If you haven't been lost in the librarian blogs this weeekend you will have missed the news that a new print edition of The Advenutres of Huck Finn is being published. Unlike every other edition thought, the publisher has taken steps to get the book back into the mainstream. In the new edition, every instance of the "N-word" is replaced with the word "slave."
In an effort to remove all of the controvesial moments from the book, there is a fundraising goal on Kickstarter to publish a version where the "N-word" is replaced with "robot."
You can watch the video they made and learn more here
Jake
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
News: Spring Meeting and blog forums!
Hello, YARTers! This is Gordon, letting you know about a few things coming up.
We sent the registration/flier sheets out to the email list. If you didn't receive and email, please let us know. If you received the email and your mail server didn't pass on the attachment, you can download it here. The event will be held at the La Vista Public Library on Saturday, April 2nd. We are hoping the spring meeting will be enlightening, exciting, and a lot of fun for everyone. Take a look at the flier to see what we are planning! Registrations are going to be needed by March 28th but, if you need more time, just let us know and we'll do what ever we can to make your attendance possible.
Astute observers of the blog will notice that there is a new link on the sidebar. We are in the process of adding forums to this blog. We are currently running into a few issues, but the forums are kind-of up and ready to take your posts. I will be fiddling with this in the weeks to come in order to make it more attractive and usable. Please have patience with the blog during this change, it won't take long. :)
Thanks all!
Gordon Wyant
YART Chair
We sent the registration/flier sheets out to the email list. If you didn't receive and email, please let us know. If you received the email and your mail server didn't pass on the attachment, you can download it here. The event will be held at the La Vista Public Library on Saturday, April 2nd. We are hoping the spring meeting will be enlightening, exciting, and a lot of fun for everyone. Take a look at the flier to see what we are planning! Registrations are going to be needed by March 28th but, if you need more time, just let us know and we'll do what ever we can to make your attendance possible.
Astute observers of the blog will notice that there is a new link on the sidebar. We are in the process of adding forums to this blog. We are currently running into a few issues, but the forums are kind-of up and ready to take your posts. I will be fiddling with this in the weeks to come in order to make it more attractive and usable. Please have patience with the blog during this change, it won't take long. :)
Thanks all!
Gordon Wyant
YART Chair
Read More
Information and Collections: Book List fiasco
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.
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.
Read More
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Information and collections: Getting on the email lists that give you more
Many of you are probably already on the email lists sponsored by ALA and YALSA and a host of other library organizations. For those of us (myself included), here are instructions for joining a few of the YALSA email lists. I'll put a link at the bottom of the post that gives all the email lists available from YALSA, as well as some of their sponsored websites full of other information.
Joining YALSA-BK
You can find the rest of the email lists at the YALSA electronic resources website.
Be well,
Jake
Joining YALSA-BK
Purpose: This open list for book discussion invites subscribers to discuss specific titles, as well as other issues concerning young adult reading and young adult literature. Subscribers will also learn what has been nominated for Best Books for Young Adults, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults and Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and be able to discuss those books. Young adults, especially those who belong to book discussion groups, are also welcome to subscribe and to discuss books they are reading.
Uses:
- Discuss books for young adults
- Discuss titles nominated for the YALSA lists
- Discuss issues concerning young adult reading
- Discuss issue concerning young adult literature
To subscribe:
- Go to http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/yalsa-bk
- Select 'Subscribe' on the left hand side
- Enter your email address and hit the gray button
To unsubscribe:
1. Go to http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/yalsa-bk
2. Select unsubscribe on the left hand side.
3. Enter your email address and hit the gray 'Unsubscribe' button
OR
Send an email to: yalsa-bk-unsubscribe@ala.org, leave the subject line and message blank.You can find the rest of the email lists at the YALSA electronic resources website.
Be well,
Jake
Read More
Some things we're starting
Hello YART folk!
Since this is supposed to be a blog that you'll want to come to for the newest and greatest, we are going to start a few things. There will be three different kinds of posts on this blog: The librarian interviews that we have already started; tips and information on building a strong teen collection and marketing that collection to patrons and students, including book reviews by guest librarians and school teachers and best practices for marketing and displaying; and thirdly, a real time experiment where a school librarian and a public librarian will actively plan and execute programming and other coordinating ideas and then share the results with you who are reading.
We hope that these three different areas of the blog will give you some ideas for your libraries and schools, as well as get a conversation started between teacher librarians and public librarians across the state on how to work together to impact young adults.
You'll be able to tell what the different posts look like because the subject will reflect what section if falls into followed by the topic. We look forward to getting you great information and helping ALL librarians working with teens do better for these very special patrons.
Jake
Since this is supposed to be a blog that you'll want to come to for the newest and greatest, we are going to start a few things. There will be three different kinds of posts on this blog: The librarian interviews that we have already started; tips and information on building a strong teen collection and marketing that collection to patrons and students, including book reviews by guest librarians and school teachers and best practices for marketing and displaying; and thirdly, a real time experiment where a school librarian and a public librarian will actively plan and execute programming and other coordinating ideas and then share the results with you who are reading.
We hope that these three different areas of the blog will give you some ideas for your libraries and schools, as well as get a conversation started between teacher librarians and public librarians across the state on how to work together to impact young adults.
You'll be able to tell what the different posts look like because the subject will reflect what section if falls into followed by the topic. We look forward to getting you great information and helping ALL librarians working with teens do better for these very special patrons.
Jake
Read More
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