RESPONSE TO THE TEACHER'S VIEWS ON THE BOOK ENTITLED "LETTERS FROM INSIDE" 
WRITTEN BY JOHN MARSDEN

	As a school librarian, I have a genuine respect for members of the teaching staff who pay more attention to our collection. This means the teaching staff feel the responsibility to concern themselves with the collection development policy of a school library as a media resources. They may even - through an issue of censorship - suggest that a specific item shall or shall not be in the library for reasons of unsuitable content  among others.   
	One of them has complained about a book entitled "Letters from the inside" , written by John Marsden. A teacher asked that this book should be withdrawn from the library. He believes the book contains : foul language, vulgar and even violent allusions to sex, suggestion of drug use, an unnecessarily negative and cynical view of penal institutions, and the generally unpleasant and undesirable teenage culture. 
	In  replying to his basic complaint, let me first present a brief introduction to a collection development of the school library. Then I shall relate it to the book in question.

1. Educational Background and The Functions of School Library
	Not only teaching staff, but librarians believe that the object of education is to support an individual preparing for a worthy life in a democratic and dynamic society. The student shall be brought into a position of being able to think and reason for himself  to develop a sense of responsibility and appreciation of the integrity, values, and rights of others. It is the responsibility of the school to prepare the students to develop ideas, culture, and principles of democracy.
	The primary function of a school library is to supply, enrich and contribute to the educational program of the school. Other functions are concern    the development of literacy skills,   distinguishing in choice of materials, instruction in the use of media, and recreational purposes. The school library should also support the development of the social, intellectual, and moral values of the students. 

2. Selection of Materials : Whose Responsibility  ?
	Selection of materials for this school library is a continuous process. No individual alone can perform the task of choosing materials for any level  of reading ability, maturity, interest as well as the school curriculum needs. Thus, it is a cooperative effort with consideration for and input received from all those concerned with the school's objections and community - teaching staff, librarians, students and parents. The teaching staff are in a position to know the curriculum and individual abilities of their students. Librarians keep a record of the library materials  already in the library and have the responsibility of maintaining a balanced  collection. The students may suggest titles related to their individual needs, while parents may recommend materials for purchase. In another words, no library material comes as a librarian's initiative alone.

3. Discussion of the book "Letters From Inside", written by John Marsden
About the Book and the Author :	 
	The book was first published in Australia in 1991. It's one of several children's books written by John Marsden. The author is a productive writer. His first book 'So Much to Tell You' was named Australian Children's Book of the Year in 1988. My library keeps several other titles by the same author.
Abstract :
	The principal characters are two teenage girls, Mandy and Tracey. Mandy is a high school student, whose parents are   busy with their work,  who has an unharmonious relationship with her brother and sister. Tracey, on the other hand, is a woman imprisoned who craves for a 'real life'  -   a lot of friends, boy friends, etc. Tracey's mother is dead and she doesn't know where her father is. Mandy and Tracey write to each other; however, they never meet.  At the end of the story, Tracey gets seriously ill. She writes continuously to Mandy, but she receives   no answers from her pen friend.
a. The book contains foul language
There is no evidence to support this view. However, I find some slang which is commonly used by teenagers and I don't find this to be unnecessary or inappropriate. 
Get the gook ! Get the gook ! (p.33)
 He can fart 'Baa, Baa Black Sheep' (p.43)
b. There are vulgar and even violent allusions to sex - both heterosexual and homosexual
On this point, I will divide the discussion into parts,   each of them having a different value of sex. There is a quite a few  allusions to sex, for example :
..., there were condoms flashing around and people disappearing into the bushes in the backyard. (p.11)
... Paul calling me frigid ... (p.11)
Hey, speaking of porn, there's a movie tonight called Reform School Girls , at about midnight. (p.70)
Oh, I dunno, I guess sex rates high too. (p.71)
From the above examples, however, there is no evidence that the girls are   sexually active. I suppose that the writer wanted to emphasise the preoccupations  of teenager. As a result of their physical and psychological development, they talk  about sex; that is the opposite sex - boy or girl friends, etc.  I cannot find any evidence to support an  allusion to homosexuality. Concerning   heterosexual activity, it is acceptable that girls and boys in their teenage years are interested in each other. In this case, I quote Fischer on sexual  psychological development  :
"In the third phase, a few girl and boys start seeing each other without the whole crowd, as when three couples go to the movie or bowling. This group becomes a heterosexual 'mini-clique', though its members are still part of their original male or female group." (Fischer, p. 641).
c. The book appears to suggest that abuse of drugs is normal (and acceptable) behaviour for teenagers
Although I found two sentences using the words 'drugs', There is nothing to suggest approval for this behaviour.
Maybe you were off your face, or worse. Doing drugs. I don't know. This is foreign country to me. (p.65)
But the hacks (they're the guards), the ones we talk to, say they don't bother much, except to look for drugs. (p.66)
d. The book gives an unnecessarily negative and cynical view of penal institution
From these sentences I mention below, the book does in fact seem to give a    negative  view of penal institutions :
It's maximum security place, where they put you if you're bad, and if you're worse than bad they put you in a Block, ... (p.56)
This place is pretty strict. (p.62)
That was the biggest shock I've had in this place. (p.124)
Of course this place makes you selfish - you've gotta be, or you're dead. (p.127)
As a rehabilitation institution, I imagine that its regulations are strict.  This is, of course, the purpose of its existences and this role  sometimes makes its population bored, unhappy  and depressed. However, if we analyse the sentences below it is quite clear that this institution manages education as a normal institution : there are classes, sports interest, amusements, intellectual activities, and so on.
 ..., I'll tell you : it got an A+ and the teacher said she was going to enter it in a competition. (p.59)
And the two bums you get to play sport once a week ... (p.67)
We can watch TV for an hour in the afternoon, after school lessons; an hour after tea; and an hour during the day at weekends. (p.68)
It was quite comfortable there, better than where I'd been living. (p.102)
e The book depicts a generally unpleasant and undesirable teenage culture which the school should not be promoting for its students
I  can  see no  evidence to support  the teacher's  view. This  appears  to be a subjective valuation to the book. However, our selection policy document includes a statement of the principles of the intellectual freedom and the professional responsibility of the staff which must be defended.
	In selecting materials, we must consider that the students have the right to read. We acknowledge that they are becoming able to think critically as they read. It is the teacher's responsibility to help them to develop ideas. And, of course, we are in the position to provide materials which benefit to our community - both staff and students.
	In conclusion, I believe that  there is nothing in this book which is outside the norms, and would therefore adversely  affect our school students. I personally recommend   that this book should continue to be  available for high school students and should remain in this library. If we reflect on the education and on our school's goals, this book certainly has values - as our document says the basis of selecting fiction works to be considered - to its readers, particularly for students :
- giving a sense of  respect and tolerance of other people, in this case prisoners who should not be isolated
- helping students to improve the language skill, particularly reading and writing skill
- anticipating criminality of teenagers 
- literary appreciation
The question of whether to remove this book is handed back to the selection policy committee for discussion as this is the agreed upon procedure to follow in such matters. Nevertheless, I suggest  first that he  presents his criticisms in writing and on the form   provided. During the reconsideration, I shall keep this book in circulation.

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REFERENCES :

1. Curley, Arthur and Dorothy Broderick. Building library collections, 6th. ed.. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press, 1985.
2. Ebel, Robert L. "What are schools for ? in  Contemporary issue in educational psychology, 4th. ed.  Harvey F. Clarizio, Robert C. Craig and William A. Mehrens. Boston : Allyn and Bacon, 1981.
3. Fischer, Kurt W. and Arlyne Lazerson. Human development : from conception through adolescence. New York : W.H. Freeman, 1982.
4. Kemp, Betty. School library and media center acquisitions policies and procedures, 2nd. ed. Phoenix, AZ : Oryx Press, 1986.
5. Whittaker, Kenneth. Systematic evaluation : methods and sources for assessing books. London : Clive Bingley, 1982. (Outline of modern librarianship).