Altamont Library Notes for Wednesday, March 10, 2021

— Photo by Al Ravenna, World Telegram photographer, Library of Congress

The March 2 birthday of Theodor Seuss “Ted” Geisel — best known as Dr. Seuss — was the inspiration for the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day celebration. On that day this year, the Dr. Seuss Estate decided to remove six of his 60-odd books from publication because, writes Joe Burke in his Altamont library column this week, it felt that the books in question portrayed some groups in a stereotypical, harmful, and sometimes downright racist light. Here, in 1957, Geisel draws the Grinch.

This past Tuesday was Read Across America Day, which is scheduled every year to coincide with the birthday of the Babe Ruth of children’s authors, Theodore Seuss Geisel, known the world over as Dr. Seuss. A lot of librarians these days have mixed feelings about Dr. Seuss for reasons that will become clear in a minute.

In observance of Dr. Seuss’s birthday, as has been widely reported, the Dr. Seuss Estate decided to remove six of his 60-odd books from publication because they felt that the books in question portrayed some groups in a stereotypical, harmful, and sometimes downright racist light.

Having gritted my teeth through multiple readings of some of those books with the offensive pictures that sparked the decision in story times and with my own children, I think they made exactly the right call and one that Seuss himself would, I think, agree with.

There’s an often-quoted but rarely sourced line that says “A truly great library has something to offend everyone,” which was apparently first spoken by an otherwise unheralded person named Jo Godwin.

Whoever they were, they were correct. Libraries should comfort us, but also challenge us. They should present us with a variety of ideas, some of which we agree with, and some of which we don’t.

Children’s picture books are a little different though. Children should have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in children’s books in ways that recognize their differences and dignity. Libraries should have collections that depict main characters of multiple races, ethnicities, and abilities — in short as real people and not caricatures.

In many ways, Dr. Seuss was a force for good in the world. For all of his foozwuzzits and boomblasters, Dr. Seuss saw deep injustices and real dangers in the world, and wrote about them with compassion and sensitivity in a way that children could comprehend.

The Lorax, The Sneetches, and The Butter Battle Book, among many others depict important issues in a way that remain relevant to this day.

He was a person of his time, and early in his career he shared some of the prejudices of his age and depicted Black and Asian characters in loathsome ways. But as he got older, he learned, and grew, and changed his approach.

That should be a lesson for all of us: It’s never too late to learn and grow, and it’s never a mistake to admit a mistake.

In accordance with the wishes of the Dr. Seuss Estate, the Altamont Free Library will be removing the six books from circulation, but we will continue to circulate all of his others. If the six books are republished in the future in a way that removes the offensive pictures or offers explanatory notes about them, we will strongly consider purchasing them.

In the meantime, feel free to take advantage of our wonderful collection of books featuring characters of all sorts in all of their diversity, complexity, and humanity.