The Daily News reports that TinTin Au Congo has been removed from general ciruclation at the Brooklyn Public Library by the library's chief librarian.
I have been following this story with interest because both Hepcat and Teen Spirit are huge TinTin fans.
The book was locked away because it "had illustrations that were racially offensive and inappropriate for children," said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, director of the library.
"The book was recently reissued. It was so over the top racist, imperialist, and colonialist that nobody had much interest in publishing it," said Hugh Crawford, who has been reading the TinTin books since childhood. According to Crawford, "Author George Herge had terrible misgivings about it himself. An early associate of Herge said that The Blue Lotos was Herge's attempt to make amends for TinTin Au Congo being so bad."
"I think the book shouldn't be banned. It should be held up as an example of that sort of thing. All the editions I've seen have been published as a historical curiosity rather than part of the TinTin canon," Crawford said.
To see the book you have to make an appointment at the library.
Absolutely embarassing to allow a vendor to SELL their national services of this sort (during a Recession, which is their business plan and no fault of theirs) but to allow promotion on the backs, and the expense of the employees’ collective dignity. Thanks for that comment, and here’s the link to the text in the ‘Wash. Post’ article that make me wince: “…makes her first visit to the Brooklyn library for a consultation six weeks before the layoffs. She brings…her co-director, and they hide their shoulder bags as they walk through the front door so nobody sees the Five O’Clock Club logos printed on the fabric. They have become masters of the inconspicuous business meeting, sometimes visiting human resource directors after hours or renting temporary office space to convene in secret.”
The REAL news story about Brooklyn Public Library is that when Brooklyn Public Library laid off workers, they allowed the Washington Post to witness the employees’ emotions as the employees were getting the bad news. A Washington Post article appeared on August 9 called “The Art of Letting Employees Go” as a result. More information on this debacle is here in the Library Journal:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6677263.html