The Chicago Public Library system announced it will pull several Dr. Seuss books that contain “racist” or “insensitive imagery” from circulation while it assesses its long-term plans for the books.
“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,” Chicago Library spokesman Patrick Molloy said in a statement. “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.”
The children’s author has been under increased scrutiny in recent weeks after the late author’s publisher announced the decision to end circulation of six books, claiming the books contained racist stereotypes.
But Molloy said the city’s library system has always reviewed its collection to “ensure that the materials we circulate are responsive to the communities we serve.”
DR. SEUSS IS THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION’S LATEST VICTIM
“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 books removed from circulation include, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo, which were pulled by Dr. Seuss Enterprises last week because “these books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” Other books removed include McElligot’s Pool, On Beyond Zebra!, Scrambled Eggs Super!, and The Cat’s Quizzer.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
All six of the books are currently checked out of the Chicago Library, while others are in line to grab the books after they are returned. The library said they will honor the holds on the books that have already been placed, then take them out of circulation once they are returned.
The news comes as other libraries have resisted joining the wave of pulling Dr. Seuss books from shelves, including the New York Public Library, which said it has a duty of “ensuring accurate and diverse” collections.
