competent jurisdiction.
I think everyone needs to realize the issue here is about controlling all information and restricting access to it… Books in public libraries are pretty far down the information food chain. While removing certain books from a library restricts easy acces to them, at least they are not being eliminated completely.
We should be outraged at what the republican mis-information machine is doing to destroy, eliminate, hide and control information that is contrary to their evil goals… Concerns about Global Warming make it harder on polluting companies to do biz cheaply? Just eliminate all EPA reports on it! Dont have a reason to go to War to help your big business buiddies make money? Just make one up and declare it valid!
Information is power… and they intend to do everything they can to keep us in the dark.. its not about books, its about controlling the truth and knowledge so that they can go about their quest to keep us all scared and dependent on them to “protect” us from the gays and the liberals who want to steal your money and ruin your communities… please. I would say “nice try, republicans… but we are too smart to buy that one!” however, it appears that far too many of the citizens in this country are indeed buying it…. and THAT is what scares the crap out of me..
Thank you. Please maintain this web site for eternity. What’s written here is as important as what lies between the cover of books.
[…] a librarian fired after refusing to remove books that she (Palin) disapproved of. Check out the Librarians against Palin blog for more […]
Great site! Keep up the good work and America free of tyrants!
I want to thank all of you. For the last 24 hours, I thought I was going to explode over what happened to Mary Ellen Emmons. And, also, Walt Monegan. Two American heroes who defend all of us by being willing to sacrifice their job, but not their integrity nor their responsibility to defend due process.
I am a retired school teacher who will check this site everyday, looking for opportunities to help.
Thank you for creating this website. I am an English teacher, as is/was my mother, aunt, sister, and father. We are absolutely terrified by the prospects of this anti-intellectual extremist getting her foot in the door of the White House.
Orlando, FL
Bravo! Sarah Palin is a dangerous woman, especially so now that she has a national platform and a well-financed campaign behind her.
When Sinclair Lewis wrote that in America,”Fascism will come wrapped in a flag and carrying a Bible,” I’m sure he never imagined it would be in the form of an Alaskan “hockey mom.” Her ideas are intolerant – and intolerable to those of us who take the freedom of expression to be the chief American tradition most worth defending.
She must be answered, loudly, clearly and vigorously. I applaud this blog and I encourage other librarians to spread the word throughout the profession and especially to any would-be McCain-Plain voters.
– Don MacLeod
Law Librarian, New York, NY
Editor, “Internet Law Researcher”
Don MacLeod’s mention of fascism is interesting in the context of the Republican convention, especially Mr. McCain’s speech. I listened on the satellite radio. I don’t know what it looked like on TV. I am referring to when the crowd was chanting U.S.A.! U.S.A.! McCain told them “They want us to stop shouting at each other” and was trying to quiet the crowd. I thought about fascism then and also at other points in the speech.
Dear Mr. Kleinman:
In an ideal world, I would post comments under my full name, and the fact that I initially did shows that this is my ideal preference.
However, we do not live in an ideal world. We live in a world where women have to be cautious because so much violence is directed at them. So I decided to err on the side of caution.
Getting back to the subject of Palin: based on the evidence I’m seeing on this website from Alaskan newspapers, I think that Palin’s interest in banning books went beyond the realm of the hypothetical or rhetorical. The issue came up at least 3 times, and the city librarian was nearly fired for not wanting to comply.
what are the titles of the books that sarah palen tried to ban?
what were or are the titles of the books that sarah palen tried to ban
[MODERATOR’S EDIT: IN THE SPIRIT OF THE BLOG, I WILL NOT DELETE THIS POST. HOWEVER, THIS LIST HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCREDITED. ALSO, WHAT’S UP WITH REPEATING THE SAME LIST THREE TIMES? SHOULD I CONSIDER THIS SPAM? OH WELL…. IF ANYTHING LIKE THIS IS POSTED AGAIN ON THE SITE, IT WILL BE DELETED. THANK YOU!]
List of books that Palin wanted banned, received with emails re Time mgazine article:
From: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
To: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
Sent: 9/7/2008 4:20:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: (no subject)
FYI
—————————————-
http://www.adriennealbert.com
http://www.myspace.com/adriennealbert
Okay friends, enough with the jokes..Sarah Palin is one dangerous woman (and I don’t mean that in a good way). Here is a list of the books she tried to have banned from the Wasilla Public Library, according to the official minutes of the Library Board. When she was unsuccessful at having these books banned, she tried to have the Librarian fired.
Please pass this list along. Time to get off the sidelines, stop sulking and/or laughing and act.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
It’s Okay if You Don’t Love Me by Norma Klein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t by Judy Blume
To Kill 20 A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols by Edna Barth
=
From: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
To: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
Sent: 9/7/2008 4:20:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: (no subject)
FYI
—————————————-
http://www.adriennealbert.com
http://www.myspace.com/adriennealbert
Okay friends, enough with the jokes..Sarah Palin is one dangerous woman (and I don’t mean that in a good way). Here is a list of the books she tried to have banned from the Wasilla Public Library, according to the official minutes of the Library Board. When she was unsuccessful at having these books banned, she tried to have the Librarian fired.
Please pass this list along. Time to get off the sidelines, stop sulking and/or laughing and act.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
It’s Okay if You Don’t Love Me by Norma Klein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t by Judy Blume
To Kill 20 A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols by Edna Barth
=
From: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
To: adrienne@adriennealbert.com
Sent: 9/7/2008 4:20:01 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: (no subject)
FYI
—————————————-
http://www.adriennealbert.com
http://www.myspace.com/adriennealbert
Okay friends, enough with the jokes..Sarah Palin is one dangerous woman (and I don’t mean that in a good way). Here is a list of the books she tried to have banned from the Wasilla Public Library, according to the official minutes of the Library Board. When she was unsuccessful at having these books banned, she tried to have the Librarian fired.
Please pass this list along. Time to get off the sidelines, stop sulking and/or laughing and act.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
It’s Okay if You Don’t Love Me by Norma Klein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won’t by Judy Blume
To Kill 20 A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols by Edna Barth
=
Marion L.:
I totally understand your concern. And I totally agree with it. Whether or not a person agreed with me or not, I would not want that person’s real life to be affected by his/her online life, in part because I would not want someone to do that to me.
Be that as it may, may I contact you personally should I have any questions that might best be answered by someone like you? The questions would relate only to your professional activities, and not anything of a personal nature, such as politics.
Now you said, “Getting back to the subject of Palin: based on the evidence I’m seeing on this website from Alaskan newspapers, I think that Palin’s interest in banning books went beyond the realm of the hypothetical or rhetorical. The issue came up at least 3 times, and the city librarian was nearly fired for not wanting to comply.”
I say the subject coming up 3 times does not mean anything went beyond anything. And my reading of the papers is that she was nearly fired not for the books issue, but for the reason why a number of others were fired at the same time.
More significantly, book banning may not be what happened here at all. In fact it may be almost impossible. The last book banned in the USA was many decades ago. A book removed does not mean it was banned, except from the American Library Association’s point of view and those who agree with the ALA.
But not all agree with the ALA. A former ALA Councilor said, for example, “It also highlights the thing we know about Banned Books Week that we don’t talk about much — the bulk of these books are challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children. While I think this is still a formidable thing for librarians to deal with, it’s totally different from people trying to block a book from being sold at all.”
From: http://www.librarian.net/stax/1858
Now if Sarah Palin was concerned about “books … challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children,” then according to this ALA Councilor, that is not book banning.
We simply do not know all the facts yet to make a determination.
I realize this blog offers people a chance to vent, so to speak, and people are taking full advantage, but the facts are not developed enough to make the determination that Sarah Palin is a book banner. If future facts reveal Sarah Palin is a book banner, I will join you in opposing her, but I seriously doubt the facts will ever show that.
When people jump the gun and make false claims despite a lack of facts, that makes their arguments far weaker. It’s like crying wolf. In my opinion, it would be best to wait for the facts to present themselves in a way that that allows one to make certain conclusions. Certain conclusions made here on this blog so far are simply not yet supported by the facts.
I know you know this. I know you are smart and logical from your profession and extracurricular activities. I just don’t know why political interests appear to cloud people’s usual judgment, as least that’s what it appears to me when someone makes conclusions without facts required to support those conclusions. I am certain lawyers do not make statements of fact unsupported by facts, and if they did, there would be serious legal consequences. A lawyer who did that regularly would get a bad reputation pretty fast, besides losing cases.
I cautioned above, “Hold on, everyone. It seems things have been blown out of proportion. Here, for example, is a comment on a Library Journal blog….” Well the facts have not changed significantly since them. On the other hand, false facts have been circulating like wild. For example, even the ALA fell prey to sending around a bogus list of books Sarah Palin supposedly wanted banned, including, for example, “My Friend Flicka.” Now be serious. She wanted to ban “My Friend Flicka”?
I am not saying this to say what you are saying is wrong. Rather, the facts are not yet developed enough for anyone to make any conclusions. And many of the “facts” we do know have been proven to be false. We all need time to get and to digest accurate information. I think you’ll agree with that.
Everyone,
Get a load of this:
“Update on List of Books Palin Sought to Ban—‘It Is a False Rumor'”
http://www.burningcane.org/2008/09/update-on-list-of-books-palin-sought-to.html
“I oppose the candidacies of Sarah Palin and McCain because of the platform passed at the Republican National Convention and the failed policies of the Republican party for the past many years. Their policies clearly do not represent change but a continuation of ‘business as usual.’ However, I am not convinced that she supports the banning of books. ….
“I want to thank the anonymous person who posted the question when I first put up the information about Palin’s list of banned books. This is a reminder to myself to be more rigorous about the articles posted on this blog.”
Dan,
The list is obviously fake, as has been reported numerous times on this blog. Please do not make it into a strawman to distract us from the relevant, confirmed issue that Sarah Palin repeatedly forced the question of Censorship on her city librarian, broached the issue of censoring library materials at a city council meeting, and soon afterward fired the librarian, only to withdraw the firing after a large community uproar over her behavior and a threat of a recall.
Facts tend not to just ‘present themselves’, they must be discovered. Sometimes researchers find false leads, but that doesn’t mean they should just sit back, slow down, turn on the tv and let the facts ‘present themselves’.
Also, Dan, I have visited your site, and know that you are not a librarian, and in fact, are on a personal crusade against the American Library Association, and publish incendiary headlines like “Can Anyone Argue the ALA is Not Pushing Porn On Children?” “Children Are Not Safe in Public Libraries”
Ultimately, considering you advocate continually that certain materials should not be available to certain users, I cannot believe that you offer unbiased opinion to the discussion. Many people would argue that you have publicly fought to ban books for years. You argue that the largest librarian association in the U.S.A. is trying to force pornography on children, and advocate “resources available for people who wish to protect children from public libraries that have fallen for ALA excuses, misinformation, and propaganda to the ruin of many children.”
I question your motives for vigorously defending Sarah Palin, and in the end, almost see it as a further indictment of her actions.
In conclusion, you are not a librarian, you are not a library lover, and you offer no new information to the discussion. It seems that you would be MORE THAN HAPPY if Sarah Palin removed the ‘smut’ from her public library.
To be honest, I do expect a long-winded reply from you. I have read through your blog, and gather that you like to give your opinions. I have said my piece, and will not respond. I will, however, not delete it.
You cannot advocate removing books from libraries then post on an anti-censorship blog as an ally to the cause.
Did Sarah Palin want the listed books actually “banned” from the library shelves or did she want them unavailable to children?
Forgive me if I’m repeating something. But when was the Wasilla Public Library Blog taken down? Here’s the URL. http://wplak.blogspot.com. You can still read the cached version, which seems to have last been updated in May, 2008. The library seems to have a history of money problems.
“Ultimately, considering you advocate continually that certain materials should not be available to certain users, I cannot believe that you offer unbiased opinion to the discussion.”
The only opinion I offered here is that people should know certain facts were being falsified and they might want to take a deep breath before saying anything. I said more investigation is needed. That is totally reasonable.
(And yes, I would not give inappropriately s3xualized material to my kid, you caught me. As an ALA Councilor said, “the bulk of these books are challenged by parents for being age-inappropriate for children. While I think this is still a formidable thing for librarians to deal with, it’s totally different from people trying to block a book from being sold at all.”)
Others have said it too. ( http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/bannedbooks.asp ) Even ALA Councilors have said it. Even you just said that long list of books was a fake, and good for you. But that’s exactly what I was saying. There is nothing wrong with that.
Actually, with things having been proven to be fakes just as I predicted, my original message was right on target and quite well meaning. I could have said nothing. Instead I decided to give a heads up. Instead I waded into obviously unfriendly waters and tried to participate.
“Hold on, everyone. It seems things have been blown out of proportion.” That’s what I said. Then I gave an example from the well-respected Library Journal.
Librariansagainstpalin, I don’t understand your need to slice and dice someone whom you perceive to take a stand that differs from your own. No one else here has.
Regarding that infamous list…
Yes, the lsit of books was a fake and her question was hypothetical, but this in no way diminishes how wrong and dangerous it is! The idea that she would even suggest banning books, based on most likely religious grounds, and would use her power as mayor to strongarm a librarian into remioving any books from the shelves, is frightening. List or no list!
I’m an author of books for young people, and I’m glad to see this web site established. I recently posted on my own blog regarding Ms. Palin’s interactions with Ms. Emmons and what effect the Alaska governor might have on our nation’s libraries should she be elected to the V.P. For those who are interested, see http://deborah-davis.livejournal.com.
I hope that in the upcoming vice presidential debates Ms. Palin will be asked what her intentions would be, if elected to national office, regarding library policies, and what her views are about the proper way to handle concerns about books.
Librarians Against Palin Founder a Mystery
“I have attempted to find clues as to who the founder is and what led them to create Librarians Against Palin by finding out what a librarian is. As a result, we know one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt – Sarah Palin should never underestimate the power and dedication of ANY librarian nor should she underestimate the power of librarians working though groups like Librarians Against Palin.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/LIBRARIANS-AGAINST-MCCAIN-by-Judy-Swindler-080905-443.html
Librariansagainstpalin said in the very first comment on this page:
“I am a public librarian who is concerned about having Sarah Palin in the White House. While mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin attempted to ban some books from the city library. When the chief librarian would not ban books without going through the formal book challenging process, Sarah Palin attempted to terminate the librarian’s employment. Only after public outcry was the termination withdrawn.
“I do not want a book banner in the White house!”
Now, enough time has elapsed to revisited those statements to look for accuracy.
“While mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin attempted to ban some books from the city library.” FALSE.
“When the chief librarian would not ban books without going through the formal book challenging process, Sarah Palin attempted to terminate the librarian’s employment.” FALSE.
“Only after public outcry was the termination withdrawn.” TRUE, but the termination was not related to the book issue.
“I do not want a book banner in the White house!” TRUE, so far as anyone knows about Librariansagainstpalin, but Sarah Palin being a “book banner” is FALSE.
Just one source of information for these conclusions: “Sliming Palin; False Internet Claims and Rumors Fly About McCain’s Running Mate,” by Brooks Jackson, Jessica Henig, Emi Kolawole, Joe Miller and Lori Robertson, FactCheck.org, 8 September 2008. http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html
Based on the truth now evident with the passage of time, it appears Librariansagainstpalin has overreacted with regard to Sarah Palin and is now just flat out wrong.
While book banning remains a serious issue, any continuing efforts to tie such claims to Sarah Palin are patently political in nature, particularly where the false material is promoted as true again and again.
[…] mulher jovem (que já andou flertando com a censura de livros) é a grande esperança do velho obscurantismo […]
I have worked in several libraries, considered becoming a librarian, have gone to libraries in every country I have visited, and rely on libraries to not only for books, but on librarians to encourage and promote intellectual inquiry. I wrote in McCain at my local polling station in 2000 – much to the surprise of the attendants – because I believed McCain was robbed and should have been the nominee. I knew if this election came down to being one between McCain and Obama, I’d have a hard time making a choice because there is so much to admire about them both. I was willing to consider McCain even after his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate. After all, he is the presidential candidate. But when a potential president selects as a running mate a person who even breathes censorship in this country, he needs to go back and reconsider the foundational truths of what it is to be a citizen of the United States. I have been disgusted by the overwhelming fear that has a strangle-hold on the intellect as well as abundant tolerance our citizens have – all of which has been held in check these past eight years. Sure, there are tons of books I don’t think should be read by anyone – child or adult. But it is not my place to make that decision. If a child has an inappropriate book – then the parents are responsible. Otherwise, not my business, nor my government’s. I don’t care about the list – some folks want to ban The Wizard of Oz. The list is not the point. Intellectual intolerance is just as dangerous as religious intolerance. I don’t think either has a place in the White House.
Why is Governor Palin not answering questions from the press? This would be a way to openly address the library issue as well as other concerns that have surfaced since her nomination. Folks, it’s all about controlling information –down to the book on the library shelf.
I am a librarian and registered independent who will not vote for McCain after this VP selection.
I for one do not think FactCheck.org has done a thoroughly rigorous investigation of the documents and evaluation of the “chilling effect” of Palin’s behavior, and rather, has rationalized her actions. I have asked them to proceed with a more serious review of the facts.
Gwen Kraft
Reference Librarian
For such enlightened intellectuals you are all some very narrow minded people. You would gladly ban books that are opposed by PC thugs and left wing fringe kooks, but god forbid someone would ask a question about banning controversial books 18 years ago You should have her stoned ASAP. How many of you 1st amendment protectors have Sean Hannity books, Rush Limbaugh books, Huck Finn, and Mien Kampf in your libraries. Very few I suspect. I would imagine they are not available in most of your libraries. These same libraries will have multiple copies of Al Gore’s rants, “my two Mommie’s,” and a whole host of Liberal anti civilization, anti-christian, anti-American dribble. Look in your own bigoted closets before you point fingers. The Librairian you speak of is not a meek soft spoken victim, she is a Liberal Democrat with a personnel hatred of Palin.
Doug:
You are way off base. The majority of librarians are quiet individuals who enjoy providing information to people. I’m afraid of people like you. When librarians are being attacked, I guess the culture war is really in high gear. Who is next? Community Organizers?
I am a librarian and registered independent who will not vote for McCain after this VP selection.
I appreciate Dan Kleimann’s repeated efforts to defend the actions of Palin. But the fact is that Palin had supported the banning of particular books when she was a City Councilwoman. Apparently there were four instances when the library was assailed for having certain books. Under the previous mayor the decision was shifted from him, to a Committee, along with certain other criteria they would weigh. The mayor was no longer involved in the decision.
The librarian had already established an age restricted section for some books, but that policy apparently didn’t satisfy Palin and the groups that complained. When she became mayor she again asked the librarian about her policies and whether she would ban certain books. She was asked what she would do if there were protests outside the library, blocking the entrance. The librarian explained to her the policies in place, and that she used the ALA listing to determine age-appropriateness of books.
Although the McCain campaign is presenting all of this as an abstract query about library policies it is clearly an effort by Palin to intimidate the librarian, or ascertain if she would be fired.
And that is precisely what Palin then did…but she backed down when the public came to the support of the librarian…and rescinded the dismissal.
And Doug…if the librarian has some animosity about Palin. Maybe it was because of Palin’s actions to a) censor materials in the library, and b) fire her when she wouldn’t agree to change her policy.
“Cinnamonape” said, “I appreciate Dan Kleimann’s repeated efforts to defend the actions of Palin.”
I’m not doing that.
SafeLibraries takes no position regarding Sarah Palin. I noticed the attack on Sarah Palin that may have been in violation of the library’s own policies and I rightly raised that as an issue. Turns out the violation may have jumped to the ALA which may have violated its 501(c)(3) tax exemption, and ALA members are now calling each other “censors.” Be that as it may, had the target been Barak Obama, I would have said the exact same things (if people were equally reckless), but for the names.
Besides, how could I defend her actions when I’m here saying her actions are not fully known and more investigation is needed?
THIS WEBSITE IS GIVING LIBRARIANS A BAD NAME! WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE EDUCATED! THESE COMMENTS DON’T REFLECT THAT!
USE YOUR HEAD! Don’t believe everything you read in print by the press.
HONESTLY Palin is the best choice!
My response to Gayle S. is that if we are supposed to be “educated” and professional, we spell check and do not put discussion comments in all caps. Gayle, It is “supposed”, not “suppose.”
I totally agree we must get all the facts. As a school librarian, I will practice what I preach; evaluate all information for accuracy, bias and credibility.As a concerned citizen, I will then vote accordingly.
Thank you for setting up this important website!
You people who actually believe that Sarah Palin wold ban the Bible, dictionary, and Huckleberry Finn are complete morons. According to http://www.snopes.com/politics/palin/bannedbooks.asp, there have been no books banned, and no book titles were ever given by Palin as suggested books to ban. People believe what they want to believe. It’s just insulting to me that librarians, whom one would like to believe have ample access to books, computers, and other resource material, would blindly believe such accusations. And not only believe them, but then spread this malicious misinformation as fact. You should all be very ashamed of yourselves. If you don’t like Palin, fine. Don’t vote for her. But spreading fabricated lies about a candidate is bottom-shelf behavior by any standards.
Additional Information located.
Perhaps someone will be able to verify the sources listed on the document found on this website. It seems a genuine vetting document; however, a good researcher could confirm it by researching each newspaper article and copying the full text of each. Big project.
Click to access palin-2006-vetting.pdf
John: Most of us posting here are aware that there has been a bogus e-mail about a list of banned books. This disinformation has been acknowledged for the red herring that it is: Those who latch upon that bogus e-mail use it to obscure a valid search into Sarah Palin’s qualifications for VP. Sarah Palin, having been only recently thrown into national light, has captured the attention of Americans. It is only natural that people want to find out if she is someone they would like to see in the second highest office of the land. Like you, they value facts and want information, not rumors. We deserve to have someone in office who does not abuse power or show a pattern of implementing personal agendas, or fire people who have a different point of view, or support another candidate, and so on. We have had one Cheney. That’s enough. Please be patient with the messy process of sorting fact from fiction.
Doug: Our library system has multiple copies of …”Sean Hannity books, Rush Limbaugh books, Huck Finn, and Mien Kampf…” that you suggest would not be found in our collection. Yes, we have the other books too. We have a broad and balanced collection.
Gwen Kraft
Reference Librarian
Ms. Shonkwiler said “WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE EDUCATED!”.
I’m still laughing.
I am also alarmed by this report about then-Mayor Palin. I do understand why … it was a fact-finding trial baloon.
However the majority of the kneejerk reaction is unfounded. These vitriolic punks are making her out to be a book burner.
Hyperbole is the rule of law in some circles. Truth suffers as a result of book burning and hyperbole.
No books were banned. No books were burned.
Hyperbole is smearing a candidate’s reputation. Raw emotion is the petard of the left.
The public is much wiser now. What worked in the 1960’s will have less effect today.
INAW
I’m not a librarian nor a politician – just a reader who enjoys books. I’m still trying to figure out a couple things – why would a dictionary be banned? And why would only one interpretation of the Bible be banned – why not all of them? I was surprised that Timothy Ferris’ books haven’t appeared on any banned books lists – his ability to write clearly and succinctly about the wonder of science would, I think, be considered anathema to the flat earth society. Anyway, think I’ll take this list and head over to my local bookstore and start buying them. If Palin gets into office, who knows? These books will be worth their weight in gold – maybe even buy my freedom into a nation where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are truly cornerstones of society.
Dan…How much is the McCain/Palin campaign paying you?
Cindy asks, “Dan…How much is the McCain/Palin campaign paying you?”
Thank you, Cindy, that is very flattering. Unfortunately, nothing. 😉
That said, my interests are the negative aspects of American Library Association agenda on the American public, not politics generally.
I have found that politics rarely plays into the issue of protecting children from harm because people from all political stripes agree children need protection, except to the extent people use Alinsky-style tactics to oppose Republicans (usually, but not always Republicans). In other words, politics is the game played by those opposing efforts to protect children from harm, not by those actually using common sense to protect children from harm in the first place.
Further, the issue of protecting children from harm in public libraries is not a left or right issue. It is an American issue. As the US Supreme Court said in the 2003 case of US v. ALA in which the ALA lost and lost big, “The interest in protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors is legitimate, and even compelling, as all Members of the Court appear to agree.” All members. 9-0. Unanimous.
So no, I’m not working for McCain nor for Obama. I’m working for “legitimate, and even compelling” interests in “protecting young library users from material inappropriate for minors.” And my guiding star is the US Supreme Court.
Another article on Palin’s leadership style appears in today’s NY Times (9/13/2008).
“In Office, Palin Hired Friends and Hit Critics”
By JO BECKER, PETER S. GOODMAN AND MICHAEL POWELL
“The new mayor also tended carefully to her evangelical base. She appointed a pastor to the town planning board. And she began to eye the library. For years, social conservatives had pressed the library director to remove books they considered immoral.”
People would bring books back censored,” recalled former Mayor John Stein, Ms. Palin’s predecessor. “Pages would get marked up or torn out.”
Witnesses and contemporary news accounts say Ms. Palin asked the librarian about removing books from the shelves. The McCain-Palin presidential campaign says Ms. Palin never advocated censorship.
But in 1995, Ms. Palin, then a city councilwoman, told colleagues that she had noticed the book “Daddy’s Roommate” on the shelves and that it did not belong there, according to Ms. Chase and Mr. Stein. Ms. Chase read the book, which helps children understand homosexuality, and said it was inoffensive; she suggested that Ms. Palin read it.
“Sarah said she didn’t need to read that stuff,” Ms. Chase said. “It was disturbing that someone would be willing to remove a book from the library and she didn’t even read it.”
“I’m still proud of Sarah,” she added, “but she scares the bejeebers out of me.”
She also scares the bejeebers of me.
Earlier in this post, my blogsite (www.burningcane.org) was cited as one of the sources on the Palin book list as a rumor. The following is an excerpt from the most recent update on Palin and Censorship:
A recent article in the New York Times found that Palin,during her tenure as a council member, catered to her evangelical base, which included vocal social conservatives who wanted certain books to be removed from the library. Sarah Palin’s campaign manager during her first run for mayor Laura Chase and Palin’s predecessor former Mayor John Stein reported that Palin, while a council member, wanted the book “Daddy’s Roomate” removed from the shelves. (“Daddy’s Roommate” deals with the issue of homosexual parents). Chase stated that Palin refused to even consider reading the book. The McCain campaign has publicly stated that Palin as Mayor never advocated censorship. However, it seems there may be a real possibility she did as city council member.
One more item: Both my children and myself have read “Daddy’s Roommate.” It is a very positive book and emphasizes the importance and value of family. Both my children have not been “corrupted” and teachers and other parents have consistently sung praises about them while being very popular with the other children in their class. In fact, censorship of this book communicates the message of intolerance, which is something I do not want my children to embrace.
Considering the definition of “censorship” has become very subjective of late, a very illuminating question would be to ask Palin if she would want “Daddy’s Roomate” to be removed from the library shelves. Her answer would speak volumes.
more on http://www.burningcane.org/2008/09/more-updates-about-palin-censorship-and.html
Let her be raptured soon to an unkown and distant part of the universe!
Michael Willhoite, the openly-gay author of Daddy’s Roomate, was very direct about his criticism of Palin’s Orwellian ideology.
As of yesterday, the author’s website http://www.michaelwillhoite.com/ has not been accessible to the general public. Attempts to go to his site resulted in a denial of service, and are now showing a 404 error.
DoS (“Denial of Service”) attacks are illegal, but a very common way of preventing access to websites. Here is more information on DNS attacks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack
Interesting that these two situations ccurred simultaneously.
The author of Daddy’s Roomate, Michael Willhoite, harshly criticized Palin in the Huffington Post’s article on her censorship efforts.
The highly-publicized “banned books list” seems to be some sort of a hoax (perhaps a plant?) that might offer the chronically-ignorant a pithy rebuke to such claims. That said, Palin’s track record as a book-Nazi is well-referenced, as cited in detail above in post 61 by John Delloro.
www dot michaelwillhoite dot com
This is Willhoite’s personal website – it’s rather benign content related to his art services and projects (nothing remotely political), but it does have his phone number and email address.
As of this morning, the site is no longer accessible. This may or may not be a DoS (Denial of Service) attack…who knows? In contrast, his travel blog is still accessible…it’s pretty tough to shut down wordpress’ servers!
I don’t buy that it was a “rhetorical” question. She is a busy woman, and doesn’t have time to ask questions for which she doesn’t care about the answer.
If some wild-eyed Bible-bangers were all worked up about “Daddy’s Roommate” she should have nodded, smiled, encouraged them to speak to the librarian, and stayed out of it.
Once a coworker asked me what I might do if “I found an opportunity to steal a lot of money.” I told her I would never do it… turns out she was embezzling from the company!
Point is, rhetorical questions always have something behind them.
sarah palin is a great blessing to america. if it were my town or city i would never want that pro-homosexual crap in our public library.
how dare the “gay” community try to inflict and impose its values on the rest of us. in america, we say you can do what you want in the privacy of your home;however, you have absolutely no right at all to inflict and impose your warped values on american citizens, especially children!!
how dare you!!!! we will never, ever tolerate the teaching of homosexuality as an ‘alternative lifestyle’ or same sex marriage in the classroom.
there is no way we will tolerate little kids being told that it’s ‘okay’ if they marry someone of the same sex.
this goes against every grain and fiber of human society. and it was part of the downfall of greece and rome. do your homework.
we never said that homosexuals should be punished or exiled. but we do insist that homosexuality not be taught in schools as a ‘lifestyle choice’.
when will you people wake up and realize that you are in no way like black people, you weren’t slaves and you haven’t been oppressed.
and it is unjust and cruel for you to think you can impose your values on the rest of america.
you are actually only doing yourselves a grave disservice because now the majority of americans who have sense will feel more negatively towards gays as opposed to tolerating more.
you are really blowing it and it’s too bad you don’t see it.
it’s time you thought about the greater good of society and not making everyon else conform to your small, limited, distorted and unhealthy way of living.
sarah palin is a great blessing to america. if it were my town or city i would never want that pro-homosexual crap in our public library.>>>”
Yes, I know I’m late to this party. However, I just wanted to point out that James, quotes above, has no problem whatsoever inflicting his views on everyone else. I hope to god he isn’t a librarian or other information professional.
Which kind of books?
Hi, I`m a brazilian librarian, and I don`t agrree about what Palin did with the other librarian…
We have to continue fight against her. she doesn`t have the right to forbitten books..this is a right that the users have to decide what they want to read..
I don’t suppose it’s necessary to point out that James Latchins’ post is about as Un-American as you can get but just for the record; James, those of us who believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights will always stand against your attempts to destroy freedom. It’s not about promoting a gay agenda, it’s about making certain that every member of our society is able to express his or her opinion, not just in the privacy of their own homes, but in print or on the street. That includes your opinion.
Palin inquired about book-banning policies. That fact seems undisputed. Why would any elected official in America today take it upon themselves to become interested in the policies surrounding book-banning if indeed that CIVIL SERVANT was not interested in pursuing that course of action at some point in the future? What kind of mindset do we want permeating one of the highest held offices of this nation?
This is a serious issue as it denotes a dangerous mindset – that is, by controlling information to individuals you can somehow impose your own morality upon a population. Ewww!
And on top of that – getting rid of everyone in the town who doesn’t agree with you?
Politics aside, donkey or elephant, this is very unAmerican.
Mr. Latchins – I usually don’t fall for the bait when opinions like yours are spewed forth, as I see no point is debating nonsensical streams of babble. But you did happen to make one fine point:
“and it is unjust and cruel for you to think you can impose your values on the rest of america.”
If you would take a moment and reread your own words you might just see in it an embarassing irony. By prohibiting information from the public and sculpting the body of information to which the public has access, you are indeed guilty of imposing your values on the rest of America. Funny, isn’t it, how this point is lost sometimes?
The real blessing here is the fact that this is America, and regardless of race, creed, sexual or political preference, there is a place for everyone. Aren’t you so glad that you are allowed to espouse your empty rhetoric in a public forum? Aren’t we all blessed, mixed as it is, to be subject to your *unique* world view? (I find the contrast very helpful in justifying my own opinion on the matter.)
Now, humor me, Mr. Latchins – imagine a world where that is lost – imagine a world where your very words, thoughts, and ideas were subject to censorship, and your particular words, thoughts and ideas happened to be out of season. A world where the very post you wrote above could be punishable by government. Scary, eh?
Having material in a public library is much different than required reading in a public school. I mean, not one person is forced to pull a book off the shelf and read it.
As for the rest of your nonsense regarding black people and gays in Rome and Greece, well I can only guess that your mind is so excited by the chance to speak your mind that you have lost all sense of logic, history, and capitalization.
But your humor is intact, unless you weren’t being sarcastic with the “small, limited, distorted, and unhealthy way of living” criticism.
I am an MLIS student and currently work in a college library. I find Sarah Palin a scary and abominable choice for V.P. for a multitude of reasons (mostly because she acts as though McCain will die and she will be president. YIKES).
Palin has worked hard to block books and a lot of things.
The second annual Rubber Dodo Award goes to… Sarah Palin. The Center for Biological Diversity honored her with the 2008 award for her valiant efforts to protect her state’s oil industry — sacrificing the well-being of our earth, our climate, the polar bear, and numerous other warming-threatened species in the process. Starting in 2006, Palin worked hard to block the government from protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act — and when the bear was declared “threatened” anyway, she sued, joined shortly thereafter by her oil-industry friends. According to the Center’s executive director Kierán Suckling, Palin’s lawsuit will put her in the history books as perhaps the only person ever to have accused the Bush administration of excessive use of the Endangered Species Act.
The Center’s Rubber Dodo Award is reserved every year for the person in public or private service whom we feel has done the most to contribute to endangered species’ extinction.
Good for you! Whether they’re on the far right or far left, those who would censor libraries are to be feared and VOTED AGAINST!
Ann Feeney
A proud librarian
Most Europeans are afraid to have a new narrow-minded person in the white house I think. I just heard from this website on the news this morning and I agree with you librarians for a 100% !
Actually we think this topic is just complete crazy, the view of banning books is mediaeval!!
greetings from Belgium (Europe)
I’ve added you to my blogroll. I’m a librarian who blogs about a lot of crazy stuff, Sister Sara included……
If you love libraries you would not consider voting for Sarah Palin. I am a librarian and aspiring author and like you I am appalled. Palin is a very weak person for trying to ban books and for not supporting to build new libraries in Alaska. Libraries are already faced with budget cuts, more and more school librarians have to travel from school to school because they can only pay one librarian for 3 or more schools. Enough is enough. Librarians deserve more. And we can do so much better than Sarah Palin. Just the thought of her in office gives me the creaps. We need a strong supporter and advocate of libraries on our side; especially now more than ever.
You said it – and how lovely to find intelligent people as offended by her ignorance and arrogance as I am. Frankly, the only bright side of her candidacy is that she is a real boon for comedians, and I actually feel less outraged now that I’ve rediscovered my sense of humor. I hope your readers enjoy –
Thank God I’m A Hockey Mom (The Sarah Palin Song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UroQWXDW8kU&NR
Widescreen (not as nice-looking, but easier for some computers) –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIi9X07eNOE
Lauren
hello it is test. WinRAR provides the full RAR and ZIP file support, can decompress CAB, GZIP, ACE and other archive formats.
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any
widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe you would have some experience with something like this. Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.