Encourage Reading from the Start

Pat R. Scales is a 1966 graduate of the University of Montevallo (AL), and received a MLS from George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University in 1972. She served as librarian at Greenville Middle School for 26 years and was the first Director of Library Services at the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities. She taught children's and young adult literature for 27 years at Furman University, and has taught special topics courses at the University of Texas, Louisiana State University, Drexel University, and University of South Carolina. She is a past President of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, and has served as chair of the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, and Wilder Award Committees. Scales has been actively involved with ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee for a number of years, and served two terms as chair. She is a member of the Freedom to Read Foundation, serves on the Council of Advisers of the National Coalition Against Censorship, and acts as a spokesperson for first amendment issues as they relate to children and young adults. Her books include Teaching Banned Books: Twelve Guides for Young Readers, Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your School Library, Books Under Fire: A Hit List of Banned and Challenged Children's Books, Defending Frequently Challenged Young Adult Books, and Scales on Censorship: Real Life Lessons from School Library Journal. She writes a bimonthly column, "Scales on Censorship," for School Library Journal, curriculum guides on children's and young adult books for a number of publishers, and is a regular contributor to Book Links magazine.