Theodore Taylor's "The Cay" received a great deal of criticism upon its publication in 1969 for its racism, yet it has remained in American public school curricula for over fifty years. Defenders of the novel have argued that it advocates for color-blindness, a position that has helped entrench it in schools. Meanwhile, few critics have…

In the past years, there has been an intensive discussion on the topic of academic freedom in the university. More precisely, it has been criticized that the university is confronted with a growing intolerance and the request to limit free speech. This contribution takes a case at a German university as point of departure. It shows how the current…

The years of the Second World War (1939-1945), a period known as The Emergency in Ireland, were pivotal for the development of the nation. Immediately after the outburst of the war in the continent, the Fianna Fáil cabinet led by Éamon de Valera declared the state of emergency and adopted a neutrality policy. Brian O'Nolan (1911-1966), better…

James Moffett's "Storm in the Mountains: A Case Study of Censorship, Conflict, and Consciousness" remains as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1988 for those who want to understand the nature and sources of contemporary conflicts in American language and literacy education. Censors continue to try to restrict student…

Includes three articles: Harry Potter's Family Tree; What Could Be Wrong with Harry Potter?; Why Do Children Love Harry? that discuss the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. Highlights include censorship issues; their place in children's literature; relationships to other authors; the appeal to adult readers; characterization; criticism of the…

Discusses three philosophical positions taken by librarians regarding Holocaust denial literature in library collections: inclusion, exclusion, and inclusion with labeling as inaccurate. Concludes that librarians should not undertake the role of arbiters of truth but should responsibly and intelligently build collections that provide access to…

Argues that the Library Bill of Rights aims to codify First Amendment doctrine and the interests of librarians but falls short. Law allows distinctions between government and private action and reaffirms the discretion of decision makers. The Library Bill of Rights, as shown in discussion of several court decisions, is often far more rigid.…

Discusses the censorship of school and public library materials dealing with homosexuality. Topics addressed include social pressures; conservative critics of homosexuality; examples of requests for limited access or removal of materials; and purchasing additional materials to represent other points of view as a more positive solution. (LRW)

Explores approaches to art-making, art criticism, and aesthetics as applied to conceptual art. Describes a one-day workshop with gifted secondary students to analyze socially critical art. Illustrates how artworks initially classified as provocative or prohibitive in the classroom can become more comprehensible to students. (CFR)