Why were thousands of books purged from Racine, Wisconsin school libraries?
by blue cheddar •
Thousands of books were removed from the public school libraries of Racine, Wisconsin by non-library staff to the alarm of the local community and school staff. The staff who were told to remove the books and either box or shred them were grounds crew staff in at least one location.
I received this message from a Racine resident who wishes to remain anonymous:
“I think their long range goal is to get rid of most of the librarians. No books, no library, no need for librarians. Many of the books being tossed are classics in Bound to Stay Bound covers. They are perfectly good editions, but they aren’t flashy. I pulled out copies of Beowulf, Time-Life Civil War series volumes, local poets, art history books with beautiful color illustrations. These people are ill-educated, well-intentioned cultural vandals.”
“I think their long range goal is to get rid of most of the librarians. No books, no library, no need for librarians. Many of the books being tossed are classics in Bound to Stay Bound covers. They are perfectly good editions, but they aren’t flashy. I pulled out copies of Beowulf, Time-Life Civil War series volumes, local poets, art history books with beautiful color illustrations. These people are ill-educated, well-intentioned cultural vandals.”
The Racine Unified School District’s Chief of Communication & Community Engagement is attempting to smooth things over. Stacy Tapp says the Racine’s school libraries are simply getting their annual sprucing up which typically includes the tossing of some tattered and dated books.
“In interviews, Stacy Tapp, Unified’s chief of communication and community engagement, refuted claims that classics older than 2000 were being thrown away and denied that librarians were not given a say in the process.” source: Journal Times
The librarians and teachers of Racine say that the bare library shelves (see photographs HERE) and the boxing of thousands of books for donation to charity is a purge. They say it is very alarming and not at all resembling their typical yearly cull of worn out books.
Because in a former life I helped a children’s librarian cull books in a public library that serves populations of children (toddler to teen) I know that the amount of vacant shelf space seen in the photos at Racine County Eye is in fact shocking and unusual. I know that it is not customary for an administrator to direct non-library staff to sweep all books of a certain copyright date off and then dispose of them. It is not customary to remove Why were thousands of books purged from Racine, Wisconsin school libraries? : blue cheddar: