Instead of taking the time to consider solutions or dialogue with parents in the community she serves, our YA Zone librarian, Kristin Pekoll, has decided to promote and join in with a group that plans to "march" in protest to parents/patrons/youth in West Bend and is PROMOTING sexually-explicit books to families with minor children. My notes, of course, are in red.
Here are her Facebook comments:
Jake Jurss (Wisconsin) wroteat 8:31pm on May 7th, 2009
Most definitely bring the kids. It would be awesome to see kids of any age especially Middle Schoolers (who young adultness brought much of this up) and even younger. Everyone is welcome. We are not only encouraging the library shelves to stay as they are, but also to encourage people to pick up some of the books that have been challenged again and again.
Kristin 'Lade' Pekoll wrote at 1:28pm on May 7th, 2009 (So are we Facebooking to organize a protest on TAXPAYER TIME? Just wondering...)
Ideas for Banned Books to read (ALA) http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/challengedbanned/frequentlychallengedbooks.cfm or
books that people don't like listed on the West Bend Library website
http://www.west-bendlibrary.org/yaglbtq.htm
Personally I plan on re-reading WHALE TALK by CHRIS CRUTCHER (my autographed copy) Here you can read Chris' inspirational response to a recent challenge of Whale Talk http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=171562806&blogId=483653524
Report
Kristin 'Lade' Pekoll wrote at 10:38 am on May 13th, 2009 (So are we Facebooking to help organize a protest on TAXPAYER TIME? Just wondering...)
Here's a great list of some books that might be interesting to pick up and read for the May 29th READ IN. Let me know if anyone needs help getting a book from the library. I plan to put together some version of this list in hard copy for people to pick up at the library.
http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/50_Years_of_Reading_Free
and
Kristin said...
I was very excited to see an announcement for the West Bend Read-In circulated through the WisPubLIb (Wisconsin Public Libraries) Listserv. Hopefully we have a great turn out. I plan on making cookies. :)
WHILE WE ARE AT IT, we have a category on the YA Zone BOOK LIST called "KRISTIN'S FAVORITES" -
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
My Heartbeat by Garrett Freymann Weyr
and MORE
Think she's sending her community a message? We do.
Let's not forget former library board member MARY REILLY-KLISS who publicly states:
Ardent Wisconsin Gardener said...
Hello All--Mary Reilly-Kliss (recently deposed for the second time from the WBCML Board) reporting in for reading duty! I will be there with bells on! Ok, maybe not the bells because it is a library after all. However, I will be there wearing my royal blue "FREADOM" shirt, and distributing bookmarks with the same sentiment. My contact at ABA's intellectual freedom divison will be sending some materials for our perusal. He has also expressed an interest in coming to West Bend to talk about intellectual freedom and free speech in particular. I am exploring that idea.See you on the 29 if not before. I wonder if we should wear name tags of some sort as I would love to be able to put a fact on the many names which come up on the blogs! Mary
....confirming over and over again that she does not represent this community, and lending credence to the City Council's decision. Thanks, Mare!
Or how about Mary's commentary to Maria Hanrahan's query about the City Council's process to approve mayoral appointments?
Maria:
Does anyone recall any of the aldermen (and please try to remember specifically who) saying that they would be interviewing candidates that the mayor suggests? If so, we need to look into that; that is not how this has been handled (with this board or others) in the past, so it would be a clear indicator that certain alderman may be trying to stack the board.
Mary Reilly-Kliss
Yes, Maria. Ald. Vrana said that he was considering being the Council rep on the WBCML board. He followed that with the idea of having those interested in applying for the board to submit: An application, resume, and personal interview. I wonder if CC would then have to use the same process for each and every appointee to each and every CC committee. That could keep them quite busy! Plus, it would assure that only those passing the litmus test would be able to volunarily serve their community. VERY VERY SCARY indeed. As an aside: Would the CC require its representative to follow those same procedures? Just asking!!
11 comments:
Curious. When you say "march" in protest (and you putting the word march in quotes), who are you quoting? The description of the read-in on facebook doesn't say anything about a "march", which certainly has certain implications. Rather, it notes that the group will "walk peacefully". I'm shocked that you would use inflammatory language to describe the event. Shocked.
Also, you note that this group will be protesting "parents/patrons/youth in West Bend". Again, I see no evidence that these people are the intended target. If anyone, the target of this event is YOU, Ginny.
Further, if you're "just wondering" whether Ms. Pekoll is using "TAXPAYER TIME" to "organize a protest", consider the following: (a) she isn't an organizer of this event; (b) she very well could be posting these comments during a break or lunch hour.
Finally, where are you copying the dialogue between Mary Reilly-Kliss and Maria Hanrahan?
.... "silent speech"— if noting that something is "said," (implied) internally and not spoken out loud..
But hey, I don't get into the whole issue of picking apart quotes, bolds, commas, parentheses on people's blogs. Just kind another one of those things that distract people from the subject at hand. If you are still feeling shocked, however, maybe you could go outside today and take a nice long walk and enjoy a large iced tea!
Yes, she "very well could be posting these comments during a break or lunch hour." Still, just wondering....
"(a) she isn't an organizer of this event;"
My exact words "help organize a protest"
"the target of this event is YOU"
Interesting. Can you explain? I have not seen anything that indicates such. Please provide substantiation, if you could. Thanks!
"..you note that this group will be protesting "parents/patrons/youth in West Bend". Again, I see no evidence that these people are the intended target."
Evidence: This group states (in a number of places and many times) that they want the books to stay in the YA Zone, unlabeled, open to children without provision for parental assistance with identification). Since the parents, taxpayers and patrons of this city are the ones asking for the help of their local library, this is clearly a slap in the face of those people by the YA librarian, as well as participants. The people who feel sexually explicit books should be openly available to minors are contributing to what the law says they should not, and cannot have. Why? Because it is damaging. This, by the way, is common sense.
"The people who feel sexually explicit books should be openly available to minors are contributing to what the law says they should not, and cannot have"
Which law is that? Can you provide me the details. Thanks.
Unrelated, but this is my new favorite child: http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/24/kid-keeping-a-lendin.html
You can't keep 'em down, Ginny. They're going to read whether the authorities approve of it or not.
And one more thing: This, by the way, is common sense.I feel like that's always the appeal people make when they realize the law isn't actually on their side. You know how kiddos (and young-looking adults, like myself) have to show ID to go to or purchase an R-rated movie, M-rated video game, or (sometimes) an "explicit" CD? Nobody has to do that for any book at all. A kid could walk into a Barnes and Noble and look at or even purchase a book from the "sex and relationships" section, no problem. (Which is why I am always, always an advocate of active parenting.)
So you can't really appeal to the law here, is all I'm saying. Kids can read or look at or buy whatever books they want, legally. (No, that does not include magazines. And libraries don't stock Hustler.)
(And books like "Perks" - in which one of the big messages, which you'd know if you'd read it, is that sexual activity is a bad deal outside of a caring, committed relationship - are good for a lot of teenagers anyway.)
"the target of this event is YOU"
Interesting. Can you explain? I have not seen anything that indicates such. Please provide substantiation, if you could. Thanks!
:::still waiting:::
Interesting. Can you explain? I have not seen anything that indicates such. Please provide substantiation, if you could. Thanks!
...are you kidding? She's clearly not protesting "parents/patrons/youth" because a lot of them support her. You're the one who picked this fight, so it's pretty clearly protesting your views (and the views of your followers) - not "youth", many of whom read and enjoy and learn from these books; and not "patrons" and "parents", many of whom support the right of young adults to read what they choose. Come on now.
Amanda said "(And books like "Perks" - in which one of the big messages, which you'd know if you'd read it, is that sexual activity is a bad deal outside of a caring, committed relationship - are good for a lot of teenagers anyway.)"
The message is irrelevant. The wording used to convey the message is what is in question here.
I personally do not care if the book is about how to spread the cause of world peace while being financially stable and wearing properly matched clothing, if it includes one graphic scene describing a sexual interaction, the "positive message" is irreversibly tarnished.
Guilty by association I guess.
CWBC: Perhaps you should be shocked. Here is a quote from Scott in the WB News today -
"We plan to march from the corner of Oak and Fifth Avenue to the library at about 3 p.m."
I'm shocked that Scott would use such inflammatory language. Shocked.
CWBC, You should not be shocked. Ginny has spent the last 18-24 months figuring ways to escalate the emotion around whatever cause she is touting. It's easier to do that than have a coherent debate and face the critcism when she is wrong.
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