"To label or not to label." This is the question I am pondering right now.
In preparation to create my first blog post for an assignment for class, I started searching for information on parental concerns about the books their children are reading. In trying to find "non-biased" information on the internet, I came across the tangential debate over whether YA (young adult) books should be labeled or not. I felt this debate was very interesting in relation to parental concerns over content.
In relation to this question "to label or not to label", I am not considering book labeling for classroom use or for a reading program - this question is about labeling books YA or not labeling books as YA.
Why DO we label books? Do we label books to help students find books that of interest to them? Do we label books to help arrange the library? Or do we label books to help steer young adult readers (readers of all ages actually) toward "appropriate content"? Is labeling meant to "police the books" in place of adults in a young person's life?
If the goal is to help young people find books (in a library, at a bookstore, or in the virtual world), then a label is helpful. It helps to know that a book is YA and that you are not purchasing War and Peace for a 6th grader's reading pleasure (not that there is anything wrong with that...). Being able to direct a reader to one section of the library for YA material is helpful as well.
If the goal is to monitor content or "police content", YA book labeling starts down a slippery slope. Who decides what content is considered appropriate? The publisher? The author? YA readers? Parents? The librarian? Who decides where a book crosses the line between YA and adult content? Furthermore, should parents be relying on the YA label to ensure that content is appropriate for their child? YA literature covers a lot of ground with a lot of different content under one label...
I am of two minds - I intrinsically like the concept of labeling. I've always liked things to be orderly and have boundaries (I would NEVER have looked in adult literature as a 12 year old because I was a YA reader). I like being able to have a section of content that is written/marketed/enjoyed by an age group. However, I am uneasy about other people telling me what they think is appropriate for my step-daughter and, in the future, my daughter. It is my choice as a parent to decide what is appropriate, not someone else labeling content as "too this or too that". "To label or not to label" is a topic that I am sure will not go away any time soon and a topic I am sure I will be revisiting as my daughter gets a little older.
Sara C. is a SMLS student at St. Catherine University 2012
