On Intellectual Freedom
Carin Bringelson
Issue Contents
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"Intellectual Freedom." I had no idea what that phrase meant when I started my graduate degree in Library and Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But there I was, a first semester student in the spring of 2001, taking a class by that same name. I had yet to learn all of the jargon and acronyms of Library Land. Nonetheless, anything entitled "Intellectual Freedom" sounded like a good class to me—especially from my perspective as an academic activist. Intellectual: my academic side liked the sound of a concept related to the worlds of cognition and theory. Freedom: my activist side was all about creating and expanding choice, justice, and equity.
What I learned that semester (thanks to Dr. Dianne McAfee Hopkins) could sometimes be boiled down to one concept: Access. If we, as librarians and information professionals, work to ensure access to materials, then our customers/students/patrons will have the space (mentally) and the opportunity to choose to follow the direction in which their thoughts take them. Now THAT is intellectual freedom: the freedom to roam wherever our minds may lead.
Creating this space and opportunity to choose is much more than an intellectual endeavor, however. It is about the real physical work that impacts access, such as signage, language used, and the format of materials. It is about shelf-space, architecture, and transportation to the building. It is about technology, confidentiality, and the culture of a library. It is also about adequate funding, trained staff, and an educated school or advisory board. Notice that not once have I mentioned the word censorship.
Censorship
While a graduate student in library school, I held the position of Intellectual Freedom Information Services Coordinator at the Cooperative Children's Book Center, a library of the school of education. I often described my job as "anti-censorship work." I assisted Wisconsin librarians and teachers when they were facing potential or actual book challenges. This meant understanding the complaint against a book, gathering reviews, and locating additional information specific to the complaint or the book. My job was not to take a position on the book, but simply to provide concrete information about the title and sometimes perspectives on the broader issue or issues involved. My work gave me the opportunity to think about the reasons why people challenge materials. While these reasons were many and varied, among the concerns that came up repeatedly (for many different titles) were objectionable language, sexuality, and violence.
Language
Now there's a euphemism for you. "Objectionable language" refers to what some people call vulgarity, others swearing, and still others obscene words. If you read authors' thoughts behind the use of swear words, you will notice them mentioning the realism of the characters and the appropriateness of the situation. Like real life, there are some of us who swear more than others, and some times (and places) when we curse where we wouldn't otherwise. It's the same way for books and their characters. If we want our young people to imagine a scene, understand a character, and enjoy a plot, we cannot expect them to believe that a contemporary character would say "rats" instead of "shit!" We cannot disrespect and discount their experience of the world by sugarcoating language to make it palatable to all first, fifth, tenth, etc. graders. Language is ever shifting, always being reinvented, and, of course, continuing to offend someone or other.
Sexuality
Sexuality is yet another broad topic with many facets. Maybe someone’s upset about a book that involves abortion or one with gay, lesbian, or bisexual characters. Or maybe the teens in the book are exploring their sexual desires. Whatever the complaint about a book depicting sexuality may be, it cannot erase the fact of life that every human being is sexual. I believe that having books (both fictional and non-fictional) about sexuality is a safer and more effective way to learn about the complexities and intricacies of this very human phenomenon than growing up without resources. There is no question: young people have thoughts, questions, and feelings about sex. Therefore, it is not surprising that books for young people also explore these life issues
Violence
Characters in books are humiliated, get physically attacked, and sometimes are killed. Adults are corrupt, peers are cruel, and parents abuse. A well-written book will make our stomachs churn from such violence even though on the outside we are "merely reading." Is there value in depicting violence in books that our young people read? Because I strongly admire the non-violent civil rights movement and its leaders, it is hard for me to say that depicting violence is a good thing. However, I know that violence—in its multiple manifestations—is a real thing. We are living in a world torn by war, for goodness sakes. And if that's not violent, what is? If we can't explore the causes, relationships, politics, and effects of violence through reading books, where can we? Again, books can be an important resource for young people trying to come to terms with the violence in their world.
Reading in Context
Besides raising concerns for some readers, these issues of language, sexuality, and violence also have something else in common. When found objectionable, all three of these aspects have often been taken out of context from the story or book in which they are embedded. Without that larger context, one cannot fairly judge as to the purpose or necessity of that aspect. To fully understand and appreciate (or tolerate) the language, sexuality, or violence in a book, the reader must be open to the possibility that the author is trying to convey a message or idea that deserves to be communicated and explored. Without these sometimes uncomfortable issues set within a larger context, the message will be lost.
Power of Choice
In thinking about these concrete concerns of language, sexuality, and violence, I am reminded that there is a line. There is a line that we each get to draw. A line that marks the difference between what we think is acceptable, and what we don't. As adults, we get to draw that line for ourselves: "No, I don't want to read S&M erotica." "Yes, I do." As parents and guardians, we have the power to draw such lines for our children. I would even argue that it is our responsibility to help our young people decide for themselves what is comfortable for them to read and what is not—to help them determine where they draw the line.
Beyond their roles as parents and guardians, however, adults do not have the authority to draw that line for other children or adults. This tension is a major balancing act for intellectual-freedom-loving people. While we don't want to close down opportunities for involvement and dialogue, we must also convey to potential censors that they do not have the authority to restrict reading and limit the choices of other people's children. Additionally, potential censors do not have the authority to limit the choices of librarians and teachers who are putting their professional training into practice.
Of course, the scariest question is: Who among us is not a potential censor?
Power of Words
There is no doubt in my mind that words—both written and verbal—are powerful tools. They give shape to our ideas, helping us sculpt our previously held thoughts ever sharper. They also limit our thoughts, for if there is no word for a concept, how can it be communicated? We are stuck with the words that we know. So in very real ways, words are powerful tools.
For that reason—the power of words—I cannot simply dismiss the concerns that complainants raise when they worry about certain words in certain books having influence over our children. I would be surprised if the words didn't influence readers. In fact, I would be disappointed if suddenly words didn't have the ability to move people to feel, think, or act differently and what a boring world that would be.
Unlike some potential censors, however, I do not believe nor dwell on the idea that books hold a negative power: the power to taint. Instead, I believe in the positive power of words: the power to transform. I want young people to be challenged to wrestle with the world, to figure out who they are in the world, and to strive to make the world a better place. We cannot support our young people in this process of growing up if we pretend that swearing; sexuality, and violence don't exist in the world. We must allow our children and youth access to ideas that will encourage them to grow, even if they have to struggle to do so. By ensuring access to a wide variety of materials, we can indeed nurture intellectual freedom: the freedom to roam wherever our minds may lead.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Megan Schliesman, a librarian at the Cooperative Children's Book Center, for reading drafts and offering suggestions for this piece. And especially for encouraging me to speak about my own journey on this road of intellectual freedom. I would also like to thank Ginny Moore Kruse who encouraged me to travel the road of intellectual freedom by drawing a map, taking her own journey, and sharing her toolkit with me
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