Category: Book Review
Foundations of Information Literacy: A Book Review
Readers seeking to understand current theories of information literacy should look no further than Taylor and Jaeger’s Foundations of Information Literacy. This engagingly written text provides a robust introduction to information literacy since its emergence in the “information society” of the 1970s and its continued evolution to address the information disorder of the participatory Web. However, concepts of intellectual freedom and censorship as they relate to information literacy, information disorder, and information illiteracy are underdeveloped.
Book Review: A History of ALA Policy on Intellectual Freedom (10th Edition)
ALA policies and statements are critical in the defense against threats to intellectual freedom. For this reason, it is crucial to understand not only the contemporary and practical resources provided by the ALA but also the historical and theoretical contexts informing current policies. The tenth edition of A History of ALA Policy on Intellectual Freedom provides an important history of ALA policy related to intellectual freedom.
Book Review: You Can’t Say That!
Leonard S. Marcus’ new collection for teens, You Can’t Say That!, shows firsthand how many popular authors and creators have been affected by book bans and challenges.
Book Review: Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children’s Books
Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children’s Books by Pat R. Scales features 33 books for youth that have been challenged since 2015. The book is a great primer for those looking to learn more about challenges to children’s literature. The book also includes a lot of further reading materials and backmatter that is a great jumping off point for researchers to learn more about issues of censorship.
Book Review: Dark Archives: A Librarian’s Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin
Overall Rosenbloom’s book engaged me intellectually in a way I was not expecting, and still addressed the issue (who the heck makes books made out of human skin?) that got me to pick up the book in the first place. It turned out to be a really interesting lens through which to consider medical ethics, ethics regarding human remains, and collection development ethics all rolled into one unique issue
‘The Right of a Woman to Her Own Person:’ Interview with ‘Jane Against the World’ Author Karen Blumenthal
Abortion rights is a topic that some teachers may choose to avoid or be prohibited from teaching. Karen Blumenthal’s latest book, “Jane Against the World,” provides students with a well-researched and nuanced history of reproductive rights in America, connecting to larger issues of poverty, racism, and gender and workplace discrimination. Learn more about the censorship she experienced while researching Texas state documents as well as experiences with censorship related to her books.
Libraries Promoting Reflective Dialogue in a Time of Political Polarization: A Conversation with the Editors
The book is a way to explore the many ways that we can hold true to endowing librarianship to encourage a spirited inquiry and encourage more listening.
American Dirt: Book Review and Controversy Analysis
The controversy surrounding American Dirt has eclipsed the novel entirely. And while it has spurred a worthy dialogue about the right to read (and write), the core message of the book has been lost in the midst.
The First: Book Review
Fish’s matter-of-fact arguments (as well as his humorous parenthetical-style) are disarming enough to make you go “huh!” and challenge a deeply-held perspective or two.
Breaking the Silence: an interview with Ruta Sepetys, author of hidden histories
Readers around the world are eagerly anticipating historical fiction novelist Ruta Sepetys’s new book, The Fountains of Silence, to be published on October 1, 2019. Read an interview with the author to learn more about the setting of her newest example of hidden history, life under dictator General Francisco Franco in Spain after the Spanish Civil War.