Abstract
This chapter describes the findings of several qualitative research studies conducted with school librarians in the Southeast United States about their views and use of graphic novels in their collections. Of particular focus is the ways in which school librarians enact censorship and self-censorship with this format and, most importantly, why librarians feel it necessary to initiate censorial actions. The implications of such actions are discussed, including librarians' loss of control in collection development decisions, denying students' rights to read and first amendment rights, the use of technology to identify controversial material, literacy shaming, and the potential reinstitution of the Comics Code Authority.
TopIntroduction
Moral panic was the overarching theme of Frederick Wertham’s book, The Seduction of the Innocent, written in 1954, which outlined the way in which comics threatened to create juvenile delinquents out of young readers. Wertham’s book famously served as the impetus for the United States Congress’ pressure on the comic book industry to develop and implement terms of self-regulation, which became the Comics Code Authority. The Comics Code served to help comics creators avoid those “dangerous” moral ideas described by Wertham as grounds for censorship (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, 2023). Nearly three-quarters of a century later, the United States finds itself again in a moral panic about comics and youth readers. During the decade of 2010-2019, 11 of the top 100 books challenged were graphic novels (Jensen, 2022). Of the top 13 most challenged books of 2022, as documented by the American Library Association (2023), graphic novels took first and fourth place (Gender Queer and Flamer, respectively). Writing for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, First Name Gomez explained why comics are often considered an “easy mark” for censors: “Because comics thrive on the power of the static image, a single page or panel can be the impetus for a challenge in a way that’s different from a passage in a book” (Gomez, 2018).
When we originally began researching different aspects of graphic novels (used here synonymously with “comics”) in school libraries, we weren’t focused on issues of censorship. We appreciated how graphic novels were able to both show and tell, how they appealed to several different kinds of readers, and the way in which they depicted certain cultural groups. Throughout our interviews, questionnaires, and conversations, it quickly became very apparent that school librarians and students had a lot to say about graphic novels in the context of intellectual freedom. We work and research in the southeastern portion of the United States, which narrows our pool of research participants, but also provides an important window into issues of school censorship since it is an area of the nation in which some of the highest rates of school book banning occur (Meehan & Friedman, 2023). In this chapter, we have synthesized findings from those research studies conducted over three years that focused on issues of intellectual freedom in the context of graphic novels in school libraries. We conducted this research by contacting school librarians via email and social media with questions and surveys, conducting follow-up interviews with willing participants, and interviewing groups of librarians at state library association conferences. We gathered information about respondents' collections and their acquisition processes and explored their perceptions of graphic novels and intellectual freedom.
Key Terms in this Chapter
In Loco Parentis: A legal term meaning “in place of parent,” which is often used in reference to agencies that are responsible for the care and well-being of children when they are away from their home.
Self-Censorship: The actions librarians take in order to avoid controversy amongst their communities regarding material that is or may be part of the library’s collection.
Censorship: The suppression of information and ideas that some deem to be dangerous or offensive.
Manga: The Japanese style of comics that appeals to several subcultures of adults and children.
Right to Read: The concept that everyone, adults and children, have the right to read material that engages them, even if a fellow member of the community disagrees with the subject nature of that material.
Graphic Novel: A format of material for nonfiction and fictional stories. Most often, they blend visual imagery and text to help the reader create meaning. Also considered long-form comics.
Comics Code Authority: A list developed by Fredrick Wertham in 1954 of ideas he felt were dangerous to depict in comic books. Publishers in the comics industry used this list to self-regulate the comics they created up until the early 2000’s.