I'm not sure if many of you have been keeping up with things lately, but B*tch Media put out their list of 100 YA books with a feminist bend. Then, over the weekend and after protests from some readers, the writers of the list removed some books and replaced them with others. This then inscenced other readers and a few authors who were named on the list. More than one author asked that her name and book be removed from the list. It's nuts!
What I think we should remember is that a book list is always made with a bias. Even in trying to keep bias out, you're still making a list based on your judgement. Thankfully, your judgement is not mine. Unfortunately, this leads to disagreements, suggestions and sometimes hurt feelings.
This does not mean we should stop making lists for our patrons. Just remember, if you choose a title, you might have to stick by it and stick up for it. For some, this might mean having conversations with administrators, other teachers, other libarians, or parents. Always have your reviews in hand and your rationale firm.
Go well, Librarians!
Jake
P.S. Here's the link to the list and the SNAFU that followed in the comments. Some of the posts are really thoughtful. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter if you search for #bitchplease. BE WARNED: The librarians didn't see if it was a trending topic before they started posting, so you will have to weed through some NSFW stuff to get to the good tweets.
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