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Letter from Ashley Hope Perez to Leander ISD (Twitter Thread) 

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Letter from Ashley Hope Perez to Leander ISD (Twitter Thread) 

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.
— Ashley Hope Pérez (@ashleyhopeperez) November 19, 2021

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.

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In celebration of #freadom and the powerful works libraries do in our community, I'd like to share a letter I wrote to the school board of one of the districts where OUT OF DARKNESS has been banned, @LeanderISD.

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Curated List of Ongoing Censorship Cases - by Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson

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Curated List of Ongoing Censorship Cases - by Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson

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From Kate Messner: Books for All Kids (Not Just Yours): An Open Letter for Educators & Librarians to Share with Families

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From Kate Messner: Books for All Kids (Not Just Yours): An Open Letter for Educators & Librarians to Share with Families

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Lately, school and classroom libraries have seen a marked increase in book challenges. These are attempts by parents - sometimes by other adults who have nothing to do with the schools - to remove books they don't like from circulation so they're no longer available to readers. ALL readers. Not just their own.

As educators, librarians, and people who care about both books and kids, it is essential that we speak up about this and push back. Our libraries and classroom libraries have a responsibility to serve all of the young readers in our care. Not just kids from one cultural background or religion. Not just kids whose lives have looked the way we want kids' lives to look. Not just the kids whose parents show up at school board meetings.

All of them.

When we remove books - or fail to order them in the first place, for fear of someone objecting - we're doing a huge disservice to the readers in our care. We're making sure that the young reader who's never seen someone who looks like them on the cover of a novel never will. We're making sure the reader who lives with an addict or misses a parent who's incarcerated continues to feel invisible and alone. We're removing the lifeline that books can provide for kids who are struggling. We're turning off the light and leaving our readers alone in the dark.

Before I was an author, I was a National Board Certified middle school ELA teacher. I kept a huge variety of MG and YA titles in my 7th grade classroom library, gave regular book talks, and made it my personal mission to find just the right book for every one of my kids, wherever they were in their reading lives. I'd talk with parents and caregivers about this - and about the diversity of my classroom library.

Instead of responding to book challenges with anxiety and fear, it can be helpful to open a dialogue with families before these issues ever come up. It makes sense to talk with parents and caregivers about our libraries and classroom libraries, let them know that we support their right to guide their own children's reading choices, and explicitly teach them what steps to take if their reader brings home a book that doesn't work for them.

Here's a version of the letter I sent home. Teachers & librarians, please free to borrow language if any of it is helpful to you in your own advocacy and outreach to families. Thanks for fighting the good fight and for the essential work you do for kids every day.
Dear Families, Our school librarian does a phenomenal job making sure that there are books of interest to every student in our building. That's a lot of students. A lot of Our middle school serves sixth graders as young as ten years old and eighth graders as old as fifteen. Five years is a big gap, and those are no ordinary five years. The difference between ten and fifteen is the difference between Legos and smart phones, the difference between trick-or-treating and Homecoming Dances. The difference between child and young adult. And our kids are not only different ages; they arrive at school with different reading levels, different backgrounds, and different experiences that have shaped their lives in both positive and negative ways. So it makes sense that they have different needs when it comes to reading. The book that is perfect for your wide-eyed sixth grader isn't likely to be a good fit for a fifteen-year-old who's repeating eighth grade. The book that eighth grader will read and love is probably not one that would be right for your sixth grader right now. But as teachers and librarians, we have a responsibility to serve all of the kids who come to us. We have a responsibility to offer a wide range of book choices that speak to all of them and meet all of their diverse needs. Kids, in general, do a fantastic job self-selecting books. When they find they've picked up something they're not ready for, they're usually quick to put it down and ask for help choosing something else. As teachers and librarians, we'll offer recommendations and steer kids toward books that are age-appropriate, and we encourage you to talk about books with your kids. We have multiple copies of many titles in our library. Let us know if you'd like to check out two copies of a book so you can read together. And if you find that your student has chosen a book that you think might not be the right book for him or her right now, talk about that, too. We respect your right to help your own child choose reading material, and we ask that you respect the rights of other parents to do the same. If you object to your child reading a particular book, send it back to the library, and we'll help your student find another selection. We'll put the first book back on the shelf because even though you don't feel it's the right book for your child right now, it may be the perfect book for someone else's. Our library will continue to have a wide range of choices for kids - to meet all of their varied needs and help them all develop a love of reading. If we can ever be of help to you in recommending titles for your family, please don't hesitate to ask. different students.

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Books for All Kids (Not Just Yours): An Open Letter for Educators & Librarians to Share with Families

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Lately, school and classroom libraries have seen a marked increase in book challenges. These are attempts by parents - sometimes by other adults who have nothing to do with the schools - to remove books they don't like from circulation so they're no longer available to readers. ALL readers.

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Stop the Madness: Banning Books Is Not the Answer

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Stop the Madness: Banning Books Is Not the Answer

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While Banned Books Week was last month, I've recently had a front row seat to the parent pressure being exerted on school boards across the country regarding library books and teaching materials. New Kent County pulled by Elizabeth Acevedo from its shelves, and Henrico County, where I live, pulled Ashely Hope Perez's novel, Out of Darkness, from high school libraries, pending a Superintendent review.

Both novels are highly decorated young adult works, and both center narratives by Latinx and Black characters. Out of Darkness is a historical novel about the 1937 New London, Texas school explosion that killed 295 children and teachers. It won the 2016 Tomás Rivera Award and American Library Association's 2016 Printz Honor Award, which recognizes an outstanding work of fiction for teens. chronicles Xiomara's life as she discovers the power of poetry to understand and name her experiences. In its stratospheric debut, it won the 2019 Pura Belpré Award, the 2018 National Book Award, and the 2019 Printz Medal.

the buzzsaw of censorship myself for my novel Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. I'm also a former English teacher, a parent who raised three kids into adulthood here in Henrico County Public Schools, and a former - and active - school volunteer. In other words, I am all about books, kids, and community.

To my fellow Virginians (although the sentiment applies everywhere) I want to say this: I'm alarmed by what's passing for parental concern as it relates to pulling books. As your friend and neighbor, I want you to think long and hard about what you're doing to school boards and to kids with your demands.

Novels for teens can range in tone and topic as widely as teens vary themselves. Often, we find main characters who are questioning society and what they have been taught. The characters push boundaries and face daunting obstacles as they evolve into the people they want to become. They often make risky, hair-raising choices and face unexpected consequences. This, my friends, reflects the messy and often heartbreaking process of growing up.

To pull books from a school library because of the discomfort they create in adults is a recipe for disaster. It erodes the trust young people have in the adults in their lives and pushes them to secrecy. It undermines the studied opinion of professional librarians and educators. It supports a false idea that there is one version of life that is acceptable. And, it denigrates the work of authors who are brave enough to name experiences that are difficult and real.

Every parent is entitled to engage with their child about what they read. They are always at liberty to ask for an alternative assignment in classrooms. That's fair.

But that is a far cry from asking libraries to pull material from shelves and to insist that no other child should choose to read a particular title because a parent or group deems something too sexual or vulgar or outside their own comfort or value system.

We are a varied community, with wildly diverse backgrounds, tastes, and experiences. If you find a book objectionable, don't read it. That's your right, and I respect it. It isn't more complicated than that. Just don't assume that you speak for everyone or that you have the right to demand a book's removal.

_______________________________________________________________

You Can't Say That.

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Stop the Madness: Banning Books Is Not the Answer

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While Banned Books Week was last month, I've recently had a front row seat to the parent pressure being exerted on school boards across the country regarding library books and teaching materials. New Kent County pulled by Elizabeth Acevedo from its shelves, and Henrico County, where I live, pulled Ashely Hope Perez's novel, Out of Darkness, from high school libraries, pending a Superintendent review.

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Book challenges are on the rise. ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom, which tracks requests to remove materials from library shelves, reported in September that there had been a 60% increase in book challenges over the preceding 12 months.

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ACLU Advocacy Toolkit: Censorship and Banned Books

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ACLU Advocacy Toolkit: Censorship and Banned Books

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Advocacy Toolkit: Censorship and Banned Books

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Parents, school officials, and politicians often have tried to get rid of books from schools and libraries. This practice, called book banning, is the taking of books and materials from a classroom or library, it more difficult for students to read these materials which frequently are important works of literature.

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NCAC's Book Censorship Action Kit - National Coalition Against Censorship

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"Banning books? That doesn't happen in the United States." Every year, there are dozens of challenges to literary works as varied and acclaimed as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and Toni Morrison's Beloved. Whether

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How To Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Tool Kit

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How To Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Tool Kit

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How To Fight Book Bans and Challenges: An Anti-Censorship Tool Kit

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A guide to how to fight back against censorship and book challenges, including tools and techniques for citizens and gatekeepers.

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NCAC - National Coalition Against Censorship

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A collection of materials on the topic of censorship in schools for the use of students, educators, and parents everywhere.

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Schools are banning my book. But queer kids need queer stories.

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Schools are banning my book. But queer kids need queer stories.

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The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators.

It offers guidance for educators developing inclusive and viewpoint-neutral instructional material policies, including sample review policies. The handbook also offers advice for educators navigating book challenges. We hope this resource will empower school communities to defend their students' freedom to read, create, and explore.

If you need further advice on strengthening your book selection procedures and resisting censorship, submit a Censorship Report to NCAC at ncac.org/report-censorship . Unless you tell us otherwise, we will keep all inquiries confidential. If you are not sure what help you need, please reach out. We are here to support you.

View the handbook below. Click here for a full-screen downloadable PDF.

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

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The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators.

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INBOX is a biweekly email wrap-up of the most important stories in English language arts education, ideas for your classroom, and news from NCTE.

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For more than 20 years, Misty Crompton has taught middle school social studies in Derry, N.H., and she prides herself on using a variety of well researched, scholarly documents, primary sources, and other tools to help students learn the history and experiences-whether Black or White, Latino or Asian, Native or newcomer-of those living within the United States.

"imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what's right," says Becky Pringle, president of the NEA.

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We Need to Teach the Truth About Systemic Racism, Say Educators | NEA

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For more than 20 years, Misty Crompton has taught middle school social studies in Derry, N.H., and she prides herself on using a variety of well researched, scholarly documents, primary sources, and other tools to help students learn the history and experiences-whether Black or White, Latino or Asian, Native or newcomer-of those living within the United States.

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#FREadom--School Librarian Social Media Posts

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#FREadom--School Librarian Social Media Posts

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I am a _____ (parent, teacher, administrator, grandparent, community member, etc) and I support _____ (name of school librarian(s) you know, the school library your child uses, or Texas School Librarians, etc) and #FReadom.

In Texas, certified school librarians have a bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, and at least 2 years of teaching experience. School librarians take up to four state certification tests. School librarians also receive graduate-level training in library collection development which is the purchasing of resources like books and online resources.

Certified school librarians follow their local Board of Trustee policies approved specifically for the selection of instructional materials known as Policy EF. Anyone can go to their school district website and look up the selection policies for Instructional materials for their schools. These policies address that books and other library resources be age-appropriate, in some cases used as supports for the curriculum, provide information or pleasure reading on a wide range of topics and perspectives, and reflect the diverse backgrounds of the students and families that they serve as well as representing those In the world at large.

Selecting books to purchase for school libraries is a lengthy process. School librarians spend hours reading professional book reviews, surveying teachers and students for their input, and monitoring publishers' new releases to find the absolute best literature to add to the library shelves. It can honestly take months to curate a list of high-quality books that represent a wide range of authors, genres, topics, views, & experiences.

There are multiple organizations at the state and national level that select school librarians to read through hundreds of books every year to create award lists and recommended book lists for every age level. School librarians attend webinars and network with other school librarians to learn about new books and what students are reading and loving. In addition to all that, school librarians also read the books that are appropriate for the level of students they work with in order to be able to recommend books and talk to teachers and students about the books selected for the school library. School librarians know that not every book is for every student, but they have to provide choices for all students in the school.

School librarians understand the immense r esponsibility they have for choosing books and library resources for all st ud ents, teachers, and stakeholders they serve. School librarians are highly qualified for this work and deeply invested in curating quality collections that reflect the many varied perspectives, experiences, and information that compose the complexity of the human experience. School library resources connect all students to the world around them. Our students deserve the #FReadom of access and choice and it is their first amendment right. "In the Supreme Court case , the Court held that the First Amendment limits the power of junior high and high school officials to remove books from school libraries because of their content." Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982)

School librarians do not deserve to be denigrated and undermined by state leaders for political gain. If you know a school librarian, please check on them and show your support!

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#FReadom - About School Librarians Social Media Posts

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I am a _____ (parent, teacher, administrator, grandparent, community member, etc) and I support _____ (name of school librarian(s) you know, the school library your child uses, or Texas School Librarians, etc) and #FReadom. In Texas, certified school librarians have a bachelor's degree, a Master's degree, and at least 2 years of teaching experience.

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Reporting form near bottom of page.

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From NCTE
The materials below can be used by educators as useful tools in preventing and combating censorship. All of these resources are free access and do not require permission for use. Additional support is available for current NCTE members.

These guidelines present criteria and procedures that ensure thoughtful teacher selection of novels and other materials.

Focusing on materials broadly defined in classrooms and schools today, a committee of English educators updated a 2004 position statement originally detailing censorship of "nonprint" materials. This new statement bridges censorship issues across varied modalities and texts.

During this era of high-stakes testing, technology-based instruction, and increased control over students' expression due to school violence, students' right to write must be protected.

The Literacy & NCTE blog maintains a repository of posts on intellectual freedom.

This position statement explains why rating books, or 'red-flagging," is a form of censorship that schools should not practice.

NCTE members can access over 600 book rationales on the first-ever online rationale database. A newly updated How to Write a Rationale document is also available. This database can be searched by title, author, and grade level to help educators find a rationale for a book to use in the classroom or that is being challenged. New pieces of literature can be found to incorporate into curriculums or classroom libraries to further enrich students' learning.

This updated statement supports the truth that it is an individual English educator's (teacher's, researcher's, and librarian's) right to translate, produce, and curate past and new knowledge and dispositions within broadly accepted disciplinary parameters in order to advance the common good.

This statement explains why classroom libraries play a key role in providing access to books and promoting literacy. It states NCTE's support for efforts to provide teachers with the ability to exercise their professional judgment in developing and maintaining classroom libraries.

This foundational NCTE position statement gives model procedures for responding to challenges, including a citizen's "Request for Reconsideration of a Work."
From NCAC
This is a collection of materials for parents, students, educators, and authors with information on how to effectively fight challenges to books in schools.

School officials have broad discretion to establish curricula and decide what materials to include in their classrooms and libraries. However, parents, special interest groups and others sometimes attempt to impose their personal beliefs on the public school system and demand the removal of educational materials. Follow the link for some general considerations school administrators should take into account when such challenges arise.

The freedom to read stories about people of diverse sexual and gender identities can validate and empower all youth, especially those who may identify as LGBTQ. LGBTQ representation in literature can also promote tolerance and acceptance of all human difference, including sexual and gender identities. This source offers an overview of common arguments made by would-be censors and techniques for advocating for LGBTQ stories in your schools and communities.

The Free Expression Educators Handbook contains practical tools and advice for managing book challenges and censorship controversies in schools and school libraries. The handbook, created by NCAC in collaboration with NCTE, is intended for teachers, librarians, and school administrators.

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Google Forms - create and analyze surveys, for free.

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This resource was created to support librarians and teachers in the work of:

navigating book challenges

strengthening practices BEFORE the book challenge occurs

Resources are organized to reflect the steps outlined in the infographic below.

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School library challenge: changing perceptions, creating supporters, and gaining advocates with library advisory committees

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A New Dialogue: A Student Advisory Committeein an Academic Library 

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First Steps With A Library Advisory Committee

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Library Advisory Council - Puckett High School

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2021-2022 Puckett High Library Advisory Committee

Nikki Hammock, Library Media Specialist

Raquel Hollingsworth, English Department Chair

Brittni Harris, English

Amy Smith, Technology

Candace McAlpin, Math

Elizabeth Burrell, Science

Beth Pardue, History

Stephanie Hughes, Assistant Principal

Misty Lemoine and Missy Addy, Parents

Responsibilities of the Library Advisory Committee

As advisors to the library media center (LMC) professional staff and as advocates for the library media center program, members of the library advisory committee make a commitment. Each member pledges to support the LMC staff and program and to work collegially to enhance and improve the LMC program, resources, and services for the benefit of all students and teachers.

The library advisory committee works with the LMC professional staff to:

* conduct regular needs assessments to determine what additional resources (e.g., books, audio/visual, computer software, furnishings) are needed in the LMC;

* conduct regular student and faculty surveys to gauge customer satisfaction with the LMC program;

* develop a five-year strategic plan for the library media center based on student and faculty surveys and the needs assessment;

* collect relevant data and use that data to prepare and submit regular reports to the building-level administration and to the district showing direct positive impact of the LMC program on student achievement;

* prepare a budget request to meet the needs identified in the needs assessment;

* develop short-range plans for collection development based on the school's implemented curriculum, a related LMC collection map, and input from teachers and students;

* identify strategies for facilitating collaboration between the classroom teachers and the LMC professional staff to ensure integration of the LMC resources and services into the school's instructional program;

* work with the building-level administration, the LMC professional staff, and the classroom teachers to implement identified collaborative instructional strategies; and

* advocate for the school's library media program.

Schedule of Meetings

The library advisory committee should meet at least twice during the school year (i.e., once each semester). Exemplary school library media programs have a library advisory committee that meets at least quarterly. The meeting dates should be scheduled for the entire school year, and those dates should be noted on the school's calendar. Meeting reminders with the proposed agenda should be sent to all members and meetings announced in the minutes from the previous meeting, the school's newsletter, the school's Web page, the library media center's newsletter, and the library media center's Web page.

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Library Advisory Council - Puckett High School

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Nikki Hammock, Library Media Specialist Raquel Hollingsworth, English Department Chair Brittni Harris, English Amy Smith, Technology Candace McAlpin, Math Elizabeth Burrell, Science Beth Pardue, History Stephanie Hughes, Assistant Principal Misty Lemoine and Missy Addy, Parents As advisors to the library media center (LMC) professional staff and as advocates for the library media center program, members of the library advisory committee make a commitment.

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School Library Advisory Committees: The Key = 4 Cs

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What are the keys to an effective school library advisory committee? I propose these: Communication-Connection-Commitment-Collaboration.

Communication:
If classroom teachers have not had positive input into school library collection decision-making, then they may refer to the library collection as the property of the librarian. When a classroom teacher tells students to be careful with "Ms. Jones's books" (the librarian's books), the wise school librarian will make it clear that the library collection belongs to all of the library stakeholders: students, teachers, administrators, and families.

Once collective ownership is established, the librarian can invite classroom teacher colleagues to join the school library advisory committee in order to participate in decision-making regarding library purchases and initiatives, such as grant writing and literacy events.

Connection:
The wise school librarian will ensure that the resources of the library are aligned with the curricular needs of classroom teachers and students. While the Common Core State Standards may make this a library goal in many states, the school library has always been charged with providing resources and technology tools to support teaching and learning the required curriculum.

Commitment:
In most schools, the school library advisory committee will meet during before or after school hours. It will be important for the school librarian to honor the extra commitment it will take for classroom teachers to participate in developing the library collection as a shared resource for the school community. Likewise, the school librarian's commitment to shared decision-making must be genuine and clear to all advisory committee members.

Collaboration:
One of the most outstanding benefits of a library advisory committee is increased collaborative teaching between classroom teachers and school librarians. When advisory committee members have shared responsibility for selecting resources, they will have a shared commitment to using those resources for standards-based instruction. While classroom-library collaboration ensures that valuable resources will be integrated into instruction, it can also improve educators' teaching and students' learning.

School library advisory committees that achieve the four keys, communication-connection-commitment-collaboration = win-win-win-win for all library stakeholders.

Word cloud created at Tagxedo.com

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School Library Advisory Committees: The Key = 4 Cs

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What are the keys to an effective school library advisory committee? I propose these: Communication-Connection-Commitment-Collaboration. Communication: If classroom teachers have not had positive input into school library collection decision-making, then they may refer to the library collection as the property of the librarian.

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Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

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Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

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Ellen Oh author | Middle Grade and Young Adult Author

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The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom provides confidential support during censorship challenges to library materials, services, and programs. Anyone can report censorship, even if they do not require assistance. Report censorship by filling out this online form, or contacting OIF via email: oif@ala.org.

As stated in Article III of the Library Bill of Rights,"Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment."

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

Censorship is a change in the access status of material, based on the content of the work and made by a governing authority or its representatives. Such changes include exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes.

Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored.

Personal Support during a Reconsideration Process

Anytime. If there are whispers of concern and you want to make sure you're on solid footing and get encouragement from a friendly voice, you can contact the Office for Intellectual Freedom. If you have a question about your current operations and want to make sure they align with best practices, you can contact us. If you witness authorities subverting the policy, you can contact us. If you want to strengthen your defense of the material and support of its inclusion in your collection and need resources, you can contact us. If a concerned adult posted a complaint on social media and you need guidance, you can contact us. If you get a call from a local reporter out of the blue and don't know how to respond, you can contact us. If your committee evaluated the material and recommended to retain it in the collection and you want to celebrate, you can contact us. If everyone in your life is tired of hearing you talk about this book challenge or you feel you have no one you can confidentially share with, you can contact us.

We get calls and emails every day and it is our priority to be available to you. Don't hesitate to email, call or fill out an online reporting form.

With such a wide spectrum of ideas and information available, it's inevitable that people will occasionally encounter resources they believe to be offensive or inappropriate. They may complain and request that such resources be removed. This page provides step-by step suggestions about how to respond.

What is your institution's policy and procedure?

​Locate your policy. Is it online? In a binder at your service desk? In your director's office? Many libraries have their policies located both within the physical building or accessible through their website. The reconsideration policy may be part of the collection development policy or instructional materials policy. If your library is part of a branch system or school district, this policy may be located at the central headquarters.

If the library receives a completed reconsideration form, the person or group designated in library policy to handle challenges should follow these guidelines from receipt to decision.

Under the best professional standards, reconsideration policies ask those charged with reviewing a challenged book to set aside their personal beliefs and evaluate the work in light of the objective standards outlined in the library's materials selection policy. Listed are some best practices for Reconsideration Committee members.

If a challenge rises to the level of an appeal, your library's reconsideration process may call for a public hearing by your governing board as part of the appeal process. If it does, the following tips may be helpful.

When appropriate, as the challenge becomes public, library and school district administrators may seek the support of local media. Informing local civic organizations of the facts and enlisting their support may counter negative, one-sided media coverage with moderate, tempered discussion.​ These tips will keep you calm and collected while you address the media about the challenge

When the reconsideration process is subverted or undermined

Sometimes the principal or library director does not follow policy and removes the challenged resource or cancels the event. If the administration refuses to follow the reconsideration process, even after discussing the legal and ethical reasons for doing so, how far should library workers go to defend the challenged resource?

This is a personal, ethical decision, and library workers must weigh all factors. If the director or principal is adamant, library workers may be forced to evaluate the risk of retaliation from their supervisor or losing a job against the merits of continuing to oppose the censorship attempt. After considering the situation carefully, they may come to acknowledge that they have done all that is possible at this time, or they may decide that taking a principled stand is worth the risk.

The reconsideration process can also be compromised if the concerned individual or group goes around the policy structure to speak directly to a higher authority such as an elected official, school superintendent, or board members. Although this does not always occur, optimally, higher authorities should be redirected to the reconsideration process and reminded of relevant policies.

Guiding Documents to Safeguard Intellectual Freedom and Prepare your Library, School or College Against Censorship

As with any public service, libraries receive complaints. One of our responsibilities is to listen in a respectful and fair manner. The complaints that library workers often worry about most are those dealing with library materials, privacy and the internet. The key to successfully handling these complaints is to be sure the library staff and the governing authorities are all knowledgeable about the complaint procedures and their implementation.

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. The interpretations are designed by the Intellectual Freedom Committee to clarify the implications and applications of the original six articles. These documents are policies of the American Library Association, having been adopted by the ALA Council.

Written by Martin Garnar and Trina Magi. Tenth Edition. Chicago: ALA Editions. 2021

If your library serves youth, you may find that you need to respond to a concerned adult such as a parent, guardian or board member about resources and services in your collection. This document is designed to help you explain how and why your library selects the resources it provides. It can also help you respond to questions and challenges about material that adults may consider inappropriate.

Updated 2022

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The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom provides confidential support during censorship challenges to library materials, services, and programs. Anyone can report censorship, even if they do not require assistance. Report censorship by filling out this online form, or contacting OIF via email: oif@ala.org.

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Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated numerous popular, award-winning books for children, including the Captain Underpants and Dumb Bunnies series.

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Handbook for Educators to respond to challenge

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Handbook for Educators to respond to challenge

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Ibram X. Kendi is a contributing writer at The Atlantic; and Mellon Professor and Director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Kendi is also the author of How to Be an Antiracist.

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Resources for Teachers, Parents, and School Officials

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Resources for Teachers, Parents, and School Officials

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Resources for Teachers, Parents, and School Officials

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The freedom to learn, read, discover and create is crucial to educating informed citizens. The menu below contains resources to help you better understand how the First Amendment protects students and schools, learn about relevant cases and take action against censorship in your schools and communities.

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Copyright © 2020 Alex Gino - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa

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Challenges to school materials are a common occurrence. How should such challenges be handled? How can they be avoided?
What books should be taught in schools? It sounds like a simple question but the answer can be complex.

Challenges to curriculum content have torn apart communities. On the one hand, advocates of banning certain books maintain that children in grades K-12 will be harmed if we don't protect them from inappropriate materials. Opponents are equally heated in insisting that censorship of books and other curriculum materials violates the academic freedom and diversity of thought protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Among the classic works of literature banned from schools over the years have been Shakespeare's Hamlet, Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. An American Civil Liberties Union report lists among the most frequently banned or challenged books of 1997 R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, and Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

A report by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) found that challenges of school materials are common throughout the United States. Those challenges frequently work; nearly one-third result in materials being withdrawn from schools or their use curtailed.

During Banned Books Week, people are exhorted to fight against banning and censorship. Yet do opponents of banning books believe that any book is appropriate for teaching in school? And where should the line be drawn between books that are appropriate and inappropriate? A number of experts have explored these and related questions of censorship.

DEFINING CENSORSHIP

Censorship is "the removal, suppression, or restricted circulation of literary, artistic or educational materials ... on the grounds that these are morally or otherwise objectionable in light of the standards applied by the censor," writes Henry Reichman in Censorship and Selection, Issues and Answers for Schools. According to definitions like this, observers point out, many decisions made by school boards about what can be taught in schools might be seen as acts of censorship.

Challenges to materials in school curricula, according to Censorship of Curriculum Materials, by JeanMarie Aurnague-DeSpain and Alan Bass, generally arise in the following areas:

sex and drug education

literature showing children challenging parents and authorities

teaching evolution without reference to creationism

showing women behaving in nontraditional ways

"invasions of privacy" -- projects requiring students to share personal information.

LEGAL TRENDS

Supreme Court cases that deal with censorship issues show a broad trend toward supporting the schools, but they also caution educators to remain aware of values, including minority values, in the communities they serve. Experts have cited the First Amendment of the Constitution as protecting both students' rights to know and teachers' rights to academic freedom. At the same time, legal experts argue, parents have the right to protest books or materials that they consider damaging to their children.

In a landmark censorship case, Island Trees Union Free High School v. Pico (1982), the Court asserted that the "Constitution does not permit the official suppression of ideas," and the banned books were returned to school shelves. In this and other cases, the Court seems to allow school boards a rather free hand with curriculum materials.

In the Pico case, Justice Brennan's plurality opinion stated that a basis for resolving censorship conflicts over school materials could rest upon the use of "establishedunbiased procedures for the review of controversial materials" at the local level.

AVOIDING CONTROVERSY

To avoid controversy, school boards need clearly stated policies delineating how materials are selected. Selection policies should weigh the viewpoints of various groups in the community and be implemented by professionals. Those developing selection policies must consider community and parental concerns and demonstrate acceptance of our national diversity, asserts Reichman. If selection policy ignores minority rights, censorship issues may arise. And school materials should not be selected for partisan political reasons.

To develop a community consensus and prevent cries for censorship, Larry Mikulecky (see Resources) recommends several strategies:

Ask parents to contribute to developing school reading programs.

Give recommended, rather than required, reading lists.

Have files of professional reviews that support materials.

In collective bargaining agreements, negotiate clauses that protect academic freedom and call for agreed-on selection processes.

Discourage the concept that only one text can be used to teach a specific theme.

HANDLING CONTROVERSY

When controversy flares up despite efforts to avoid it, there are ways of handling it to minimize damage. In "Censorship of Curriculum Materials," JeanMarie Aurnague-DeSpain and Alan Baas say, "good internal communications and public relations offer the best way to avoid unnecessary controversy."

Several experts recommend the following process, says "Censorship of Curriculum Materials":

Meet with the complainant and attempt to resolve the issue.

If that fails, request a written complaint detailing the questionable material, the bad effect it is thought to have on students, and what replacement materials are suggested.

Give the complainant a copy of published district policies for controversial materials and explain the procedure to be followed.

Have a review committee provide the school board with a final report.

Inform the complainant of the review process and when committee meetings are slated.

Provide an appeals process.

While the complaint is being explored, keep the controversial material available, except possibly to the student whose family has filed a challenge.

School boards are legally responsible for what is taught in a district, according to U.S. courts in general. The board delegates power to school officials and so is held responsible for school policies.

In summary, the NSBA report states that "the challenge is not to avoid censorship, but to meet it head on with adequate policies and procedures that provide an open forum for deciding what should -- or should not -- take place in public schools."

Article by Sharon Cromwell
Education World®
Copyright © 2005 Education World

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Censorship: Managing the Controversy by Linda Chion-Kenney; National School Boards Association, Alexandria, Va. (1989). 88 pages.

The International Reading Association's Role in the Politics of Censorship by Larry Mikulecky; paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Reading Association, New Orleans, La., April 27-May 1, 1981.

Censorship and Selection, Issues and Answers for Schools by Henry Reichman; American Association of School Administrators, Alexandria, Va., and American Library Association, Chicago (1988). 141 pages.

Censorship Post-Pico by John David Terry II; in School Law Update by Thomas N. Jones and Darel P. Semler, eds., National Organization on Legal Problems, Topeka, Kan. (1986).

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Banning Books from the Classroom: How to Handle Cries for Censorship

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Challenges to school materials are a common occurrence. How should such challenges be handled? How can they be avoided? What books should be taught in schools? It sounds like a simple question but the answer can be complex. Challenges to curriculum content have torn apart communities.

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Copyright 2000-2023, Linda Sue Park. All rights reserved. Avatar by Gladys Jose. Privacy policy . Website designed by Winding Oak, LLC.

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FReadom Fighters How we started: On November 4, 2021 a group of librarian #FReadom fighters organized a twitter takeover of the #Txlege. We highlighted positive books and invited families, authors, librarians, teens, and parents to join. We shared this Information https://bit.ly/FReadom Where

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Handbook from National Coalition against Censorship

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Handbook from National Coalition against Censorship

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Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks and more.

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ALA Statement on Censorship of Information Addressing Racial Injustice, Black American History, and Diversity Education

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ALA Statement on Censorship of Information Addressing Racial Injustice, Black American History, and Diversity Education

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-Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publ…

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Pat Scales answers readers' questions about library staff deselecting materials, the most challenged booklist, and parental complaints about an "offensive" article.

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LibGuides: Banned Books Week - Freedom to Read: Resources for Banned Books

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A guide about Banned Books Week for teachers, librarians, and those interested in intellectual freedom

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Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit

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Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit

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NCTE and CENSORSHIP (with links to authors)

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NCTE and CENSORSHIP (with links to authors)

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All students have the right to materials and educational experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others.

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AASL:  LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries

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AASL:  LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries

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Stemming from an Affiliate Assembly concern, the 2018 ALA Emerging Leaders team was charged with creating a guide for AASL to support school librarians in addressing challenges related to censorship and patron privacy issues, particularly with LGBTQ+ materials. Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries is more than a collection of resources. This work uses the AASL Standards framework as scaffolding to help users explore LGBTQ+ materials and needs in their own communities.

Use the accompanying infographic and applied framework in the guide to navigate the document more quickly depending on your specific question or need. Activities in each section make this a valuable tool for professional development. This guide is a great example to any practitioner about how they can use the AASL Standards as a lens to address ANY school library issue!

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Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries - National School Library Standards

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Stemming from an Affiliate Assembly concern, the 2018 ALA Emerging Leaders team was charged with creating a guide for AASL to support school librarians in addressing challenges related to censorship and patron privacy issues, particularly with LGBTQ+ materials. Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries is more than a collection of resources.

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LGBT Archives - National Coalition Against Censorship

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Kids' Right to Read Project Archives - National Coalition Against Censorship

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NCAC has written to the mayor and joined with FIRE and PEN America in a letter to the superintendent of Hudson City Schools after controversy erupted in Hudson, Ohio, over the appearance (but not use) of writing prompts that allude to sexual experience in an optional, college-level writing course, the school seized the books from students and the mayor threatened to prosecute the school board.

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Intellectual Freedom Books

There are a number of options for getting ahold of these books, depending where you live. Contact the State Library at 907.269.6570 if you have any trouble getting a book on this list.

Report Book and Other Materials Challenges

American Library Association
Even if your challenge is resolved at the library level, we suggeest you report a challenge to ALA by submitting an Online Challenge Database Form. Alternately, you can print the Challenge Database Form (PDF), complete it, and fax it to the Office for Intellectual Freedom, at 312-280-4227.
Alaska Library Association
Report instances of questioned materials which cannot be settled at library level to the chair of the Alaska Library Association (AkLA) Intellectual Freedom Committee, Mike Robinson in Anchorage, at mcrobinson@uaa.alaska.edu.

Thank you in advance for making our professional organizations aware of intellectual freedom issues here in Alaska.

Intellectual Freedom Resources from ALA

The American Library Association (ALA) has a number of resources and offices useful in discussing and resolving intellectual freedom and censorship issues.

Recent Articles on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries

The articles below are pulled from EBSCO Academic Search Premier by an automated search and is updated once per day. An article's appearance below does not imply endorsement of the author's views by the Alaska State Library.

These articles should be viewable by anyone within the State of Alaska. If you have a problem viewing an article, go to the Alaska Library Network's Get Help form and fill it out.

Guide Author

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Libraries, Archives, Museums: Intellectual Freedom and Privacy: Home

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Skip to Main Content It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you continue with this browser, you may see unexpected results.

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ALA Library Bill of Rights (& support forms)

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ALA Library Bill of Rights (& support forms)

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The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people's privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Inclusion of "age" reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. See the documents designated by the Intellectual Freedom Committee as Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.

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The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services. I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves.

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Tweets related to the topic
@halseanderson

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225 Michigan Ave, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 280-4226
E-mail: oif@ala.org

Support

OIF provides confidential support to anyone undergoing a material or service challenge. You can report censorship using our updated form.

Our free consulting services help you prepare for censorship and implement vital intellectual freedom best practices within your library or school. We create and edit policies, strategize plans for working with communities and families, and provide workshops and programs about the First Amendment, privacy laws, internet filtering, and intellectual freedom.

Training

Subject matter experts from the Office for Intellectual Freedom are available to speak at workshops and professional development sessions on topics such as collection development, professional ethics, and law and policy concerning intellectual freedom, censorship, privacy, internet filtering, the First Amendment and more.

We host webinars to educate librarians and the public about the nature and importance of intellectual freedom. Our webinars are recorded. After the live event, many of the recordings are accessible at the OIF YouTube channel.

Public Awareness

Banned Books Week in the fall draws attention to the harms of censorship and the benefits of unrestricted reading.

With a diverse group of librarians and writers, OIF publishes an engaging Intellectual Freedom Blog with a huge selection of topics and viewpoints. Every Friday, OIF News Editors, publish a free weekly compilation of news about censorship cases, and articles about privacy, internet filtering, academic freedom and the First Amendment. Anyone can subscribe to receive the Intellectual Freedom News in their email inbox on Fridays.

OIF releases an annual list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books during National Library Week in April using its censorship database.

We produce and market products in the ALA Store to create awareness of intellectual freedom and Banned Books Week.

Publications

We collaborate with intellectual freedom leaders to continually provide updated resources on a broad range of intellectual freedom issues, including censorship, material challenges, collection policies, privacy, internet filtering, academic freedom and equal access to information.

Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy (JIFP) includes substantive essays, peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, legal briefs, and opinion pieces. The $50 annual subscription allows readers to review the latest book banning incidents, court rulings, and legal controversies.

The 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual is more than just an invaluable compendium of guiding principles and policies; it’s also an indispensable resource for day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people, including

34 ALA policy statements and documents, 17 new or updated for this edition, addressing patron behavior, internet use, copyright, exhibits and use of meeting spaces

At-a-glance lists summarizing key issues such as access, challenges and censorship, access by minors to controversial materials, and advocacy

Explanations of legal points in clear, easy-to-understand language, alongside case citations

Numerous checklists to help readers stay organized

Our Community

ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC)
A committee of ALA’s Council responsible for safeguarding the rights of library users in accordance with the First Amendment. The IFC page includes its official charge, roster, current activities, and discussion of draft documents.

IFC Privacy Subcommittee

ALA Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE)
A committee of ALA’s Council charged with augmenting the Code of Ethics through interpretations and guiding documents. The COPE page includes its official charge, roster with term dates, and current activities and reports.

Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT)
A grassroots membership group of more than 1,000 intellectual freedom advocates. The IFRT executive board organizes programs, events, and awards. For $15 per year, all IFRT members receive free intellectual freedom eLearning.

Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF)
FTRF was established in 1969 as a First Amendment legal defense organization affiliated with the American Library Association. FTRF is a separate corporation from the American Library Association, working in close liaison with the ALA.

State Intellectual Freedom Network (SIFnet)
OIF hosts a series of online “State of the States” virtual meetings for Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) chairs from ALA Chapters and AASL Affiliates. These meetings are an opportunity to promote communication and discuss state, local, and national intellectual freedom issues.

Staff

For First Amendment, policy, filtering, meeting rooms and privacy support:
Deborah Caldwell-Stone
Director
(312) 280-4224
dstone@ala.org

For challenge support:
Kristin Pekoll
Assistant Director
(312) 280-4221
kpekoll@ala.org

For Banned Books Week:
Vacant

For Freedom to Read Foundation and Merritt Fund Support:
Joyce McIntosh
(312) 280-4223
jmcintosh@ala.org

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Banned Books Archives - National Coalition Against Censorship

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Vermont School Library Association - Materials Selection Policy

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The Vermont School Library Association provides advocacy, professional development, and a variety of resources for Vermont school librarians.

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https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report

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Author Jason Reynolds is the honorary chairman for Banned Books Week. Two of his books, "All American Boys" and "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You" were among the most-challenged or banned books in 2020. Other banned books past and present include "George" by Alex Gino, "Drama" by Raina Telgemeier and the Harry Potter series. (Jason Reynolds photo by KK Ottesen for The Washington Post); Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post; Hachette Book Group; Scholastic; Simon & Schuster)

Students in Pennsylvania scored a victory last week in a battle to allow books about diversity and racism to be used in schools. The Central York School Board last fall "froze" teachers' and students' access to a picture book about Rosa Parks, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai's autobiography and a long list of other resources a diversity committee had recommended. After student protests that got national attention, the board "unfroze" the books.

The dispute over which books kids should read is nothing new. Banning books became so common in the 1970s, that the American Library Association launched "Banned Books Week" in 1982 and published a list of the top 10 books to be challenged or banned in schools, libraries and bookstores across the country.

This year's Banned Books Week, which began Sunday, has the traditional list. But it also has a new feature: an honorary chairman. Jason Reynolds is a fitting pick for the job. He is the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature through next year, and he has two books on this year's list.

Reynolds told KidsPost that he got involved in Banned Books Week because he wanted to highlight how limiting access to books puts limits on kids' curiosity.

"The one thing [young people] hear every day is that there's no such thing as a stupid question," he said. "The reason we tell people this is we want them to engage . . . with their own curiosity."

Bans send the message that there are things kids shouldn't ask about, he said.

"It doesn't mean that everything in these books has to be agreed upon. But your question deserves to live in the world."

When asked what he's heard about why his own books - " All American Boys" and " Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You " - are Numbers 2 and 3 on the list, Reynolds said he has been told they make White children feel guilty.

"I think it's fascinating that so many of the people saying this don't spend that much time around kids," he said. Reynolds said he didn't hear talk of guilt as he traveled across the country to discuss "All American Boys" with students in sixth grade through college. The book, written with Brendan Kiely and published in 2015, is about a Black teen beaten by a police officer and a White classmate who witnesses the beating.

"We're talking very diverse environments or we're in very, very White spaces. [Nearly 100 percent] of the time we lean into the conversation, and they lean back in," he said of the students' interest in discussing the book.

Eliminating access to books is adults saying students don't have the maturity or the intelligence to have difficult conversations, he said. Students Reynolds has met don't agree.

"There are so many kids who don't understand what the big deal is, why [a ban is] actually a thing," he said. "I've talked to White kids who say this is what my mother says, this is what my father says, and I disagree."

But banning books is also a cover for parents' own fears, Reynolds said.

"Adults don't want to have complicated conversations with their children," he said.

Those conversations might be about the language used in books. "To Kill a Mockingbird," Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a Black man falsely accused of attacking a White woman, has been banned or challenged frequently, in part because it contains racial slurs.

Reynolds acknowledges people's concerns with "Mockingbird," but he doesn't think it should be banned.

"Every book belongs on the shelf. We get to make decisions on what we choose to highlight," he said. "What we don't get to do is say the book is unavailable."

Saadia Faruqi's new novel explores racism against Muslims after 9/11

'Black Boy Joy' brings together 17 stories of positivity

Book Club: "The Only Black Girls in Town" by Brandy Colbert

To our commenters
A reminder from the KidsPost team: Our stories are geared to 7- to 13-year-olds. We welcome discussion from readers of all ages, but please follow our community rules and make comments appropriate for that age group.

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Jason Reynolds helps put a spotlight on Banned Books Week

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Students in Pennsylvania scored a victory last week in a battle to allow books about diversity and racism to be used in schools. The Central York School Board last fall "froze" teachers' and students' access to a picture book about Rosa Parks, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai's autobiography and a long list of other resources a diversity committee had recommended.

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First Amendment Resources | Statements & Core Documents | Publications & Guidelines

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution passed by Congress September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791.

One of the ten amendments of the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment gives everyone residing in the United States the right to hear all sides of every issue and to make their own judgments about those issues without government interference or limitations. The First Amendment allows individuals to speak, publish, read and view what they wish, worship (or not worship) as they wish, associate with whomever they choose, and gather together to ask the government to make changes in the law or to correct the wrongs in society.

The right to speak and the right to publish under the First Amendment has been interpreted widely to protect individuals and society from government attempts to suppress ideas and information, and to forbid government censorship of books, magazines, and newspapers as well as art, film, music and materials on the internet. The Supreme Court and other courts have held conclusively that there is a First Amendment right to receive information as a corollary to the right to speak. Justice William Brennan elaborated on this point in 1965:

"The protection of the Bill of Rights goes beyond the specific guarantees to protect from Congressional abridgment those equally fundamental personal rights necessary to make the express guarantees fully meaningful.I think the right to receive publications is such a fundamental right.The dissemination of ideas can accomplish nothing if otherwise willing addressees are not free to receive and consider them. It would be a barren marketplace of ideas that had only sellers and no buyers." Lamont v. Postmaster General, 381 U.S. 301 (1965).

The Supreme Court reaffirmed that the right to receive information is a fundamental right protected under the U.S. Constitution when it considered whether a local school board violated the Constitution by removing books from a school library. In that decision, the Supreme Court held that "the right to receive ideas is a necessary predicate to the recipient's meaningful exercise of his own rights of speech, press, and political freedom." Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982)

Public schools and public libraries, as public institutions, have been the setting for legal battles about student access to books, the removal or retention of "offensive" material, regulation of patron behavior, and limitations on public access to the internet. Restrictions and censorship of materials in public institutions are most commonly prompted by public complaints about those materials and implemented by government officials mindful of the importance some of their constituents may place on religious values, moral sensibilities, and the desire to protect children from materials they deem to be offensive or inappropriate. Directly or indirectly, ordinary individuals are the driving force behind the challenges to the freedom to access information and ideas in the library.

The First Amendment prevents public institutions from compromising individuals' First Amendment freedoms by establishing a framework that defines critical rights and responsibilities regarding free expression and the freedom of belief. The First Amendment protects the right to exercise those freedoms, and it advocates respect for the right of others to do the same. Rather than engaging in censorship and repression to advance one's values and beliefs, Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis counsels persons living in the United States to resolve their differences in values and belief by resort to "more speech, not enforced silence."

By virtue of the Fourteenth Amendment, the First Amendment's constitutional right of free speech and intellectual freedom also applies to state and local governments. Government agencies and government officials are forbidden from regulating or restricting speech or other expression based on its content or viewpoint. Criticism of the government, political dissatisfaction, and advocacy of unpopular ideas that people may find distasteful or against public policy are nearly always protected by the First Amendment. Only that expression that is shown to belong to a few narrow categories of speech is not protected by the First Amendment. The categories of unprotected speech include obscenity, child pornography, defamatory speech, false advertising, true threats, and fighting words. Deciding what is and is not protected speech is reserved to courts of law.

The First Amendment only prevents government restrictions on speech. It does not prevent restrictions on speech imposed by private individuals or businesses. Facebook and other social media can regulate or restrict speech hosted on their platforms because they are private entities.

First Amendment Resources

Clauses of the First Amendment | The National Constitution Center

First Amendment FAQ | Freedom Forum

Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition: Common Interpretations and Matters for Debate | National Constitution Center

First Amendment - Religion and Expression | FindLaw

What is Censorship?

Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that some individuals, groups, or government officials find objectionable or dangerous. Would-be censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove information they judge inappropriate or dangerous from public access, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone. It is no more complicated than someone saying, "Don't let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it!"
"Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment." - Article 3, Library Bill of Rights
ALA Statements and Policies on Censorship

Rating Systems: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (2019)

Libraries, no matter their size, contain an enormous wealth of viewpoints and are responsible for making those viewpoints available to all. However, libraries do not advocate or endorse the content found in their collections or in resources made accessible through the library. Rating systems appearing in library public access catalogs or resource discovery tools present distinct challenges to these intellectual freedom principles. Q&A on Labeling and Rating Systems
Complete list of Library Bill of Rights Interpretations
Core Documents

Library Bill of Rights (1939)

Adopted by ALA Council, the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries. ( printable pamphlets)

Libraries: An American Value (1999)

Adopted by ALA Council, this brief statement pronounces the distinguished place libraries hold in our society and their core tenets of access to materials and diversity of ideas.

Guidelines

Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q&A (2007)

Social Media Guidelines for Public and Academic Libraries (2018)

These guidelines provide a policy and implementation framework for public and academic libraries engaging in the use of social media.

Publications

Assistance and Consultation

The staff of the Office for Intellectual Freedom is available to answer questions or provide assistance to librarians, trustees, educators, and the public about the First Amendment and censorship. Areas of assistance include policy development, minors' rights, and professional ethics. Inquiries can be directed via email to oif@ala.org or via phone at (312) 280-4226.

Updated October 2021

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American Library Association has long championed the freedom of the press and the freedom to read. ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom collects resources about the First Amendment, censorship, academic freedom, and freedom of information.

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Banned & Challenge Books (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom)

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Banned & Challenge Books (ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom)

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AntiRacist School Librarians NOW!  (Maegen Rose)

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AntiRacist School Librarians NOW!  (Maegen Rose)

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Children's Books

When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!
Writers for Young People Talk About Censorship, Free Expression, and the Stories They Have to Tell
Compiled and edited by Leonard S. Marcus

For as long as there have been books, there have been censors who have tried to keep them away from other people. Today these efforts run the gamut from outright bans to limiting a book's availability by getting it removed from library shelves or cut from classroom syllabuses. The American Library Association publishes lists of the most frequently banned and challenged books, which, revealingly, contain mostly children's and young adult titles.

"You Can't Say That," a collection of interviews conducted by the children's literature expert Leonard S. Marcus, offers an antidote to the censors, elevating the voices of 13 authors whose books for kids have been challenged. Marcus probes not just what made these works controversial, but also the life paths that led the writers to pursue their subjects, and how they reacted to campaigns to muzzle their work - all of which are sure to interest their young fans, as well as students of free speech.

Explore the New York Times Book Review

Want to keep up with the latest and greatest in books? This is a good place to start.

Marcus talks with Dav Pilkey, whose Captain Underpants series routinely tops banned books lists, for reasons ranging from fart jokes to the depiction of a family with two fathers, and with Matt de la Peña, whose novel "Mexican Whiteboy" was caught in the cross hairs of a political tussle over a Mexican American studies program in Tucson's public school system. To read these writers sharing their reasons for broaching delicate topics is to realize that the fights over their books are fundamental struggles over how we are raising and educating new generations.

While few of the authors Marcus interviews expected to be censored, nearly all were consciously pushing boundaries by sharing perspectives that had been outside the reach of most children. Robie H. Harris, best known for "It's Perfectly Normal," a nonfiction work about puberty and sex, was warned that by offering explicit factual information to kids she would ruin her career. She forged ahead, determined to provide children with answers to important questions that most adults in their lives would rather not discuss. While Harris recounts feeling "terrible" for the librarians and booksellers who received physical threats after making her books available, she takes heart in the story of a young girl who reported being abused by her father after learning from Harris that that behavior is not normal at all.

Angie Thomas, the author of "The Hate U Give," found her hit book on the A.L.A.'s Top 10 list two years in a row. Often the reason given was the book's expletives, but Thomas believes its subject matter - the killing of an unarmed Black teenager by a white police officer - was what led the school district to call it "filth." The experience of hearing from children and parents deprived of a book they wanted to read prompted Thomas to take up the subject of censorship in her second novel, "On the Come Up," which portrays rap music as both a way to express subversive ideas and a target for those seeking to clamp down on unpopular points of view.

Marcus's interviews spotlight what is at stake when books are challenged. Authors can be thwarted in conveying their most pressing insights. Vulnerable readers can be denied information that may help them make sense of their lives, feel less alone or ask for help. Attempts to ban works of literature offer a potent reminder in a digital age of just how much books still matter.

New novels from Jonathan Franzen, Tiphanie Yanique and Gary Shteyngart are on the way.

Prefer nonfiction? Look for these essay collections, an exploration of the Marvel Comics universe and more.

Get to know your favorite actors and artists with these titles.

Six new books take up the pandemic, #MeToo and other timely topics.

Five biographies dive into the lives of Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde and more.

Or hear it straight from the authors: Check out these seven memoirs.

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Children's Books When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. YOU CAN'T SAY THAT!Writers for Young People Talk About Censorship, Free Expression, and the Stories They Have to TellCompiled and edited by Leonard S.

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In late October, Republican Texas state legislator Matt Krause wrote a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking it to look into how 850 books are being used in state schools. According to a breakdown of Krause's list from Book Riot, about two-thirds of the books explore LGBT storylines or feature LGBT characters. Another 15 percent or so could be categorized as sexual education. About 8 percent discuss race and racism.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined Krause's efforts this week, sending his own letter to the Texas Education Agency asking it and other agencies "to immediately develop statewide standards to prevent the presence of pornography and other obscene content in Texas public schools, including in school libraries."

While the censorship of some books in schools is nothing new, a growing number of challenges are against books about race. In her reporting on the topic, KERA reporter Miranda Suarez spoke to Deborah Caldwell-Stone who leads the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Caldwell-Stones said, "We went from a situation where the majority of books being challenged and removed in schools and libraries dealt with LGBTQ themes, to a situation where there's a real mix."

Pushback on certain books isn't limited to Texas. In late September, cartoonist Maia Kobabe found out that parents were complaining about eir book, "Gender Queer", in school libraries after being tagged in an Instagram video from a city council meeting. Kobabe wrote about what happened for The Washington Post

We look into which books are being challenged and why. Then we sit down with the authors of three of those books for their perspectives.

Miranda Suarez, Laurie Halse Anderson, Maia Kobabe, and Jacqueline Woodson join us for the conversation.
Like what you hear? Find more of our programs.

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In late October, Republican Texas state legislator Matt Krause wrote a letter to the Texas Education Agency asking it to look into how 850 books are being used in state schools. According to a breakdown of Krause's list from Book Riot, about two-thirds of the books explore LGBT storylines or feature LGBT characters.

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From classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the Harry Potter series, the list of books frequently challenged and banned includes many esteemed titles. Each year during Banned Books Week, educators are called upon to confront the practice of censoring children's literature. The annual event, started in 1982, offers the perfect opportunity to teach kids and their families about intellectual freedom and individual American's right to freely access information. Explore this book list of some of the most frequently challenged book titles.

When Books Are Challenged

Questioning whether certain books are appropriate for children is reasonable; some books just are too mature or difficult for some young readers. It's important to listen to parents' concerns and be prepared to guide kids who are selecting their own books.

Our desire to protect children, however, should not come at the risk of jeopardizing young readers' First Amendment rights. As the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights states, a person's use of the library may not be restricted or limited because of age.

Keep these tips in mind as you strive to simultaneously safeguard children and their intellectual freedom:

Expect challenges. Have a policy in place for handling challenged material. The policy should re-assert the library's commitment to presenting as many perspectives on as many topics as possible, unrestricted by partisan or personal biases. It should clearly outline the challenge process. The ALA offers guidelines and templates for drafting policies so you'll be prepared in case a situation arises.

Respect challenges. Part of intellectual freedom is respecting every person's right to challenge material in the library's collection. Challenges can even be beneficial to a collection: some material, outdated and inaccurate, should to be re-examined; valuable material will stand up to a fair challenge.

Work with parents. Collaborate, listen to concerns, and create a safe yet open space for children to explore information and ideas in the library. Demonstrate how critical thinking, discussion, and debate are great protectors that help children become lifelong learners able to evaluate information independently, responsibly, and safely.

Teach from history. Take time during Banned Books Week to explain to children the history of censorship and intellectual freedom. Call attention to familiar and beloved titles, using them to start discussions with kids and their families. Focus on topics such as freedom of thought and speech, the power of books and information, the promise of libraries, and the inseparability of intellectual freedom and democracy.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read

Use the theme of Banned Books Week - Celebrate Your Freedom to Read - to get kids thinking about the value of plurality, diverse ideas, and the civic responsibility that goes along with these freedoms. Here are some ways to make the event fun for kids:

1. Create flyers, posters, and stickers to get the word out and generate excitement!

2. Display famously challenged books such as In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Set up a message box where readers can submit notes with their thoughts about the titles and why they are valuable to readers. Add the messages to your display.

3. Give booktalks on favorite banned books - include where and why they were challenged, and explain what came of the challenges.

4. Host a family book group centered around a title that has been banned or challenged. Use the opportunity to consider what makes ideas threatening to people and the importance of intellectual freedom in a democracy. Discuss alternatives to censorship.

5. Lead a discussion about citizens' rights under the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

6. Invite kids and adults to come to a celebration dressed as their favorite banned-book character - don't forget to don your own outfit!

7. Create a trivia contest that focuses on titles that promote diversity and use it to generate interest in books kids may not be familiar with.

8. Teach a class on media literacy to show children and young adults how to analyze and evaluate the information they encounter.

As an educator, you play a vital role in informing children and young adults of their First Amendment rights and ensuring that these rights are protected and maintained in the library. Show young readers how to enjoy freedom - encourage them to read something new this week!

Additional Resources for Banned Book Week
ALA: Banned Books Week
Get lists of frequently banned books, free downloadable graphics, activity ideas to raise awareness, and answers to common questions about libraries, censorship, and the American Library Association's positions on the issues.
What You Can Do to Oppose Censorship
The American Library Association shares tips on how to make intellectual freedom a focus of your library.

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Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read! | Scholastic

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From classics like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to the Harry Potter series, the list of books frequently challenged and banned includes many esteemed titles. Each year during Banned Books Week, educators are called upon to confront the practice of censoring children's literature.

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The Freedom to Read is Protected Under the First Amendment

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The Freedom to Read is Protected Under the First Amendment

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https://www.freedomtoread.ca/resources/

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Resources on censorship and free expression for students and educators.

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The Writers' Room: When Schools Ban Books

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The Writers' Room: When Schools Ban Books

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The Writers' Room: When Schools Ban Books

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Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

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Banned Books Week began after the 1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico Supreme Court case, which ruled that school officials cannot ban books in libraries simply because of their content. Over the years, families and educators have challenged all of the titles on our banned book list. But we think they deserve to be read, analyzed, and enjoyed.

When is Banned Books Week 2021?

Banned Books Week 2021 takes place the week of September 26-October 2, 2021. The books below are a perfect way to celebrate!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

This picture book by the creator of the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are has been challenged for depicting a child's bare bottom in one illustration.

Why kids should read it

Sendak's distinct and artistic storytelling style shows respect for the deeply emotional and imaginative worlds of children. Children deserve this serious attention and recognition while exploring the worlds of their own imaginations.

Activity to try

Encourage students to write and illustrate their own magical recipes, like the one in the story.

2. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell (Pre-K-2)

Two male penguins, desperate to start a family of their own, adopt an egg to hatch. It is often challenged because it features a same-gender relationship.

Why kids should read it

This book sensitively addresses the questions of what constitutes a family. For the nearly six million Americans with an LGBT parent, it provides a mirror to see their families represented in the books they read at school.

Activity to try

Use the book as a springboard for discussing students' own family structures.

This best-selling graphic novel series uses bathroom humor to get laughs. It has been challenged for offensive language and violence.

Why kids should read it

A well-established kid-favorite, especially for those with learning and attention issues, this series will keep reluctant readers engaged and wanting more and defines the qualities of a superhero and good friend.

Activity to try

Create an anchor chart of superhero traits to practice both identifying character traits and genre.

This inspiring book is about a grandmother who enrolls her granddaughter in a secret school for girls in Afghanistan. It has been challenged for its religious viewpoint and violence.

Why kids should read it

It affirms the life-changing power of education that many Western students may take for granted.

Activity to try

Use the book as a starting point for a conversation about how school is different around the world.

This collection of 135 silly, irreverent poems has been challenged for glorifying children's disobedience. One school disproved of the book because it "encourages children to break dishes so they don't have to dry them."

Why kids should read it

Kids devour these poems, poring over and delighting in every word. Reading and rereading each poem helps build fluency that is crucial for early readers.

Activity to try

Use the poems to practice identifying reading skills, such as identifying parts of speech.

Fifth-grader Jess creates an imaginary world with his best friend, Leslie. He then deals with her sudden death in this Newbery Medal-winning novel that has been challenged for offensive language and promoting the occult.

Why kids should read it

This perceptive and moving novel teaches kids about unconditional friendship and how to cope with loss. The characters and story stay with students long after they have finished reading it; this is a book that kids never forget.

Activity to try

Discuss Jess's evolution as a friend throughout the story.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-391857" src="https://www.weareteachers.com/wp-content/uploads/9780141369358.jpg" alt="James and the Giant Peach

The story follows an abused young boy who magically travels with a group of talking insects inside a giant peach to New York City. Since its publication in 1961, the novel has been challenged for mysticism, promotion of disobedience, references to tobacco and alcohol, and for being too scary for children.

Why kids should read it

The poems in this story are especially great for choral reading, which can build students' fluency, self-confidence, and motivation.

Activity to try

Perform a choral reading of one of the poems in the story. Find tips for choral reading here.

8. Drama by Raina Telgemeier (6-9)

This Stonewall Honor Award-winning graphic novel portrays the questions and confusion of middle school relationships, presenting a positive experience of coming out to friends. It has been challenged in school libraries because it includes LGBT characters.

Why kids should read it

As a graphic novel, this book is valuable because it can serve as both a bridge to other genres and a valid literary source in its own right.

Activity to try

Use Drama to teach visual literacy, story structure, inference, drawing conclusions, and identifying cause-and-effect relationships.

This vivid story of an African-American family dealing with racism during the Depression won the Newbery Medal but has also been challenged for offensive language.

Why kids should read it

The honest depiction of racism during the Depression can open uncomfortable, but necessary conversations as students empathize with and see themselves in different characters.

Activity to try

Invite students to write in response to the story's ending.

10. The Giver by Lois Lowry (6-9)

This haunting, dystopian novel tackles issues of euthanasia, suicide, and sexuality in a way that some parents deem unsuitable for middle-grade children.

Why kids should read it

The Giver gets students thinking about and discussing philosophical issues around what makes an ideal society.

Activity to try

The open ending creates a perfect writing prompt for students to extend the story. View more discussion questions here.

This classic adventure story set during the Klondike Gold Rush was burned in Nazi bonfires in 1933 because of the author's socialist views.

Why kids should read it

This action-packed story is told from the perspective of a pack dog and allows students to explore the idea of seeing things from an animal's point of view.

Activity to try

Have students write their own animal-centric tales.

12. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (9 and up)

This National Book Award finalist explores the inner turmoil of a high school freshman after being date-raped. Its unflinching honesty has drawn challenges from parents who think it is unsuitable for young teenagers.

Why kids should read it

Published long before the #MeToo movement, this book models speaking truth to power. Too many girls are burdened with the weight of silence, and too many boys are unaware of their own toxic masculinity. Sadly, this is a reality for young teenagers, so we all need to talk about it.

Activity to try

Discuss the title of the story and its significance.

13. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (9 and up)

Starr is the sole witness of the murder of her childhood friend by a white police officer in this transformative and gripping YA novel. Despite winning multiple awards, it was challenged in school libraries because of drug use, profanity, and offensive language.

Why kids should read it

An engaging narrator and storyline encourage students to connect their reading to real-world contexts and develop critical consciousness of a crucial issue affecting many Americans today.

Activity to try

Listen to radio interviews related to the Black Lives Matter movement and discuss the themes of the story.

Even though it is regarded as a seminal work of literature, parents have objected to the 1937 novel's language and sexual explicitness.

Why kids should read it

It shows students the ways a writer can use language in beautiful and inventive ways to bring a character and setting to life.

Activity to try

Compare the novel to its movie adaptation (such comparisons are part of the Common Core Standards).

15. Native Son by Richard Wright (10 and up)

Parents have raised concerns about profanity, violence, and sexuality in this book about a man on trial for murder in the 1930s.

Why kids should read it

With its themes of class privilege, racism, poverty, and criminal justice, Native Son is as important today as it was when it was published in 1940.

Activity to try

View some suggested discussion questions here.

16. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (10 and up)

This novel about a Black man's coming of age won the National Book Award in 1952. It has been challenged for its profanity and images of violence and sexuality.

Why kids should read it

Especially relevant today, Ellison's provocative critique of society challenges students to question their ideas of personal identity, personal responsibility, anonymity, and what it means to be visible in modern life.

Activity to try

Discuss the role that naming plays in the story.

What did we forget to include on our must-read banned book list? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

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16 Banned Books to Read Before 12th Grade

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Banned Books Week began after the 1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico Supreme Court case, which ruled that school officials cannot ban books in libraries simply because of their content. Over the years, families and educators have challenged all of the titles on our banned book list.

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SLJ List of Articles (recent challenges)

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SLJ List of Articles (recent challenges)

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Librarians should take advantage of this year's Banned Books Week celebration to help students learn that the freedom to read is based on principles of intellectual freedom. What ideas does society allow or restrict? Who decides?

If we are to build civic-literate students, we should offer them opportunities to learn that book censorship is more than just censoring "curse" words, violence, or sex scenes. Indeed, this point will naturally arise by simply sharing OIF's top 10 challenged books in 2020. 8 of the 10 books were challenged due to racial or gender identity content.

OIF blogger Sabine Jean Dantus previously wrote about this topic, including a tweet from award-winning author Kelly Yang in which she shares her own experiences with challenges to Front Desk. In general, parents against diverse books believe that schools should not cover subjects such as racism because an end result is that white students feel badly about themselves and are taught that they are inherently racist. As Dantus points out, this misguided view invalidates the actual lived experiences of people of color. Students can also learn empathy by reading about other people's lived experiences instead of relying on propagandistic talking points perpetuated by politicians and media "analysts."

A lack of media literacy skills can lead to limiting intellectual freedom rights. This past week, I discovered a Facebook group, South Carolina Parents Involved in Education, which appears to be anti-public education and pro-home school. They recently held a meeting in Summerville, SC, to discuss "how to find and eradicate Critical Race Theory in your schools." I noticed that the administrator shared a link to this Babylon Bee article, presenting it as fact. When I pointed out the satirical nature of that site, the administrator responded, "I believe you are wrong. It is not satire. It is news."

There are many other examples of this type of activism. Now, actual legislation is being proposed based on this phantom menace. What is being called the "Curriculum Review of Teachings (CRT) Transparency Act" requiring public schools to post curriculum on an open-access website was proposed by U.S. Congressman Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx, R-North Carolina.

The idea that curriculum is hidden because of nefarious intent is simply false. One response is to remind others that the state standards often serve as a foundational curriculum guide, and they are already readily available. Most schools use state-adopted textbooks. Furthermore, given schools' ultra-reliance on technology during the pandemic, teaching resources are probably already available in a learning management system such as Schoology or Google Classroom.

Have students ever looked closely at your library displays? Have them consider whether or not library displays should have to be approved. The Craighead County Library Board in Jonesboro, AK, voted down two proposals that would have significantly censored library staff. Displays would have required pre-approval and would have been limited to one area, which became a concern due to an LGBTQ display. Similarly, all children's library acquisitions would have required board approval. Every single book.

In Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien Public Library, Republican congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden complained loudly and aggressively about a Gay Pride display, causing library employees to feel scared and unsafe, and checked out all of the books from the display but one. According to the article, he was overheard calling the books disgusting and factually incorrect. In a statement, he paradoxically asserted that books like these serve to further divide Americans and unfairly portray Republicans as intolerant...which his actions proved.

In early September, the New York Times reported that a traveling LGBTQ exhibit which showed "how L.G.B.T.Q. people had organized in Kansas City and later created a group that fostered a community of gay people in the city" was removed from the Missouri State Capitol and will be relocated to "a building at the Jefferson Landing State Historic Site." It was only on display for a few days when apparently complaints and an illegitimate excuse (procedure for selecting what would be on display) prompted its removal. Missouri State Representative Brian Seitz is quoted as having said "that it would 'cause division' at a time when the country 'needs unity.'"

Students could consider whether or not moving a book to a different section constitutes censorship. That was one suggestion made by Commissioner Del Shelstad in Wyoming at the Campbell County Public Library; simply move an LGBTQ book to the adult section. Residents there complained about LGBTQ books and displays. Commissioner Colleen Faber raised a pointed question: "Is it fair to expect a certain level of morality for our library's children's materials?" Libraries do not select or deselect items according to one religion's standard of gender, which she mislabels as morality.

Those who argue that libraries should censor LGBTQ materials also miss Sabine Jean Dantus's point about silencing other people's lived experiences. Why should children of non-binary parents, for example, not be able to access credible, unbiased information about gender?

Why should their life experiences be deemed immoral in a public setting and their access to information limited? Not only that, but being exposed to diversity shows people that even though discrimination still occurs, it's not inevitable that it continue.

Current attempts to limit intellectual freedom rights in the context of libraries and schools are based on mis- and disinformation rapidly spreading on social media. To counter that, let's offer intellectual freedom programming throughout the year. Ensure that all displays feature diversity, not just during a special week or month. Make a poster featuring Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights to enforce the idea that a patron's age does not limit their rights to equitable access. Host Q&A sessions with credible speakers on issues such as anti-racist education and journalism. Share the Library Bill of Rights and discuss the historical contexts of its principles. These ideas will show patrons and students that intellectual freedom isn't scary. Breaking through the faux fear is the first obstacle.

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Intellectual Freedom Censorship After Banned Books Week

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Librarians should take advantage of this year's Banned Books Week celebration to help students learn that the freedom to read is based on principles of intellectual freedom. What ideas does society allow or restrict? Who decides? If we are to build civic-literate students, we should offer them opportunities to learn that book censorship is more than just censoring "curse" words, violence, or sex scenes.