Four Questions to Ask Yourself

One's commitment to intellectual freedom is manifested not just in the creation of a strong and clear selection policy or the celebration of Banned Books Week but by his or her willingness to examine his or her practices openly with others. In this article, the author proposes four questions to explore in one's teaching and in professional discourse: (1) Why should I make my selection process transparent? (2) What can I do to protect both students and the First Amendment? (3) How can I help students understand global censorship without imposing American values? (4) Why must I confront my deeply held beliefs? (Contains 1 footnote.)