A Maryland elementary school's library has colorful posters urging kids to read -- but not many books on the shelves, writes Theresa Vargas, a Washington Post columnist.
The state requires school libraries to remove old or damaged books every few years, says Jannie Cobb, media specialist at Oxon Hill Elementary. She'll remove 5 percent more of the school’s books by April. “You do want to have up-to-date collections,” said Cobb. But the school hasn't budgeted to buy new books. The high-poverty school's PTA is inactive, and fundraisers haven't brought in enough money.
Commenters say Oxon Hill gets $22,000 annually per student. You'd think that would pay for sufficient copies of Captain Underpants.
But I also wonder at the requirement that books be new. There are lots of great kids' books that aren't new. Even damaged books -- if no pages are missing -- can be taped up, read and enjoyed.
The American Library Association favors weeding out old books to make room on the shelves for newer ones, reports Harmonica on Citizens' Lighthouse. (Of course, that assumes insufficient shelf space.)
Librarians also remove books that are offensive to modern sensibilities, including classics such as the Little House on the Prairie series or Peter Pan, reports Scottie Andrew on CNN.
“Little House’s” stories of homesteading in the West and the Neverland adventures of a boy who flies but never ages are tales of daring, friendship and resolve. But both also contain racist depictions of Native Americans and fictional indigenous people, text that is often accompanied by offensive artwork in many editions.
If a classic is popular yet problematic, staff should attach a guide for discussing racism to the book, suggested librarian Kaitlin Frick in a blog post.