Ari is correct; it may be worth noting that the relevant portion of my original comment to the NYPL read as follows:
"Recent attention...has focused on the book’s exclusion of Jewish women from its biographical profiles. Although not my ideal approach, that exclusion seems to me within the realm of authorial and editorial choice. What is unquestionably unacceptable is another recently highlighted problem: the book's introductory map of the Middle East region (pp. 8-9), which erases the state of Israel entirely and replaces it with a descriptor of 'Palestine.'" That the NYPL's response didn't directly acknowledge the erasure may well be significant, but that wasn't something that I felt equipped to argue further in the correspondence. Best to all, Erika On Fri, Mar 4, 2022 at 4:24 PM AMK Judaica <amkjuda...@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hi, > > " I have asked the Library to provide me with a list of the "numerous > other countries...that are also unlabeled"; the Library has yet to respond > to that request." > > The technical issue here with the map isn't necessarily as safranim have > observed, i.e., that Israel is "unlabeled." Indeed, one finds that Kuwait > and Qatar are not labeled on the same map. Rather, the inaccuracy is that > the entire territory currently controlled by the sovereign State of Israel > is labeled...as Palestine. One can quibble over the best way to acknowledge in > a cartographical representation that Israel's permanent borders remain to > be determined. But simply labeling the entire area from the Jordan to the > Mediterranean as Palestine is the problem. > > Shabbat shalom, > Ari > > > **************** > *Ari Kinsberg* > M.A., Pharm.D. > Brooklyn, New York > 347-244-9747 (US cell) > Consultant for Rare Books and Manuscripts > Registered Pharmacist (NYS, Ohio) > Certified Immunizer (NYS) > ------------------------------ > *From:* Hasafran <hasafran-boun...@lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Erika > Dreifus via Hasafran <hasafran@lists.osu.edu> > *Sent:* Friday, March 4, 2022 9:44 AM > *To:* kpeter3...@aol.com <kpeter3...@aol.com> > *Cc:* hasafran@lists.osu.edu <hasafran@lists.osu.edu> > *Subject:* Re: [ha-Safran] Controversial book > > Shalom, chaverim: > > A quick follow-up: I, too, brought this book to the attention of my local > public library (in my case, the NYPL system). I emphasized that while I > might have preferred a different editorial approach to the entire book (one > that might have included Jewish women of the Middle East), subject > selection is well within the realm of editorial/authorial choice. The map, > however, is another matter. The library's response noted that the book > would be retained, explaining: "Upon our reexamination of the map on > pages 8-9, which you specifically mention as being of concern because > Israel is not labeled, we have determined that at no point in the book does > it purport this is a complete or accurate depiction of the region, either > current or historical, and that there are numerous other countries within > the artistically rendered geographic area that are also unlabeled. The > places that are labeled correspond directly to locations related to the > subjects the author has chosen to include in the book." I have asked the > Library to provide me with a list of the "numerous other countries...that > are also unlabeled"; the Library has yet to respond to that request. > > Judy's point about balancing the values of diversity and different > perspectives with avoiding bias/erasure (and, I would add, sheer inaccuracy > in educational nonfiction) is spot on. The NYPL's response also quoted its > Material Policy: "'Among this diverse population [the Library serves] > there is an extremely wide range of viewpoints, values, interests, and > occupations' and therefore we develop collections 'with a wide variety of > materials representing many points of view.'" > > Judy is also correct about the *SLJ* review. I have a chain of email > correspondence with an *SLJ *editor on that subject; the latest response > assured me that they "are looking into it." *Publishers Weekly* and > *Kirkus* have completed their investigations following my messages; both > have updated their references to the map in their online reviews and noted > that the reviews have been amended. > > Unfortunately, as Safranim who are also members of the "Mavens" kidlit > group will recall, this is not the only (or even the most troubling) book > of concern at the moment. I currently await a response from the NYPL > regarding another book, COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD: AN ATLAS WITH ATTITUDE > (Kingfisher Books), a reference book for children whose material on Israel > is egregious. The NYPL owns/circulates exponentially more copies of this > book than it does of AMAZING WOMEN. > > Shabbat shalom, > Erika > > > > On Fri, Mar 4, 2022 at 8:49 AM Judy Petersen via Hasafran < > hasafran@lists.osu.edu> wrote: > > Hi Marcia, > I asked my local public library to review the book. They agreed it > was biased, but would not pull it from their collection. Instead, they > said they would not feature it in any way (such as on a "book of the month" > display by the entrance) so as not to appear to endorse it. Instead, they > would just leave it on the shelf. > I also brought the book to the attention of my local school > district. Only a couple of schools have it in their libraries, and I just > wanted to make the district administration and Diversity Liaison aware that > it is a biased book. We had a discussion about while we may value diversity > and "differing perspectives" we have to be careful that those perspectives > don't also introduce bias (or in this case, erasure of Jews/Israel from the > Middle East). And also that we can't always go by reviews--the book got a > very positive review from the School Library Journal, which many schools > use to help make purchasing decisions. The SLJ even mentioned it as a > positive that the book included a "map of Palestine", and that the book was > recommended!! So they got the idea (I think/hope!) that multiple sources > need to be checked prior to introducing a book into a collection. > > Judy Petersen > Library Director > Congregation Har Shalom > Fort Collins, CO > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Marcia Goldstein via Hasafran <hasafran@lists.osu.edu> > To: hasaf...@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > Sent: Thu, Mar 3, 2022 1:34 pm > Subject: [ha-Safran] Controversial book > > In a previous post, there was mention of the map in the book "Amazing > Women of the Middle East" eliminating Israel (the area is labeled as > Palestine). Have any communities contacted their local libraries about this > book? If so, have any libraries removed it from their collection? > Incidentally, Amazon is selling the book, with half of the reviews giving > it one star for the inaccuracy portrayed by the map. > > Marcia Goldstein > Maurer Jewish Community Library > Indianapolis > 317-509-6783 > >
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