An undergraduate class called "U.S. History Since 1940" was the first time I was presented with the idea that history is not written in black and white, that there could be debate over historical events.  I suppose that tells you something about the slant of my high school education.  One large part of classroom discussion was whether or not we thought the atomic bomb should have been dropped on Japan and how the event and the plane itself would be remembered.  We read about the same Smithsonian exhibition that is examined in Yokel's article, "Museums, Management, Media, and Memory: Lessons from the Enola Gay Exhibition"  This turning point had a great impact on my understanding of the complexities of our nation's past. 

The article outlines concerns with how the Enola Gay would be presented, but also whether it should have been part of a Smithsonian exhibition at all.  The plane was shown at the museum within the context of other artifacts.  Like an artifact in an archive, the plane's significance could not be fully understood, and the artifacts chosen necessarily promoted a specific interpretation.  By situating the plane within its context, the museum chose to make the exhibit a teaching opportunity rather than attempt neutrality.  As I read this article, I kept wondering how these ideas could be applied to libraries.  Most of the suggestions were how to put out the fires of controversy--for example. don't hide from it, address it directly.  This seems to be applicable to book challenges in school libraries as well.  The article did not talk much about whether libraries should remain "neutral" or take a position on controversial topics, but it occurs to me that libraries may encounter controversy simply by attempting to include materials in the collection that represent all viewpoints.