Creative Recreation for the Mentally Retarded
Amary
1975
I pulled this book from an academic library. The library in question had a large education program and this type of material would be appropriate from an academic perspective. Obviously, the use of “retarded” is inappropriate for a modern publication. Academic collections have different criteria since the use is primarily for scholarship and not for actual consumption. Different use requires different standards for weeding.
Special education students were largely ignored by most public schools until 1975 with the passage of Education for All Handicapped Children Act. The 1970s and 1980s saw huge changes in the laws and education of special needs children. In a public library setting in 2022, the title is disrespectful and smacks of “otherness.”
To researchers, this book may have value. To parents and educators dealing with special needs education issues, this book is all wrong. Weeding isn’t just re-purposing or recycling. It is about finding the right place for a title.
All seriousness aside, what is the deal with these illustrations?
Mary
