Remove books from a library?

As parents and educators, we may want to protect our children. However, it is important to remember that individuals must make their own choices in life. We should strive for our children and students to have opportunities that will enhance their understanding of different beliefs, cultures, and value systems which will enable our children and students to make informed decisions.

Second, even though as individuals we all have our own ideals it is equally important for us (as a society) to remember that there are other opinions and ideas present in the world and we should not be ethnocentric concerning those ideas. We should not limit our or others desire to explore literature whether we agree with it or not.

Finally, if we enable different education boars to limit what can be placed or taken out of school libraries, we send a message to those children that material that one group of individuals does not agree with should be censored or removed and students should not be individuals free to delve into what ever topics that spark their interest in the educational system.

Therefore, I agree with the Pico case decision in which local school boards should “not be permitted to remove books from school libraries simply because it dislikes the ideas contained in the books” (Alexander, 2001, p. 289).

Reference:
Alexander, K., Alexander, M. D. (2001). American Public School Law. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.