Libraries in Centre County will keep Dr. Seuss books on the shelves. Here’s why
Six Dr. Seuss books will no longer be published, but Centre County readers will still be able to access them at the library.
However, they might have to wait before it’s their turn to read.
“Currently, most of the copies of these six books are checked out, and we have a waitlist on many of them,” Centre County Library and Historical Museum Executive Director Denise Sticha said.
In a statement released Tuesday, Dr. Seuss Enterprises said that it had decided to end the publication and licensing of six books by Theodor Seuss Geisel. The titles include “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” “If I Ran the Zoo,” “McElligot’s Pool,” “On Beyond Zebra!,” Scrambled Eggs Super!” and “The Cat’s Quizzer” due to their use of offensive imagery.
“These books portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” Dr. Seuss Enterprises said in the statement. “Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises’s catalog represents and supports all communities and families.”
The announcement came on the author’s birthday, which also marks the kick-off for Read Across America — the National Education Association’s yearlong celebration of reading. Over the years, Read Across America programming has shifted away from the author and toward themes of inclusivity and representation in children’s literature.
“Dr. Seuss has been controversial for quite some time,” Sticha said. “And I think the timing of the publisher announcing the decision to stop publication of those six titles was specifically related to the popularity of Read Across America in celebration of Seuss’s birthday.”
“Generations of children learned to love to read by reading and listening to the full catalog of Seuss’ writing,” she added. “The decision made by the publisher and the Seuss Enterprise was their decision to make. And while we understand, appreciate and acknowledge the reason for their decision, our mission as a public library is very different, and we have a responsibility to preserve the history of our literature and to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom.”
The Centre County Library and Historical Museum — with locations in Bellefonte, Centre Hall and Philipsburg — is not planning any action in response to the publisher’s decision at this time, Sticha said.
“If, upon evaluation, it appears that these six books are getting worn-looking, we may decide to move them into our reference section for preservation and future research needs,” she said.
The titles are also still available for checkout at the Schlow Centre Region Library, Amy Caputo, communications manager, said.
“Our staff are reviewing information about the books to determine their place in the collections,” she added.
