Librarians Weigh in on a Book Dealing with Same-Sex Marriage
RSSJoan Oleck -- School Library Journal, 10/02/2007
A question about whether a book dealing with same-sex marriages should be available to children may have gotten mixed responses from presidential hopefuls—but most librarians say these kinds of titles are essential to learning.
"Librarians are able to broach many sensitive topics through books," says Judy Zuckerman, assistant director of neighborhood services for the Brooklyn Public Library in New York "It can open up discussion, and it's a good thing to discuss topics that children may already be thinking about, through literature."
The question posed to Democratic front-runners Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama during an MSNBC debate on Sept 26, was whether they were comfortable with second-graders having access to or being read the children's book King & King (Ten Speed, 2002), in which a prince finds a male partner. The picture book, by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland, ends with a kiss.
Edwards and Obama strongly supported the idea, while Clinton was more cautious, calling the issue one for "parental discretion." But the next day, in a press statement, Republican candidate Mitt Romney blasted the Democratic candidates for being "out of touch…with the American people."
Librarians interviewed by SLJ responded quite differently.
Judith Krug, director of the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom—which sponsors this week’s Banned Books Week—says many children in second grade and younger come from families with parents of the same sex. “One of the responsibilities of libraries in the United States of America is to make sure that everyone that we serve, regardless of the lifestyle they choose to follow, is reflected in our collections,” she says. "Teachers are using these materials because these children are in their classrooms, and they're trying to show these children and their classmates that there's nothing wrong with the world in which they're growing up.”
Sara Kelly Johns, president of the American Association of School Librarians and a library media specialist in Lake Placid, NY, says students should have access to these kinds of books, especially since at least 10 percent of students come from families with same-sex parents.
But at the same time, Johns says parents should also have the opportunity to say “please give my child an alternate book.”
Meanwhile, Carol Finch, a children and teen services coordinator at the Phoenix Public Library in Arizona, says her library's decision to include King & King as part of a "balanced collection" was based on the book's positive reviews and quality illustrations.
“Every parent has to think for themselves what they decide to read to their children," Finch says. "It's not our job to make a decision for someone's child. It's our job to provide good literature for everyone in our community to read.”
