Queens College GSLIS Research in Praxis Discussion Series

When: Tuesday November 25th, 6:40pm, on Zoom

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/ripdsfall25 

Title: Censorship or Selection? A historical overview of library policies around selection, "best books" lists and library responses to the anti-comics campaigns of the 1940s/50s

Description: Wright will discuss historical attitudes towards reading and how these perceptions shaped pedagogical and professional norms for decades to come. Notably in 1954 the US held Senate hearings on comic books and juvenile delinquency and, though there was no consensus in librarianship, overwhelmingly librarians did not support the legal right of children to read freely. Rather most libraries argued for the promotion of the 'best' children's books - not what they perceived to be the worst. These reading debates occurred at a time in which libraries - especially children's librarians - were fighting for budgets and professional recognition of their expertise. Wright will discuss how these historical attitudes of comic books as 'less than' - though understandable given the historical context - acted to crystalize ideas of 'good reading' and normalize selection policies that might be otherwise perceived as censorship. Lastly, Wright will conclude with an analysis of how these historical attitudes may have contributed to the current 'moral panic' over children's reading with comic books and graphic novels again topping the bans and challenges lists.

Bio: Amie Wright (she/her) is a Ph.D. candidate in Public History at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) and a NYPL 2025-2026 Short Term Research Fellow. Wright is the former manager of school outreach / MyLibraryNYC at the New York Public Library and the former inaugural President of the ALA Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT). In 2022, Wright served as the inaugural chair of the GNCRT Addressing Comic Book Bans and Challenges committee. Wright is a Contract Instructor in the History Department at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada) and in the Graduate Schol of Information Science at McGill University (Montreal, QC).