Library moves books from children’s room to up section

by Kelly Kandra Hughes

When the company that controls Dr. Seuss books and characters decided to pull six of the late author’s titles from its publication list, the Norfolk Library had a decision to make. What to do about four of the titles in its collection?

On March 2, Dr. Seuss Enterprises released a statement saying that in, “working with a panel of experts, including educators … [we] made the decision last year to cease publication and licensing of the following titles:” And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street“, “If I Ran the Zoo“ “McElligot’s Pool”, “On Beyond Zebra!”, “Scrambled Eggs Super!”, and “The Cat’s Quizzer”. These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

After several meetings of select library staff, which included Ann Havemeyer, Library Director, and Eileen Fitzgibbons, Children’s Services Coordinator, they made the decision to move the books in question from the Children’s Room to the library’s Up section. This section is typically reserved for books that don’t circulate very often or are too fragile to circulate, but that the library considers important to keep in their catalog. The books will also have a circulation note attached to their record which states, “This book has images and/or language that reflect insensitivity to racial differences.” According to Fitzgibbons, moving the books to the Up section where they can be accessed for in-house circulation puts them in a place where they will most likely be read with a parent to provide appropriate context. “Illustrations in picture books are incredibly informative to the world view of a child,” she says. “We hope to foster engagement and conversation between parent and child that will encourage understanding of racial and cultural insensitivities.”

This decision seems to echo the sentiments of other Norfolk residents and library patrons. Jordan Rose Lee, who has school-age children, agrees it makes sense to remove these items from the children’s room. “Racist images in young children’s literature seems an obvious thing we should be able to agree is harmful. I appreciate the library’s decision to take them off the children’s bookshelves.” Stefanie Meyers, who grew up in Norfolk and is now a kindergarten teacher in Granby, says  she has been reading and celebrating Dr. Seuss books for a long time, but those specific images, especially in  “If I Ran the Zoo” have always made her uncomfortable for how they depict certain groups of people. “We’ve always glorified Dr. Seuss above other children’s authors, but there are so many wonderful, high quality books out there and I think it’s okay to set aside books that won’t make all children feel loved and accepted when there are so, so many other great options.”

Julia Regis, another Norfolk parent of school-age children, agrees that the Dr. Seuss books have a tone that is not desirable. But she also believes that so does history, in general, and that the books should stay in the children’s room. “The books can be used as a learning tool to teach our children to be more accepting and empathetic souls. We need to educate our children, not shelter them from our past.”

At the Norfolk Library, children as young as eight are allowed to have their own library card with a parent’s permission. The Children’s Room at the library is known for its welcoming and playful environment, and many children select books unsupervised. Picture books are also read by children of all ages. Because of this freedom to access materials, educating children on insensitive material is an ideal goal, but may not necessarily be realistic in practice. Fitzgibbons makes the point that there are ways to address the shortcomings of classics with insensitive material, which can then lead to enlightened readers. “As a children’s librarian and grandparent, I like to think we don’t have to use historically racist stereotypes to create teachable moments. There are so many new authors and illustrators that embrace multiple people and the ways they live. We have to be open to that conversation.”

Norfolk resident Shelley Harms, who is familiar with the Dr. Seuss books in question and considers them “not his best books,” suggests that while the library is doing its best with a difficult issue, it may not matter what level of access the library provides. She points out: “There are thousands of copies of the books out there. If anyone wants them they can get a copy or find the text on the internet for free. It’s easy to find them and read them if you want to, regardless of what decisions a private company or library might make. This literature is not going away. The way we approach it – read it, teach it, discuss it – is up to us.”