Reflections on a Banned Book: Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, serves as a social commentary and explores what could happen when society breaks down.  The book follows a group of school boys who end up on a deserted island as the result of a plane crash.  The boys vary in age from as young as 6 to about 13 years old.  At first, the older boys do their best to establish a society and to work together to meet the needs of the group and ultimately be rescued.  Over time, however, the structure breaks down and priorities shift.  The boys continue on a downward spiral of degradation that appears will only end in their destruction.

The book was challenged for a number of reasons, according to the American Library Association (link below).  In 1981, Lord of the Flies was challenged at Sully Buttes, SD High School and Owen, NC High School because it was considered to be "demoralizing inasmuch as it implies that man is little more than an animal." It was also challenged in 1984 at the Olney, TX Independent School District for "excessive violence and bad language and in Waterloo, IA schools in 1992 for profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women and the disabled.  I agree that all of these elements are in the book, it is certainly not the lightest of reads, but Golding is exploring a dark subject.  As with many books that deal with difficult subjects, it is at times course and brash, but I feel it would not be the same book or carry the same weight without some objectionable content. 

If I were choosing an audience for Lord of the Flies, I would probably assign it to eighth grade and up.  I feel young adults that age would be able to handle the material presented in a mature way and the book could certainly prompt a lot of meaningful, worthwhile discussion about human nature, leadership, and mob mentality.  Since it appears that the book was generally challenged at the high school level, this is the average age of the students who were reading it.  I disagree with the assertions that this book should not be read by students.  The racist remarks are coming from a time period when similar remarks were, unfortunately, not uncommon, and their presence in the book provides historical commentary which teachers can use to guide a discussion about why these words should not be used.  Similarly, the remarks about women and people with disabilities are unacceptable, but are also representative of a different period in time.  In the book, humans are portrayed as little more than animals, which could be offensive but can also spark discussion about human nature and the good vs. evil archetype.  The violence present in the book may be difficult for some younger readers to handle, but demonstrates the danger of a mob mentality and going along with the crowd.  These are also important subjects to discuss with young adults who are navigating more new found independence.

While I do not want to give away the ending for the book, I will share that I was pleased with how it ended and I feel that the ending helped to redeem some of the darker elements of the book.

http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons

Goals for my Career

When informing people of my goal to become a children's librarian, I have had a variety of responses; everything from "that's so cool!" to something along the lines of "how long do you think libraries will be around?".  While I agree that libraries are certainly having to change and adapt to the digital age, I believe that they will be around as long as they remain relevant.  It is this theory that lead me to library science, and encourages me to continue exploring ways in which the library can remain relevant to the communities of the present and the future.

As I mentioned, I would like to become a children's librarian.  I envision myself working in a public library, or perhaps in a school library once I obtain my media specialist certificate.  I have a background in Special Education and Elementary Education and hold a teaching certificate in Pennsylvania (I should have one in Michigan shortly, once I pass my licensing exams).  I enjoy working with children, and cannot wait to make reading and literature come alive for them; similarly to how the librarians in my local library helped to nurture my love of reading as I grew up.  I believe the children's section of the 21st century library will, and should, look very different than that of a library in the 1990's, but there are timeless elements that I believe will always remain important (for example, story time).

Through the MLIS program, I look forward to being exposed to best practices related to librarianship, as well as a variety of literature; especially that geared towards children.  I plan to learn about different aspects of technology and to consider what other services the community library can offer.  Additionally, I hope to learn all I can about what keeps a library running on a daily basis.

I expect that some of this knowledge will come from my classes and fellow classmates at the school, some from my own research and experience, and some from experiences I seek outside of class such as internships.  I know that in order to become the best librarian I can, I will need to be actively pursuing the knowledge and resources that will help me to best benefit those seeking services.

An Introduction

Hello all and welcome to my blog.  My name is Megan Domanski and I started this blog as a graduate requirement for my MLIS degree at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.  I plan to share thoughts and information related to my journey as a future information professional; starting with an introduction.

I have enjoyed going to the library for as long as I can remember.  As I grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania, the northwest branch of the Reading Public Library served as a personal haven for me. Reading books allowed me to escape to places I may never visit on my own, and the librarians were always enthusiastic about sharing books they thought I would enjoy.  I credit this early experience with the library as my inspiration to become a children's librarian myself.  My journey to this point was not, however, a straight line (of course, few journeys are).

After graduating from high school, I attended Reading Area Community College and then Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania; obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education with a minor in English.  I thought of going to graduate school immediately after my undergraduate work, but instead decided to serve as an AmeriCorps volunteer with City Year Detroit.  My experience with City Year allowed me to tutor students in Detroit Public Schools and Harper Woods Public Schools.  One of the service projects my team carried out my first year (led by one of my teammates), was to turn a storage closet into a library for the students in our school.  There was a library in the school building, but it was not easily accessible for our students.  It was invigorating to see the students become as excited about the library as I was (and am).

Upon completion of my City Year(s), I returned to Pennsylvania and worked for a small school district in a rural area.  During this time, I had the opportunity to work as a substitute library aide, a position which I feel further convinced me of my desire to work in a library setting (whether that be a public library or a school library).  In August of this year, I returned to the Detroit area to pursue my dream.  There are several aspects of the LIS professions which interest me as I begin my studies:

Dynamic:
I tend to grow weary of monotony, and the LIS professions are anything but.  I look forward to working in an ever-changing environment with a new set of challenges each day.

Diverse: 
Many of the LIS professions involve dealing with a very diverse group of people.  Especially as I anticipate working in a public library setting, I foresee myself working with people who are very different in terms of ethnicity, age, social economic status, religion, education level, and many other demographics.  I am looking forward to all that I have to learn from serving my patrons.

Technology Driven:
It would be difficult to miss the fact that technology is changing rapidly in our world, and I view this profession as being a powerful force for educating people about new technologies.  In my opinion, it is extremely important for public libraries to remain relevant in their communities by using current technology in meaningful ways.  Not only is the use of technology important for our present lives and our future; it provides us with new resources for linking to the past.

Community Driven:
Libraries are put into place to serve the people and needs of their community, and they generally reflect the culture of the community where they are located.  I have rarely, if ever, walked into a library which felt out of sync with its surroundings.  Professionals in the information field have to be constantly aware of the ever-changing needs of their patrons, and address those needs in a variety of oft-unique ways. This takes me back to the challenge and enjoyment of working in a dynamic environment, and the feeling of satisfaction that results when one serves as a catalyst towards helping someone solve their problem.

I realize that these assumptions are centered around the public library, and confess that this is where most of my personal experience lies.  One of the aspects of my program that I am looking forward to is the exposure to multiple branches of the LIS professions.  While I am fairly certain of the direction in which I expect my MLIS degree to take me, I know that there is always room for change and I would not be surprised if I find myself working in a variety of environments throughout my career.  I look forward to the journey.