School librarian stands against organized challenge, receives AASL Intellectual Freedom Award
Printer-friendly versionFor Immediate Release
Tue, 04/19/2011 - 14:24
Contact: Jennifer Habley
AASL
CHICAGO – Dee Venuto, school librarian at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, is the 2011 recipient of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Intellectual Freedom Award. Nominated by Hilda Weisburg, Venuto researched the motivations behind the challenges of three books on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues and upheld the principles of intellectual freedom in a presentation made before the district’s reconsideration committee.
The three titles challenged were included in a reading list compiled by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Venuto found “reason to believe this wasn’t just a parent who was upset but was much more organized.” Research proved Venuto right. Venuto discovered the book challenge to be part of a well-organized strategy, part of TV personality Glen Beck’s 9/12 Project, to discredit Kevin Jennings, GLSEN founder and director of the Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.
Posts on 9/12 Project message boards led Venuto to “see that they were systematically planning to target school libraries in the county, and if this is happening in New Jersey, there is probably a good chance it could happen in other places.” She notes that “our profession requires us to provide information that reflects all the varied needs and interests of our patrons, and I will continue to do so.” Working with the American Library Association’s (ALA) Office of Intellectual Freedom, she documented her findings and presented it to the district’s reconsideration committee.
“The Intellectual Freedom Awards Committee applauds all school librarians who, on a daily basis, seek to uphold the principles of Intellectual Freedom. This year’s award winner was chosen for her determined efforts in facing a challenge,” said Bonnie Grimble, committee chair. “Dee is an excellent model in demonstrating the teaching opportunities educators should grasp when faced with challenging hurdles. From the questions and doubts raised in the challenge, our winner created lessons that brought forth understanding and growth.”
While the reconsideration committee eventually ruled to return only two of the titles to the school library’s shelves, Venuto’s efforts to uphold intellectual freedom moved beyond the walls of her school library. A New Jersey resident was inspired to host a series of readings from one of the banned books, and the New Jersey Education Association published an article about teen literature, censorship and banned books. The National Coalition Against Censorship also recognized Venuto for her work.
Venuto and other AASL award recipients will be honored at AASL's Awards Luncheon during ALA's 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans. The luncheon will be held Monday, June 27 and Lauren Myracle, best-selling young adult author and national spokesperson for intellectual freedom, will headline. Ticket information can be found on the AASL website at http://www.ala.org/aasl/annual.
Established in 1982, the AASL Intellectual Freedom Award is given for upholding the principles of intellectual freedom as set forth by AASL and ALA. The recipient is awarded $2,000 and $1,000 is awarded to the school library program of the recipient's choice. The award is sponsored by ProQuest.
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.
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Comments
A well deserved award!
Dee Venuto is not only an amazing co-worker, but an amazing person. She puts 110% into everything she does at our school, and stands up for what she believes in. I believe she is more than qualified for this award- what an honor! She TRULY deserves this!
JK
A job well done!
Congratulations Dee! As a fellow faculty member of Rancocas Valley High School I feel honored to work with people like Dee Venuto. Dee is not only there for her students but also the faculty and staff. Dee constantly strives to help us in our profession and is always looking for new ways to include all of us in the media center. Congratulations Dee and thanks for all that you do for us!
Alicia Rennie
Dee Venuto
I too am a former alumus of RVRHS (long before Dee Venuto worked there) and I am a professional public librarian currently working in southern NJ, not far from Mount Holly. While I praise Dee Venuto’s actions and applaud her recognition with this award, I am appalled by the actions of the Rancocas Valley School Board in bowing to the wishes of this organized, outside, terroristic (yes, I consider them to be a form of terrorist) group in pulling the books. Although two out of the three titles were re-instated, the fact that the third title was not restored does not clear them in my mind. I intend to further educate other alumni of RVRHS at our upcoming reunion about this incident and hopefully they too will join me in expressing our dismay at the cowardly actions of our former school which, until this action, we held in high regard. Rancocas Valley Regional High School failed in this matter but we can be proud that they have Dee Venuto on their staff (hopefully they won’t retaliate against her).
Lynn Harpool
RVRHS alumnus and NJ Librarian
Hail the Almighty Librarians
Lynn, please take a dozen copies of “Revolutionary Voices” along to next the librarian alumni get together and take turns reading passages and discussing the etchings. It may be a very helpful learning exercise for the group. Terrorists you say made this book be removed? And, this name is used because of a request that a book be reviewed by a BOE as possibly being inappropriate for young minds. It is an interesting term for such a sophisticated intellectual to use about this type of incident. Seems to me, and of course I could be wrong, that this strong “name calling” reaction is not about the book itself being removed but about the audacity of anyone outside the hallowed halls of the librarian community ever questioning that a book could be “inappropriate for young minds”. Terrorists you say did this terrible act of destruction?
I have to agree....
…with you on this. I was present at a function which highlighted this case and I must say I was very disappointed as most of the presentation focused on ‘who’ was behind it rather than ‘why’ or even ‘how’ to defend such a challenge. I was disturbed at the vehemence directed at those who opposed the material. They were deemed evil, unworthy of public office and a host of other negative connotations all because they were concerned and voiced their concern via the accepted venue to do so. If you believe in Intellectual Freedom then you must be willing to hear and discuss opposing views without attacking the person who has a different view from yours, and I must say this is NOT how her presentation sounded. In fact, I felt that if I my view of the material differed from what the librarian thought, then I wasn’t allowed all the rights that Intellectual Freedom entails, but if I went along and agreed to the ‘status quo’ view then I was entitled to those Intellectual Freedom rights. That is not Intellectual Freedom…..that is propaganda and group think …..And quite frankly beneath the hallowed profession of Librarian. As librarians we must uphold a person’s right to any and all information, but in the same breath we must be respectful of another’s opposing view…..to me that is true Intellectual Freedom.
Congrats on this well deserved recognition!
Congrats to Dee on receiving the AASL Intellectual Freedom Award! Dee is intelligent, thoughtful, courageous, determined… Through it all she conducted herself with the highest level of class and professionalism.
Dee is a huge inspiration to me personally because she is a model of how we as librarians – when we are at our best—can and should stand up to fight for intellectual freedom, open and honest debate, and transparent decision-making and accountability. I am so proud to know her. Congrats again Dee, and thank you for all that you have done—I know it wasn’t easy.
-Pete
Dee Venuto's Award Should Be Rescinded
The AASL award to Dee Venuto should be rescinded. Here’s why:
Quote: “‘This year’s award winner was chosen for her determined efforts in facing a challenge,’ said Bonnie Grimble, committee chair. ‘Dee is an excellent model in demonstrating the teaching opportunities educators should grasp when faced with challenging hurdles.’”
The first sentence is correct. The second sentence is false. She is not only not an excellent role model, she is a model of what *not* to do. She refuses to the job for which she was hired, namely, selecting proper material for school children. She has her children read the material then report to her. One read a book on the details of a ménage a trois.
How do I know this? The women is so proud of her work that she actually admitted letting the children make the decisions in a New Jersey Education Association publication! Then, instead of informing her school of her concerns, she first ran to the ALA. That’s what the award is for—running to the ALA, specifically, “demonstrating the teaching opportunities educators should grasp when faced with challenging hurdles”—which means running to the ALA. The AASL Intellectual Freedom Award is for running to the ALA.
Given Dee is *not* an excellent model as described above, the award should be rescinded. On the other hand, she is an excellent example of someone who runs to the ALA.
Now here are some details (Google this since a spam filter is blocking my addition of a link since it contains the word ‘s3xual—-how ironic!):
“School Media Specialist Passes Sexual Content Review to Students; Dee Venuto Says It Is Discrimination to Keep Children From Material Including Lengthy, Vivid Descriptions of a Ménage a Trois.”
Submitted by Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries
Proud alumni
As a former student at rvrhs I would like to say that she is an amazing librarian and role model to all. I got to know her very well in my four years there and took the time to get to know every student that walked into her door.
KC
class of 2009
Dee Venuto is an EXCELLENT ROLE MODEL!
As a colleague of Dee’s, I differ with Mr. Kleinman’s comments. Dee is always there for her students, and as a librarian, that is most of the school. All of our students go through the media center at some point, whether by choice or taken there by a teacher during a class. Dee takes her time with all of them as equally as possible. Her fight for the three books showed her caring for the students to have equal access to materials to assist them in making decisions or learning about different topics. Our media center is a safe haven for all RVRHS students.
Christine Kerollis
Very proud colleague
Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Dee Venuto is an excellent role model
As a graduate of Rancocas Valley Regional High School, where Dee Venuto works, I’d like to express my outrage at the comment from Mr. Kleinman of SafeLibraries.
Ms. Venuto IS an excellent role model. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find any student at the high school who would disagree. As a librarian, Ms. Venuto does her job and more, constantly fielding questions by students, providing guidance, picking up any slack at the library, finding books for confused students, etc. During my high school years and after, as I visited Ms. Venuto at the library, I have never seen her sitting about idly. Rather, she does everything possible to ensure that the library at Rancocas Valley is accessible, comfortable, and easy-to-navigate for all students.
Mr. Kleinman, Ms. Venuto’s struggle to have 3 books remain on the shelves at Rancocas Valley does not indicate any shortcoming on Ms. Venuto’s part as a librarian or otherwise—it merely illustrates her dedication to ensuring that her students have free access to information.
-TM