Banned Books Month Guest Post from Erin Butler: A Librarian’s Point of View
As an author and a librarian, I have to deal with banned books in two different capacities. For the purpose of this post, we’ll call my daytime hat, the librarian side, and we’ll call my nighttime hat, the author side.
VIZ Media, July 2003.
When I hear a book has been banned, or “challenged”, my nighttime hat says “Oh, HELL no.” When my daytime hat hears the same thing, I say “Oh, HELL no,” BUT I also have to think about it with a level head. I know, I know, downsides of the daytime hat. I’d love to be able to ignore these trivial matters but funny thing about doing so in the job that pays the bills—I’d get fired.
My library recently had a patron who “challenged” one of our titles in the teen section. “Challenged” means they took the time to fill out a form explaining all the reasons why they felt the book should be removed from the shelves. (I’d love to be able to share that with you because I’m sure all you book-minded people would laugh right alongside with me, but unfortunately, I can’t.) The title in question was a very popular Manga series, NARUTO. You can find out more information about NARUTO here.
In my library, when books are challenged, the completed Materials Reconsideration form goes to an administrator and then the administrator chooses librarians to be on a Reconsideration Committee. Nice name, huh? Because the title was shelved in the teen section, and I know a thing or two about teen books, I was asked to serve on the committee.
When I got the email about the challenged book, that’s about the time I said, “Oh, HELL no.” Then, I read the form the patron filled out and laughed hysterically. But, I can’t just write my administrator back with something like, Hahahahaha. This is a joke, right? (If you’d read the materials reconsideration form, you’d understand.) Suffice it to say that the patron questioning the title was adamant that NARUTO be taken off the shelves. Why? Well, because of boobies of course. Two of them. On two different pages. GASP! And I’m not talking real-life images, this is Manga after all. The black and white cartoon drawings were of a bare-chested woman. One curved line and one dot threw this woman into a bout of anger strong enough to force her to take the time to fill out our form and await the decision of the Reconsideration Committee.
I will share with you the write-up the Materials Reconsideration Committee completed in response to the patron’s request, in which we, of course, suggest NARUTO stay exactly where it is on the Teen Manga shelf.
Naruto: The Tests of the Ninja is the first volume in an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. First published in Japan in 1999, Naruto was a well established series before libraries in the United States began purchasing the titles. The series is available at many of the city and suburban library branches that make up the Onondaga County Public Library system and is one of the top circulating manga series on the shelves. It is also one of the best selling mangas of all time, having sold more than 113 million copies in Japan and more than 4.8 million in the United States.
The opinion of this committee, regarding the Material Reconsideration of Naruto Volume 1: The Tests of the Ninja, is that the title remain as shelved in the Teen/Young Adult area among the other Graphic Novel and Manga titles. The reasons are as follows:
There is a significant demand for this series from teens resulting in high circulation statistics and holds.
Mangas often reflect the fact that Japanese audiences are less adverse to representations of nudity and violence in their culture. It is not, however, far from current mainstream television and print.
The specific drawings of nudity and violence are of a cartoon nature and are neither detailed nor life-like enough to truly be considered damaging to teen minds.
The publisher, Viz Media, a highly respectable publisher in Manga and Anime, has rated this book T for Teen. The company’s rating system is as follows: A for All Ages, T for Teens, T+ for Older Teens, and Mature for Adults Only.
The series has been included in professional lists as a must-read for mangas, including the Manga Core List put out by the Youth Services Department of the Utah State Library (Manga-Core-List.doc) and the 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teen list from the American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association (2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA))
Libraries traditionally expect the parents of children and teens to monitor their reading material, and exclude them from reading and viewing material which they deem inappropriate.
Fortunately, administration listened to our suggestion and NARUTO is still exactly where it should be.
Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case with challenged books throughout the country. I don’t have a problem with people choosing not to read a book because of their personal beliefs, but I do have a problem with people taking away others rights to decide. This “babysitting” mentality the world has today about saving others from potentially dangerous material might—no, is—harming us. Who am I to say what reading material is appropriate for everyone? In fact, I’m a big fat nobody. I’m not fighting for material to be read by all, I’m fighting for people to have the choice. One of the great things I believed we had in this country was choice—that we can decide for ourselves whether or not we want to read something. By taking a book out of a public—or even school library—you’re taking away that person’s right. Their library might be the only source they have to get that information. Maybe they can’t afford an e-reader. Maybe they can’t afford to take the bus to the next library system. Maybe they can’t afford to purchase the title from the local Barnes & Noble.
Swoon Romance, September 2015.
Specifically for NARUTO, the series is so popular among teens and especially with reluctant readers. If I were to make a leap, knowing what I know about teens and the power reading can have on their education, I might say that by taking NARUTO out of the library, we would be affecting teens’ rights and their mind. It’s no surprise to any of us that reading is fundamental to education, and in fact, plays a very important role in their learning.
Indulge me if you will in this little scenario. Billy, a thirteen-year old boy struggling to keep up in school, has been told by a friend to read NARUTO. After hearing that NARUTO has a bunch of comic book-like pictures, Billy is actually interested in reading it. He walks up to the librarian’s desk and in a timid voice, asks, “Do you have NARUTO here?” Peering over the large desk, the nice, friendly librarian says, “No, honey, we don’t.” Billy shrugs and walks away.
We missed an opportunity there—a big opportunity—because some self-righteous, crusty patron who thinks they know what teens need and don’t need in life took our power away. Because some worried, smug patron thought those two small pictures of cartoon breasts would affect Billy more than not reading.
Erin Butler.
Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she loves to read. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially fangirls over a sigh-worthy romance.
She lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. Preferring to spend her time indoors reading or writing, she’ll only willingly go outside for chocolate and sunshine–in that order.
Erin is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal novel, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary NA novel, and the YA contemporary romance titles, FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION and FALLING FOR SHAKESPEARE. Find out more about her at www.erinbutlerbooks.com or @ErinButler on Twitter!
