Chicago Public Library system to pull six Dr. Seuss books from circulation due to racist imagery

The library will honor the holds place on the six Dr. Seuss books in question before pausing their circulation, Chicago Public Library spokesperson Patrick Molloy said.

SHARE Chicago Public Library system to pull six Dr. Seuss books from circulation due to racist imagery
AP21060773303558.0.jpg

“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” by Dr. Seuss will no longer be published because of insensitive and racist imagery.

AP

The Chicago Public Library system will temporarily remove several Dr. Seuss books with racist and insensitive imagery from its shelves as it assesses its long-term plan for the collection, a spokesperson said Saturday.

Last week, Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced it would stop publishing six of its children’s books, including “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” and “If I Ran the Zoo,” acknowledging in an interview with the Associated Press that “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.”

“And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” depicts an Asian person wearing a conical hat and holding chopsticks while eating from a bowl. And “If I Ran the Zoo” includes images of two barefoot African men wearing grass skirts with their hair tied on top of their heads. The other books are “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!” “Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer.”

In a statement, Chicago Public Library officials said they’re “deeply committed” to fostering a passion for reading with a diverse collection of books that “provide accurate and current information.” That’s why the system will withhold copies of the Dr. Seuss books from the public once they’re returned while library leaders decide what to do next.

All six of the Dr. Seuss books are checked out, with more people in line to borrow the books after that. The library will honor the holds placed on the books before pausing their circulation, Chicago Public Library spokesperson Patrick Molloy said in an email.

“It is important to recognize that what society understands to be relevant and/or common knowledge changes over time, and so too does the Library and the needs of the communities it serves,” Molloy said. “Library staff encourage patrons of all ages to engage critically with our materials, but materials that become dated or that foster inaccurate, culturally harmful stereotypes are removed to make space for more current, comprehensive materials.”

Molloy said the library constantly reviews its collections “to ensure that the materials we circulate are responsive to the communities we serve.

“Staff will continue to evaluate all Library resources and consider bias, prejudice, and racism when making decisions about our programming, services and recommendations, in addition to our collections,” Molloy said.

The Latest
The man was found unresponsive in an alley in the 10700 block of South Lowe Avenue, police said.
The man suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities are some of the ways to get more women into this growing job sector.
Chatterbox doesn’t seem aware that it’s courteous to ask questions, seek others’ opinions.