Pelham Public Library Resources More Accessible

Check out our new catalogue and e-books online. Thanks to a grant from the Trillium Foundation, the catalogue is accessible from any computer. To find the books from our "banned book" list, use "challenged book club" as a keyword. You can reserve books online if you have a Pelham Public Library card.

As well, electronic books have been added to the catalogue. They are great for school projects since you can record bookmarks and electronic notes that will be available each time you open the book. A dictionary and active links are also helpful. For an example of a banned book in e-book form, check out "Lord of the Flies." Without a membership, you are able to view a book for 15 minutes. In order to check out the book, you need to register from one of the Pelham Library's computers.

Pelham Public Library Resources More Accessible

 

Ribbon-cutting for our new catalogue system

 

Google Censors Itself for China

The Chinese government keeps tight control over the internet at present. According to the BBS news, Google will be censoring itself in China, in order to be allowed better access to Chinese markets. Google.cn will be a self-censoring company. It plans to let people know when access on certain search terms has been denied. Because of concerns of how personal information might be used, Google does not plan to allow their e-mail, chat room and blogging services to be available.

Google states, "While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission."

Julian Pain, internet spokesman for campaign group Reporters Without Borders, said Google's decision to "collaborate" with the Chinese government was "a real shame".

Do you think Google should have compromised in order to gain business. Do you think their statement that some information is better than no information?

Check out the side by side results between Google and Google.cn and see what you think.

If you have specific terms you would like me to research while in China, e-mail them to me, prior to March 15.

Denmark and Muhammad

What is your reaction to the Danish incident? Protesters demanded that Denmark apologize over the cartoons that first appeared in a Danish newspaper, which they said portrayed Muhammad in a blasphemous way. They also demanded that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo condemn the caricatures. What is your reaction to the violence and protests that have been sparked?

Censorship in the Real World

I am going to be spending some time in China. We can talk all we want about censorship in Canada but it really doesn't happen to the degree we can expect in China. I wonder about what books I can bring it. Should I challenge the system in China and deliberately bring in something that I think is controversial? It will be interesting to see what sites are available on the Internet and to see the launch of Google China.

Your Comments

The Giver

I don't think the book should have been challenged or banned because the story is very good and it makes you think about how life would be in that situation. The book was enjoyed and was recommended to friends.

Your Comments

Harry Potter (the series)

I think this was challenged because the books may be against peoples' religions and some of the characters and stories may scare small children. The book was enjoyed and recommended to friends.

Your Comments

Carrie

I think the book was challenged or banned because it had scenes of cruelty among students and peers. As well, there was a religious and spiritual component to the novel. The book was enjoyed.

Your Comments

The Diary of Anne Frank

I think it was challenged because it is a very sad story to what happens to Anne and her family but also because Anne is going through hard times and the book may not be appropriate for some children. The book was enjoyed and is recommended to friends.

Your Comments

Lord of the Flies

I think that "Lord of the Flies" was banned or challenged possibly because a)there was some violence between the children and b)because of the evolving insanity. Also, there was some disturbing content at times but the book had a very good story line. The book was enjoyed and recommended to friends.

Your Comments

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

I think it was banned or challenged because of the way Huck and many other characters in the book refer to Jim. People may find the book very racist because of the way Jim was treated. The book was enjoyed and would be recommended to a friend.

Your Comments

East of Eden

I think the book was banned or challenged because Cathy worked in a whorehouse and at the time of publication that was extremely controversial. -dysfunctional family situations. The book was enjoyed.

Your Comments

Go Ask Alice

I don't think the book should have been banned because it is a good learning tool for kids to see what happens when you take drugs. This book may have been challenged though because of the graphic events that happen to the girl. The book was enjoyed and recommended to friends.

Your Comments

To Kill a Mockingbird

I think the book was challenged or banned because it had a lot of racial material and a lot of reference to WWII, and what people thought of Hitler. As well, there was violence and some mention of sexual abuse. The book was enjoyed and was recommended to friends.

Your Comments

I thought it would be interesting to include some of the comments you made about some of the books you read on the web site. No names will be included.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Why banned or challenged? Because the book was very odd and almost unimaginable. Maybe parents didn't want their children to read about such bizarre dreams. The book was enjoyed and recommended by the reader.

Fahrenheit 451 Reading Program Begins Feb. 2006

Thank you all for your participation in the Fahrenheit 451 Reading Program at the Pelham Public Library. We begin again in February of 2006. I will continue to post questions for anyone interested in commenting on banned and challenged books. Please be encouraged to read the posts since this web log went active and add your comments.

Should Materials Depicting Drug Use Be Banned?

Should materials that depict people exploring drug use be banned? Do you think reading about drug use can affect someone’s decision to use drugs? Should drug education materials be banned? Should drug use ever be depicted in a positive way in books?

Should Books That Promote Interest in Occult be Banned?

Should books that promote interest in the occult be banned? Should children be protected from this type of material? If so, how would you protect them?

Should Religion Be Explored in Literature?

Should religion be a topic that is explored in literature? Should literature critical of a particular religion be banned? What about books that are written to attract people to a certain religion?

Should books with racist remarks be banned?

Should books that use racist remarks be banned from public libraries? What about from school libraries? Should they be banned from the school curriculum? Does your local public library or school library have a materials’ selection policy? Have you read it?