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We should trust individuals to make their own decisions. Raise your voice for everyone’s freedom to read. #UniteAgainstBookBans

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On Tuesday this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State signed legislation that strengthens the protection from frivolous lawsuits. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPP suits, are a strategic form of litigation that is used by wealthy plaintiffs...

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On Tuesday this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York State signed legislation that strengthens the protection from frivolous lawsuits. Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, or SLAPP suits, are a strategic form of litigation that is used by wealthy plaintiffs...

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You can file a challenge report online, send an email to oif@ala.org or call the helpline at (312)280-4221.

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚 https://t.co/ZgIJZVkr4j

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#TXASL friends, I need some help! Who posted a graphic recently that offered a great overview of collection development process? Or does anyone have something like this to share?  @TxASL https://t.co/48fOcuP5rd

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚 pic.twitter.com/ZgIJZVkr4j
— Lucy Ibarra Podmore (@LuPodmore) September 2, 2022

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚 https://t.co/ZgIJZVkr4j

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#TXASL friends, I need some help! Who posted a graphic recently that offered a great overview of collection development process? Or does anyone have something like this to share?  @TxASL https://t.co/48fOcuP5rd

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚 https://t.co/ZgIJZVkr4j

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Thanks to the great @HeatherHornor -found it! Thanks also to the amazing @TxASL member who created this!❤️📚

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#TXASL friends, I need some help! Who posted a graphic recently that offered a great overview of collection development process? Or does anyone have something like this to share?  @TxASL https://t.co/48fOcuP5rd

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Sample Letter to Representation - GLMA - HB 888

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The Free Expression Educators Handbook from NCTE

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The Free Expression Educators Handbook from NCTE

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A Baltimore mom was surprised and unhappy recently when her son came home from school missing three teeth. The source? A mobile dental clinic at a Baltimore city public school had extracted some of her son's teeth that day. The mother didn't realize it, but she had already consented to the dental work through signing a permission slip/release form.

Most parents and students do not know that under the law as it is now, Directory Information about students can be shared with third parties without parental or student consent. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act determines what kinds of information schools can share with third parties. Although directory information may sound innocuous, it can include information about each student that is quite detailed. Directory information can include:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2015 San Diego - What should a parent or adult student do when a school asks for sensitive health information? What happens when a school offers a health clinic for treatment? What protects all of the sensitive health information at schools? This issue has been on the WPF radar lately

Schools increasingly provide students with more health services. Health clinics, counselors on site, administration of drugs, and vaccinations are among the types of healthcare offered on school campuses ranging from kindergarten through graduate school. Given that schools may have sensitive health information, what law covers health record privacy for school records? The answer is important. It is also messy, because two laws can apply to this information. In some cases, no privacy law applies to the health records.

President Obama has announced that the White House will propose legislation for educational privacy reform. The administration needs to start with the basics and get FERPA right once and for all, because currently, FERPA is not doing the job it was intended to do. Here's a backgrounder on this educational privacy cornerstone.

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A Baltimore mom was surprised and unhappy recently when her son came home from school missing three teeth. The source? A mobile dental clinic at a Baltimore city public school had extracted some of her son's teeth that day. The mother didn't realize it, but she had already consented to the dental work through signing a permission slip/release form.

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Slideshare presentation created by a Library Science student 

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Slideshare presentation created by a Library Science student 

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A presentation I made for our library science students.

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By: Kate Lechtenberg

Intellectual Freedom Inventory: Back to School Edition!

It's almost that time again, the most wonderful time of the year: back to school! I must confess, I love going back to school in the fall. I crave routine, I love the fresh start, and school supplies make me happy.

In honor of Back to School 2018, I'm taking the Intellectual Freedom News format and offering a few questions for reflection and resources for librarians and teachers.

We can all benefit from a quick-and-dirty IF checklist to jog our memories, refresh our toolkits, and recommit to upholding our patrons' and students' rights to read, access information, maintain privacy, and speak freely!

And just like the weekly IF News, there's too much here to read all at once, so just pick a few areas that you need or want to explore and dive in!

Censorship

Librarians: Do I know my selection and reconsideration policy? Have I scheduled a time to share this policy (as a reminder or a first-time conversation) with my stakeholders (administrators, parents, students, patrons, colleagues)? Have I reviewed ALA's revised Selection & Reconsideration Policy Toolkit and compared it to my own policies?

Teachers: Have I considered how I will respond if someone challenges a book on my syllabus? Do I know the policies that govern these challenges? Am I prepared with rationales for the books I include on my syllabus? Have I talked to my librarian for support and resources? Have I proactively planned for choice in the curriculum so that all students can find books that meet their needs and interests? Have I included a blurb about choice and alternate reading materials (consistent with my institution's selection and reconsideration policies) in my course syllabus?

Everybody: What am I planning to do to observe Banned Books Week? How will I talk with my stakeholders about censorship before and after Banned Books Week?

Privacy

Librarians: Have I taken steps to make sure my OPAC is not keeping library circulation records longer than necessary? Is it clearly posted in the library what information is private and what is not private when using library or school computers/hardware/software?

Teachers: Am I comfortable with the privacy agreements for the web and social media apps that I ask my students to use? Do I know what kinds of data Google Apps for Education is collection about my students? When can I build in a lesson about privacy this year?

Net Neutrality and Broadband Access

Filtering

Everybody: Who is in charge of managing our filters? How do they make decisions about manually blocking websites in addition to the filtered content? What is the process if students or staff need access to content that is filtered?

Copyright

Librarians: Do we have copyright basics posted near copy machines or other relevant places? Do we have handouts available for patrons who have questions about copyright? Do we have materials to support understandings of fair use, providing attribution, and Creative Commons licensing?

Teachers: Do I teach my students how to search for images that are marked for noncommercial reuse? Do I include a note in my syllabus to explain to my students that course materials are for educational use only, and handouts, articles, and texts should not be posted online?

Libraries & Hate Speech

Everybody: If I find hate speech in my books or spaces, who will I reach out to for support?

Access

Librarians: Are the library sections and signs purely directional and not intended to deny access?

Teachers: Can we rethink our permission slip practices for choice reading? When my assignments require students to use technology, do I have a plan to support students without home access?

Free Press, Social Media, and Fake News

Academic Freedom & Campus Speech

First Amendment and Free Speech

ALA News
Kate Lechtenberg is a doctoral student in Language, Literacy, and Culture in the University of Iowa's College of Education. After working in public schools for fourteen years as a high school English teacher and school librarian, her doctoral research now focuses on text selection, multicultural literature, educational standards, and equity initiatives. Kate teaches a young adult literature course in the College of Education and a school librarian course on print and digital collection management in the School of Library and Information Science. She is also a member of the AASL Standards Implementation Task Force. Find her on Twitter @katelechtenberg.

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Intellectual Freedom Inventory: Back to School Edition

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By: Kate Lechtenberg It's almost that time again, the most wonderful time of the year: back to school! I must confess, I love going back to school in the fall. I crave routine, I love the fresh start, and school supplies make me happy.

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Pat Scales advises school librarians on teachers judging a book by its page count and forcing students to return books above their reading level.
My third grade son participated in the summer reading program at the local public library. One book he borrowed came with a verbal warning from the librarian. I'm a middle school librarian, and I would never warn a reader about the content in a book. The librarian told me she couldn't personally endorse the title.
Libraries provide access to books and materials that may not be endorsed by every staff member or every member within a community. But the librarian has a professional responsibility to serve patron needs and requests without judgment. Perhaps this librarian should read the American Library Association's (ALA) Library Bill of Rights. Look at the fourth paragraph:
Prejudicial labels are designed to restrict access, based on a value judgment that the content, language, or themes of the resource, or the background or views of the creator(s) of the resource, render it inappropriate or offensive for all or certain groups of users. The prejudicial label is used to warn, discourage, or prohibit users or certain groups of users from accessing the resource.
The librarian is also violating ALA's Code of Ethics for Librarianship. Take a look at the seventh statement:
We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.
Make an appointment with the library director and alert them to this librarian's behavior. She is allowing her personal views to interfere with her service to patrons. It's obvious your son was bothered by this warning. He's lucky to have a parent who cares deeply about this issue.
I'm an elementary school librarian, and I have had a problem with a first grade teacher who doesn't think her students should be allowed to borrow books they can't read. Last year, I saw her humiliating students by stating in a very loud voice, "You know you can't read that book. Put it back." How should I handle this?
I would arrange a meeting with this teacher, or maybe all the first grade teachers, and help them understand that many students have families who read aloud to them. The school should want to promote this shared experience. Then, when first graders come to the library to borrow books, lead them to titles they can read-and ones that someone may read to them. Why shouldn't they be allowed to take several? Perhaps the teachers will embrace this idea.
I'm a new school librarian, and I've spent the summer reviewing the library policies set by the past librarian. I'm struggling with the policy that states, "Students owing fines for lost library materials in the previous year will not be issued library cards." How is this policy related to the principles of intellectual freedom?
This policy relates to intellectual freedom because it denies students access to materials that they may need to become successful learners. We want to promote library use, not discourage it. Many school libraries don't charge fines; it's unfair to students from homes that can't afford to pay. Also, lost books often reappear the next year. A school library is a "lending library," and some materials will be lost. I suggest you rewrite the policy, stating, "It is expected that library users respect library materials by returning them on time or by renewing them should they need them longer."
I'm a middle school librarian, and I've had parents call me to complain about one English teacher who thumbs through a book and notes the number of pages before she approves it for a book report. She doesn't even know the titles. This eliminates shorter books that students are excited about reading.
The parents should be calling her, not you. That said, try having a conversation with the teacher and tell her that you want to lead students to books that meet her approval and challenge them intellectually. Point out that some of the most challenging books are short. Suggest that the two of you work together to identify such titles. Perhaps you can take turns sharing them with students. I bet you can convince her that the number of pages isn't an appropriate way to judge a book. That's like judging a book by its cover.
Pat Scales is the former chair of ALA's Intellectual Freedom Committee. Send questions to pscales@bellsouth.net.
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american library association library bill of rights

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Teacher Shames Students for Book Selection, Reading Ability | Scales on Censorship

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Pat Scales advises school librarians on teachers judging a book by its page count and forcing students to return books above their reading level. My third grade son participated in the summer reading program at the local public library. One book he borrowed came with a verbal warning from the librarian.

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Parents' concerns about a YA collection; a grandmother questions a Newbery honoree.
I work in the children's room of a small public library. A grandmother who provides after-school care for her grandson called and complained that she thought Breaking Stalin's Nose is heavy reading for a fourth grader. She said she didn't want him reading about the Holocaust. I tried to explain that the book isn't about the Holocaust, but she still wants to challenge it.
This award-winning book is appropriate for a fourth grader, and you took the first step in dealing with the issue by explaining to the grandmother that the book isn't about the Holocaust. I hope you described the entire story to her and pointed out the praise this Newbery Honor title has received. That said, if she still wants to challenge the book, you should explain the library policy and ask that she complete a reconsideration form. Most forms ask that the person bringing the challenge outline the themes of the book and the parts that are concerning. Don't be surprised if the form is incomplete if and when the grandmother returns it. Just send the challenge through the proper channels and allow the process to work.

There have been cases where caregivers have caused havoc in public libraries about books and materials available in the children's room. Sometimes they don't understand children's interests and aren't completely aware of their abilities.

Though Breaking Stalin's Nose isn't about the Holocaust, I should point out that many fourth graders want to read about the Holocaust and World War II. Look at the popularity of Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and The Boy on the Wooden Box byLeon Leyson. The grandson appears to be interested in history, and these may be the next books he wants to read. I hope he enjoys them.
I read The Outsiders when I was in middle school. I recently suggested it to a seventh-grade student. He took the book but brought it back because he said his mother read that it had been banned.
It sounds as if the mother hasn't read the book but is simply reacting to the American Library Association's "banned books" list. This has happened a lot in school and public libraries. Just reassure the boy that you understand and that it's okay to return the book unread. The issue is really between the student and his mother, but don't be surprised if you see him reading it in the library. Just allow him to do so quietly, and don't make further comments. In my career, I had many students who elected to read a book at school rather than at home. Whatever the reason was their business and not mine.

In workshops, I've asked adults to share a book that they remember from their middle school years. The Outsiders is one of the most often named. Hinton's novel was groundbreaking when published in 1967, and it has withstood the test of time. Middle school students still love it, in spite of those who disapprove.
A group of parents in my high school have complained about a number of young adult titles in the library. The president of the PTA asked if I would consider addressing the parents and their concerns at a PTA Meeting in the fall. I'm very nervous about this and feel as though I'm being thrown into the lion's den.
Thank the president of the PTA for asking you to do a program, and begin planning now. I suggest you ask students to write a paragraph about a book they would most want their parents to read and why. Allow them to remain anonymous, but request that they put their age at the top of the page. Plan to read some of the responses from each grade. This allows parents to see how students mature from freshman to senior year. Make an annotated bibliography of all the books mentioned, and distribute it to the parents.

Also, think about the books that students study in literature classes. Identify contemporary novels that parallel the themes in these novels. For example, Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman is a retelling of The Great Gatsby. Help parents see that reading young adult books with similar themes may actually help them through the novels they are studying.

Don't forget to make the case for pleasure reading. Students are under so much academic pressure that they sometimes need downtime to simply dive into a good story.

I think that you may be surprised at how well the parents receive you. Look at it as an opportunity to advocate for teens and the books they read.
Pat Scales is the former chair of the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee. You can send your questions or comments on censorship to her at pscales@bellsouth.net.
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Parents' concerns about a YA collection; a grandmother questions a Newbery honoree. I work in the children's room of a small public library. A grandmother who provides after-school care for her grandson called and complained that she thought Breaking Stalin's Nose is heavy reading for a fourth grader.

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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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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 Assistant Director Kristin Pekoll at 800-545-2433, ext. 4221, or via email: kpekoll@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

If after discussing the legal and ethical reasons for following the reconsideration process, the principal or library director does not follow policy and removes the challenged resource (or one about which a concern has been raised), how far should a librarian go to defend a library resource?

This is a personal, ethical decision, and the librarian must weigh what else can be done. If the director or principal is adamant, the librarian may be forced to evaluate the risk of retaliation from his supervisor or losing a job against the merits of continuing to oppose censorship by a supervisor. After considering the situation carefully, he may come to acknowledge that he has done all that is possible at this time, or he may decide that taking a principled stand is better for him.

The 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 alderman, school superintendent, or school board members. Although the public official or school administrator should remind the challenger that there is a review process in place, this does not always occur.

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 librarians 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.

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 2018

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As with any public service, libraries receive complaints and expressions of concern. One of the librarian's responsibilities is to handle these complaints in a respectful and fair manner. The complaints that librarians often worry about most are those dealing with library resources or free access policies.

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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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Internet Filters in schools and libraries

Have any of your internet searches at school ever been blocked?

That is because of a law called the Children Internet Protection Act, passed in Dec. 2000, which requires schools and libraries receiving federal e-rate funding for Internet connections to filter out certain types of objectionable online content. CIPA survived a challenge in the Supreme Court, and today schools and libraries are still required to adhere to the law.

PROBLEMS WITH CIPA:

1. Underblocks - Filters exist presumably to filter porn, yet it still manages to seep in. It is impossible to filter out so many sites, particularly when new ones are appearing every day to replace filtered ones.

2. Overblocks - Some students have found that words like "pussy willows; magna cum laude; Dick Army; also Buddhist nunnery. Hump-back whales, Titanic" are filtered.

3. Misleads - Because many filters can have overly broad categories like "sex", which includes homosexuality; "cult," which includes Paganism, wicca, these groups are marginalized.

4. Infringes upon students' free expression rights.

5. Costs needy school districts a lot of money and time to install filters and keep them updated.

6. Discriminates - Filters can create a "Digital Divide" between the haves and have-nots. Those who depend on schools and libraries for information, and do not have access to personal internet access at home, find themselves disadvantaged in the information age if their searches are being filtered.

We believe that censorship is not the solution and actually creates greater problems. The real solution is to teach children how to be media literate, to be responsible and to make educated decisions on how to participate and take advantage of the information age.

Links for more information on internet filters and CIPA
Some filtered sites may include:

Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network, www.GLSEN.org, is "the leading national organization fighting to end anti-gay bias in K-12 schools. It combats the harassment and discrimination leveled against students and school personnel by creating learning environments that affirm the inherent dignity of all students, and, in so doing, teaches students to respect and accept all of their classmates- regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression."

NYCLU Teen Health Initiative, www.nyclu.org/thi, was founded to help New York State kids and teens obtain vital information about their rights to healthcare, including comprehensive reproductive healthcare.

Planned Parenthood, for news articles, resources, and free advice and legal assistance about your right to public health information, visit this abstinence-only report by Planned Parentood at their website www.plannedparenthood.org.

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Internet Filters in schools and libraries

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Have any of your internet searches at school ever been blocked? That is because of a law called the Children Internet Protection Act, passed in Dec. 2000, which requires schools and libraries receiving federal e-rate funding for Internet connections to filter out certain types of objectionable online content.

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Defend LGBTQ Stories: A Resource - National Coalition Against Censorship

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Despite hard-won progress towards LGBTQ equality, books centering LGBTQ characters and stories remain among the most frequently challenged and banned in schools and libraries. 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.

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"The library is a growing organism"
S.R. Ranganathan (1931)

Home | Introduction
Why Do I Need a Policy? | Politics and Timing of Policy Creation | Selection Policies for Non-Public Institutions

Basic Components of a Selection Policy
Library Mission | Support for Intellectual Freedom | Objectives | Responsibility for Selection | Selection Criteria | Acquisitions Procedures | Special Collections | Selecting Controversial Materials | Gifts and Donations | Collection Maintenance and Weeding | Policy Revision | Reconsideration

Reconsideration Procedure
Guiding Principles | Statement of Policy | Informal Complaints | Request for Formal Reconsideration | Sample Reconsideration Form | Sample Letter to Complainant | Reconsideration Committees

Appendix
Intellectual Freedom Core Documents | Challenge Support and Reporting Censorship | Bibliography of Additional Selection and Reconsideration Policy Resources

Thank you

Creation of this toolkit would have not been possible without the expertise and dedication of the numerous individuals who took the time to share their passion for intellectual freedom.
Thank you for your contributions to the development of the Selection & Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, & Academic Libraries

Helen R. Adams, Online Senior Lecturer, Antioch University-Seattle, Fremont, WI
Dr. April Dawkins, Assistant Professor, Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, NC
Jean Duncan McFarren, Deputy Director, Stark County District Library, Canton, OH
Lisa Errico, Associate Professor, Library Department, Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY
Valerie Nye, Library Director, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Kristin Pekoll, Assistant Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association, Chicago, IL
Kristin Whitehair, Director of Library Services, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, KS
Endorsed by the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee | January 2018
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 selection and reconsideration policies. Areas of assistance include policy development, state laws, and professional ethics. Inquiries can be directed via email to oif@ala.org or via phone at (312) 280-4226.

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Selection & Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, & Academic Libraries

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"The library is a growing organism" S.R. Ranganathan (1931) Home | IntroductionWhy Do I Need a Policy? | Politics and Timing of Policy Creation | Selection Policies for Non-Public InstitutionsEvery library - academic, public, and school (public, private, charter, independent, and international) - should have a comprehensive written policy that guides the selection, deselection or weeding, and reconsideration of library resources.

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This statement was originally developed in 1981, revised April 2009 to adhere to NCTE's Policy on Involvement of People of Color, and revised again in September 2018. The Right to Read and the Teacher of English
Overview: The Students' Right to Read provides resources that can be used to help discuss and ensure students' free access to all texts. The genesis of the Students' Right to Read was an original Council statement, "Request for Reconsideration of a Work," prepared by the Committee on the Right to Read of the National Council of Teachers of English and revised by Ken Donelson. The current Students' Right to Read statement represents an updated second edition that builds on the work of Council members dedicated to ensuring students the freedom to choose to read any text and opposing "efforts of individuals or groups to limit the freedom of choice of others." Supported through references from text challenges and links to resources, this statement discusses the history and dangers of text censorship which highlight the breadth and significance of the Students' Right to Read. The statement then culminates in processes that can be followed with different stakeholders when students' reading rights are infringed.

For many years, American schools have been pressured to restrict or deny students access to texts deemed objectionable by some individual or group. These pressures have mounted in recent years, and English teachers have no reason to believe they will diminish. The fight against censorship is a continuing series of skirmishes, not a pitched battle leading to a final victory over censorship.

We can safely make two statements about censorship: first, any text is potentially open to attack by someone, somewhere, sometime, for some reason; second, censorship is often arbitrary and irrational. For example, classics traditionally used in English classrooms have been accused of containing obscene, heretical, or subversive elements such as the following:

Plato's Republic: "the book is un-Christian"

Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days: "very unfavorable to Mormons"

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter: "a filthy book"

Shakespeare's Macbeth: "too violent for children today"

Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment: "a poor model for young people"

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick: "contains homosexuality"

Modern works, even more than the classics, are criticized with terms such as "filthy," "un-American," "overly realistic," and "anti-war." Some books have been attacked merely for being "controversial," suggesting that for some people the purpose of education is not the investigation of ideas but rather the indoctrination of a certain set of beliefs and standards. Referencing multiple years of research completed by the American Library Association (ALA), the following statements represent complaints typical of those made against modern works of literature:

D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: "profanity, lurid passages about sex, and statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled"

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: "uses the name of God and Jesus in a vain and profane manner"

Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson's And Tango Makes Three: "anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group"

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird: "promotes racial hatred, racial division, racial separation, and promotes white supremacy"

Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia: "occult/Satanism, offensive language, violence"

Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye: "offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group"

Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings's I Am Jazz: "inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group"

Some groups and individuals have also raised objections to literature written specifically for young people. As long as novels intended for young people stayed at the intellectual and emotional level of A Date for Marcy or A Touchdown for Thunderbird High, censors could forego criticism. But many contemporary novels for adolescents focus on the real world of young people-drugs, premarital sex, alcoholism, divorce, gangs, school dropouts, racism, violence, and sensuality. English teachers willing to defend classics and modern literature must be prepared to give equally spirited defense to serious and worthwhile children's and young adult novels.

Literature about minoritized ethnic or racial groups remains "controversial" or "objectionable" to many adults. As long as groups such as African Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Latinxs "kept their proper place"-awarded them by a White society-censors rarely raised their voices. But attacks have increased in frequency as minoritized groups have refused to observe their assigned "place." Though nominally, the criticisms of literature about minoritized racial or ethnic groups have usually been directed at "bad language," "suggestive situations," "questionable literary merit," or "ungrammatical English" (usually oblique complaints about the different dialect or culture of a group), the underlying motive for some attacks has unquestionably been discriminatory. Typical of censors' criticisms of ethnic works are the following comments:

Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: "homosexuality, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group"

Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima: "occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence"

Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner: "sexual violence, religious themes, 'may lead to terrorism'"

Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: "anti-family, cultural insensitivity, drugs/alcohol/smoking, gambling, offensive language, sex education, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group, violence, depictions of bullying"

Books are not alone in being subject to censorship. Magazines or newspapers used, recommended, or referred to in English classes have increasingly drawn the censor's fire. Few libraries would regard their periodical collection as worthwhile or representative without some or all of the following publications, but all of them have been the target of censors on occasion:

National Geographic: "Nudity and sensationalism, especially in stories on barbaric foreign people."

Scholastic Magazine: "Doctrines opposing the beliefs of the majority, socialistic programs; promotes racial unrest and contains very detailed geography of foreign countries, especially those inhabited by dark people."

National Observer: "Right-wing trash with badly reported news."

New York Times: "That thing should be outlawed after printing the Pentagon Papers and helping our country's enemies."

The immediate results of demands to censor books or periodicals vary. At times, school boards and administrators have supported and defended their teachers, their use of materials under fire, and the student's right of access to the materials. At other times, however, special committees have been formed to cull out "objectionable works" or "modern trash" or "controversial literature." Some teachers have been summarily reprimanded for assigning certain works, even to mature students. Others have been able to retain their positions only after initiating court action.

Not as sensational, but perhaps more important, are the long range effects of censoring the rights of educators and students to self-select what they read and engage with. Schools have removed texts from libraries and classrooms and curricula have been changed when English teachers have avoided using or recommending works which might make some members of the community uncomfortable or angry. Over the course of their schooling, many students are consequently "educated" in a system that is hostile to critical inquiry and dialogue. And many teachers and other school staff learn to emphasize their own sense of comfort and safety rather than their students' needs.

The problem of censorship does not derive solely from the small anti-intellectual, ultra-moral, or ultra-patriotic groups which will typically function in a society that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The present concern is rather with the frequency and force of attacks by others, often people of good will and the best intentions, some from within the teaching profession. The National Council of Teachers of English, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the American Library Association, as well as the publishing industry and writers themselves agree: pressures for censorship are great throughout our society.
Where suspicion fills the air and holds scholars in line for fear of their jobs, there can be no exercise of the free intellect. . . . A problem can no longer be pursued with impunity to its edges. Fear stalks the classroom. The teacher is no longer a stimulant to adventurous thinking; she [sic] becomes instead a pipe line for safe and sound information. A deadening dogma takes the place of free inquiry. Instruction tends to become sterile; pursuit of knowledge is discouraged; discussion often leaves off where it should begin.
The material that follows is divided into two sections. The first on "The Right to Read" is addressed to parents and the community at large. The other section, "A Program of Action," lists Council recommendations for establishing professional committees in every school to set up procedures for book selection, to work for community support, and to review complaints against texts.
The Right to Read
-Justice William O. Douglas, United States Supreme Court: Adler v. Board of Education, 1951

An open letter to our country from the National Council of Teachers of English:

The right to read, like all rights guaranteed or implied within our constitutional tradition, can be used wisely or foolishly. In many ways, education is an effort to improve the quality of choices open to all students. But to deny the freedom of choice in fear that it may be unwisely used is to destroy the freedom itself. For this reason, we respect the right of individuals to be selective in their own reading. But for the same reason, we oppose efforts of individuals or groups to limit the freedom of choice of others or to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large.

One of the foundations of a democratic society is the individual's right to read, and also the individual's right to freely choose what they would like to read. This right is based on an assumption that the educated possess judgment and understanding and can be trusted with the determination of their own actions. In effect, the reader is freed from the bonds of chance. The reader is not limited by birth, geographic location, or time, since reading allows meeting people, debating philosophies, and experiencing events far beyond the narrow confines of an individual's own existence.

In selecting texts to read by young people, English teachers consider the contribution each work may make to the education of the reader, its aesthetic value, its honesty, its readability for a particular group of students, and its appeal to young children and adolescents. English teachers, however, may use different texts for different purposes. The criteria for choosing a text to be read by an entire class are somewhat different from the criteria for choosing texts to be read by small groups.

For example, a teacher might select John Knowles's A Separate Peace for reading by an entire class, partly because the book has received wide critical recognition, partly because it is relatively short and will keep the attention of many slower readers, and partly because it has proved popular with many students of widely differing skill sets. The same teacher, faced with the responsibility of choosing or recommending books for several small groups of students, might select or recommend books as different as Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Malcolm X's The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Carlos Bulosan's America Is in the Heart, or Paul Zindel's The Pigman, depending upon the skills and interests of the students in each group.

And the criteria for suggesting books to individuals or for recommending something worth reading for a student who casually stops by after class are different from selecting material for a class or group. As opposed to censoring, the teacher selects texts, and also helps guide students to self-select them. Selection implies that one is free to choose a text, depending upon the purpose to be achieved and the students or class in question, but a book selected this year may be ignored next year, and the reverse. Censorship implies that certain works are not open to selection, this year or any year.

Wallace Stevens once wrote, "Literature is the better part of life. To this it seems inevitably necessary to add / provided life is the better part of literature" (1957). Students and parents have the right to demand that education today keep students in touch with the reality of the world outside the classroom. Many of our best literary works ask questions as valid and significant today as when the literature first appeared, questions like "What is the nature of humanity?" "Why do people praise individuality and practice conformity?" "What do people need for a good life?" and "What is the nature of a good person?" English teachers must be free to employ books, classic or contemporary, which do not hide, or lie to the young, about the perilous but wondrous times we live in, books which talk of the fears, hopes, joys, and frustrations people experience, books about people not only as they are but as they can be. English teachers forced through the pressures of censorship to use only safe or antiseptic works are placed in the morally and intellectually untenable position of lying to their students about the nature and condition of humanity.
The Threat to Education
The teacher must exercise care to select or recommend works for class reading and group discussion. One of the most important responsibilities of the English teacher is developing rapport and respect among students. Respect for the uniqueness and potential of the individual, an important facet of the study of literature, should be emphasized in the English class. One way rapport and respect can be developed is through encouraging the students themselves to explore and engage with texts of their own selection. Also, English classes should reflect the cultural contributions of minoritized groups in the United States, just as they should acquaint students with diverse contributions by the many peoples of the world. Finally, the teacher should be prepared to support and defend their classroom and students' process in selecting and engaging with diverse texts against potential censorship and controversy.

Censorship leaves students with an inadequate and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and problems of their culture. Writers may often represent their culture, or they may stand to the side and describe and evaluate that culture. Yet partly because of censorship or the fear of censorship, many writers are ignored or inadequately represented in the public schools, and many are represented in anthologies not by their best work but by their "safest" or "least offensive" work.

The censorship pressures receiving the greatest publicity are those of small groups who protest the use of a limited number of books with some "objectionable" realistic elements, such as Brave New World, Lord of the Flies, George, The Joy Luck Club, Catch-22, Their Eyes Were Watching God, or A Day No Pigs Would Die. The most obvious and immediate victims are often found among our best and most creative English teachers, those who have ventured outside the narrow boundaries of conventional texts. Ultimately, however, the real victims are the students, denied the freedom to explore ideas and pursue truth wherever and however they wish.
The Community's Responsibility
Great damage may be done by book committees appointed by national or local organizations to pore over anthologies, texts, library books, and paperbacks to find passages which advocate, or seem to advocate, causes or concepts or practices these organizations condemn. As a result, some publishers, sensitive to possible objections, carefully exclude sentences or selections that might conceivably offend some group, somehow, sometime, somewhere.

Individuals who care about the improvement of education are urged to join students, teachers, librarians, administrators, boards of education, and professional and scholarly organizations in support of the students' right to read. Widespread and informed support in and across communities can assure that
A Program of Action

enough residents are interested in the development and maintenance of a rigorous school system to guarantee its achievement;

malicious gossip, ignorant rumors, internet posts, and deceptive letters to the editor will not be circulated without challenge and correction;

news media will observe that the public sincerely desires objective reporting about education, free from slanting or editorial comment which destroys confidence in and support for schools;

the community will not permit its resources and energies to be dissipated in conflicts created by special interest groups striving to advance their ideologies or biases; and

faith in democratic processes will be promoted and maintained.

Censorship in schools is a widespread problem. Teachers of English, librarians, and school administrators can best serve students, literature, and the profession today if they prepare now to face pressures sensibly, demonstrating on the one hand a willingness to consider the merits of any complaint and on the other the courage to defend their literacy program with intelligence and vigor. The Council therefore recommends that schools undertake the following two-step program to protect the students' right to read:
Procedures for Text Selection

establish a diverse committee that is representative of the local school community to consider book selection procedures and to screen complaints; and

promote a community atmosphere in which local residents may be enlisted to support the freedom to read.

Although one may defend the freedom to read without reservation as one of the hallmarks of a free society, there is no substitute for informed, professional, and qualified book selection. English teachers are typically better qualified to choose and recommend texts for their classes than persons not prepared in the field. Nevertheless, administrators have certain legal and professional responsibilities. For these reasons and as a matter of professional courtesy, they should be kept informed about the criteria and the procedures used by English teachers in selecting books and the titles of the texts used.

In each school, the English department should develop its own statement explaining why literature is taught and how books are chosen for each class. This statement should be on file with the administration before any complaints are received. The statement should also support the teacher's right to choose supplementary materials, to build a diverse classroom library, and to discuss controversial issues insofar as they are relevant. In addition, students should be allowed the right to self-select books to read from classroom and school library shelves.

Operating within such a policy, the English department should take the following steps:

1. Establish a committee to support English teachers in finding exciting and challenging texts of potential value to students at a specific school. Schools without departments or small schools with a few English teachers should organize a permanent committee charged with the responsibility of alerting other teachers to new texts just published, or old texts now forgotten which might prove valuable in the literacy program. Students should be encouraged to participate in the greatest degree that their development and skill sets allow.

2. Devote time at each department or grade-level meeting to reviews and comments by the above committee or plan special meetings for this purpose. Free and open discussions on texts of potential value to students would seem both reasonable and normal for any English department. Teachers should be encouraged to challenge any texts recommended or to suggest titles hitherto ignored. Require that each English teacher give a rationale for any text to be read by an entire class. Written rationales for all texts read by an entire class would serve the department well if censorship should strike. A file of rationales should serve as impressive evidence to the administration and the community that English teachers have not chosen their texts lightly or haphazardly.

3. Report to the administration the texts that will be used for class reading by each English teacher.

The Legal Problem
A procedure such as this gives each teacher the right to expect support from fellow teachers and administrators whenever someone objects to a text.

Apart from the professional and moral issues involved in censorship, there are legal matters about which NCTE cannot give advice. The Council is not a legal authority. Across the nation, moreover, conditions vary so much that no one general principle applies. In some states, for example, textbooks are purchased from public funds and supplied free to students; in others, students must rent or buy their own texts.

The legal status of textbook adoption lists also varies. Some lists include only those books which must be taught and allow teachers and sometimes students the freedom to select additional titles; other lists are restrictive, containing the only books which may be required for all students.
Preparing the Community
As a part of sensible preparations for handling attacks on books, each school should ascertain what laws apply to it.

To respond to complaints about texts, every school should have a committee of teachers (and possibly students, parents, and other representatives from the local community) organized to
Defending the Texts

1. inform the community about text selection procedures;

2. enlist the support of residents, possibly by explaining the place of literacy and relevant texts in the educational process or by discussing at meetings of parents and other community groups the texts used at that school; and

3. consider any complaints against any work. No community is so small that it lacks concerned people who care about their children and the educational program of the schools, and will support English teachers in defending books when complaints are received. Unfortunately, English teachers too often are unaware or do not seek out these people and cultivate their goodwill and support before censorship strikes.

Despite the care taken to select worthwhile texts for student reading and the qualifications of teachers selecting and recommending books, occasional objections to a work will undoubtedly be made. All texts are potentially open to criticism in one or more general areas: the treatment of ideologies, of minorities, of gender identities, of love and sex; the use of language not acceptable to some people; the type of illustrations; the private life or political affiliations of the author or the illustrator.

Some attacks are made by groups or individuals frankly hostile to free inquiry and open discussion; others are made by misinformed or misguided people who, acting on emotion or rumor, simply do not understand how the texts are to be used. Others are also made by well-intentioned and conscientious people who fear that harm will come to some segment of the community if a particular text is read or recommended.

What should be done upon receipt of a complaint?

If the complainant telephones, listen courteously and refer them to the teacher involved. That teacher should be the first person to discuss the text with the person objecting to its use.

If the complainant is not satisfied, invite them to file the complaint in writing, but make no commitments, admissions of guilt, or threats.

If the complainant writes, contact the teacher involved and have the teacher call the complainant.

For any of the situations above, the teacher is advised to be aware of local contractual and policy stipulations regarding such situations, and keep a written record of what transpired during the complaint process.

Request for Reconsideration of a Text
An additional option is to contact the NCTE Intellectual Freedom Center to report incidents and seek further resources ( https://www2.ncte.org/resources/ncte-intellectual-freedom-center/).

Author ____________________________________________

Paperback_____ Hardcover _____ Online _____

Title ______________________________________________

Publisher (if known) __________________________________

Website URL (if applicable) ___________________________

Request initiated by __________________________________

Telephone _________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________

City / State / Zip _______________________________________________

Complainant represents
____ (Name of individual) ___________________________
____ (Name of organization) ___________________________

1. Have you been able to discuss this work with the teacher or librarian who ordered it or who used it?
____ Yes ____ No

2. What do you understand to be the general purpose for using this work?

Provide support for a unit in the curriculum?
___ Yes ___ No

Provide a learning experience for the reader in one kind of literature?
___ Yes ___ No

Provide opportunities for students self-selected reading experiences?

___ Yes ___ No

Did the general purpose for the use of the work, as described by the teacher or librarian, seem a suitable one to you?
____Yes ____ No

1. What do you think is the author's general purpose for this book?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

2. In what ways do you think a work of this nature is not suitable for the use the teacher or librarian wishes to carry out?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

3. What have been students' responses to this work?
____ Yes ____ No

If yes, what responses did the students make?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Have you been able to learn what qualified reviewers or other students have written about this work?
____ Yes ____ No

If yes, what are those responses?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

1. Would you like the teacher or librarian to give you a written summary of what qualified reviewers and other students have written about this book or film?
____ Yes ____ No

2. Do you have negative reviews of the book?
____ Yes ____ No

3. Where were they published?
__________________________________________________________

4. Would you be willing to provide summaries of their views you have collected?
____ Yes ____ No

5. How would you like your library/school to respond to this request for reconsideration?
____ Do not assign/lend it to my child.
____ Return it to the staff selection committee/department for reevaluation.
____ Other-Please explain
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

6. In its place, what work would you recommend that would convey as valuable a perspective as presented in the challenged text?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________

Signature __________________________________________

Date______________________________________________

At first, the English teacher should politely acknowledge the complaint and explain the established procedures. The success of much censorship depends upon frightening an unprepared school or English department into some precipitous action. A standardized procedure will take the sting from the first outburst of criticism and place the burden of proof on the objector. When the reasonable objector learns that they will be given a fair hearing through following the proper channels, they are more likely to be satisfied. The idle censor, on the other hand, may well be discouraged from taking further action. A number of advantages will be provided by the form, which will

formalize the complaint,

indicate specifically the work in question,

identify the complainant,

suggest how many others support the complaint,

require the complainant to think through objections in order to make an intelligent statement on the text and complaint (1, 2, and 3),

cause the complainant to evaluate the work for other groups than merely the one they first had in mind (4),

establish the familiarity of the complainant with the work (5),

give the complainant an opportunity to consider the criticism about the work and the teacher's purpose in using the work (6, 7, and 8), and

give the complainant an opportunity to suggest alternative actions to be taken on the work (9 and 10).

The committee reviewing complaints should be available on short notice to consider the completed "Request for Reconsideration of a Work" and to call in the complainant and the teacher involved for a conference. Members of the committee should have reevaluated the work in advance of the meeting, and the group should be prepared to explain its findings. Membership of the committee should ordinarily include an administrator, the English department chair, and at least two classroom teachers of English. But the department might consider the advisability of including members from the community and the local or state NCTE affiliate. As a matter of course, recommendations from the committee would be forwarded to the superintendent, who would in turn submit them to the board of education, the legally constituted authority in the school.

Teachers and administrators should recognize that the responsibility for selecting texts for class study lies with classroom teachers and students, and that the responsibility for reevaluating any text begins with the review committee. Both teachers and administrators should refrain from discussing the objection with the complainant, the press, or community groups. Once the complaint has been filed, the authority for handling the situation must ultimately rest with the administration and school board.
References
Freedom of inquiry is essential to education in a democracy. To establish conditions essential for freedom, teachers and administrators need to follow procedures similar to those recommended here. Where schools resist unreasonable pressures, the cases are seldom publicized and students continue to read works as they wish. The community that entrusts students to the care of an English teacher should also trust that teacher to exercise professional judgment in selecting or recommending texts. The English teacher can be free to teach literacy, and students can be free to read whatever they wish only if informed and vigilant groups, within the profession and without, unite in resisting unfair pressures.

Stevens, W. (1957, April). Adagia Part One. Poetry, 41-44.

American Library Association. (2018). Top Ten Most Challenged Books Lists. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10#Before%201990 (Accessed July 15, 2018)

American Library Association. (2018). Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2017: Resources & Graphics. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/NLW-Top10 (Accessed July 15, 2018)

American Library Association (2013, March). Banned & Challenged Classics. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics (Accessed June 15, 2018).

The Committee on the Right to Read of the National Council of Teachers of English:
Statement Authors

Edward R. Gordon, Yale University, New Jersey, Chair

Martin Steinmann, University of Minnesota, Associate Chair

Harold B. Allen, University of Minnesota

Frank A. Doggett, D. U. Fletcher High School, Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Jack Fields, Great Neck South High School, New York

Graham S. Frear, St. Olaf College, Minnesota

Robert Gard, Camelback High School, Phoenix, Arizona

Frank Ross, Detroit Public Schools, Michigan

Warren Taylor, Oberlin College, Ohio

This document was revised by an NCTE working committee comprising the following:

Benjamin "Benji" Chang, Education University of Hong Kong, Chair

Anna Lavergne, Houston Independent School District, Texas

Kim Pinkerton, Texas A&M University, Commerce

Pernille Ripp, Oregon School District, Oregon, Wisconsin

Gabe Silveri, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, Texas

Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part the material in this publication, with proper credit to the National Council of Teachers of English. Some schools may wish to modify the statements and arrange separately for printing or duplication. In such cases, of course, it should be made clear that revised statements appear under the authorization and sponsorship of the local school or association, not NCTE.

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Knowledge Quest: Do Minors Have First Amendment Rights?

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Knowledge Quest: Do Minors Have First Amendment Rights?

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The First Amendment protects both students and teachers in schools.
NCAC presents the following collection of materials on the topic of censorship in schools for the use of students, educators, and parents everywhere. This information is not intended as legal advice. If you face a censorship controversy, the resources below can offer guidance. If you need additional assistance, please NOTE: Guide for Student Protesters available here . We will keep your information confidential until given permission to do otherwise. Introduction: Free Speech, Public Education, and Democracy
Table of Contents

The First Amendment and Public Schools
A. The First Amendment
B. The Public Schools
1. School Publications: Student Newspapers and Yearbooks
2. Off-Campus Publications
3. Hair, Dress, and Appearance
4. Gang Symbols and Insignia
5. Off-Campus Speech

Censorship
A. Understanding Censorship
B. Distinguishing Censorship from Selection
C. Consequences of Censorship

How Big a Problem Is Censorship?
A. The Numbers
B. What Kind of Material Is Attacked?
C. What Does "Age Appropriate" Mean?
D. Who Gets Censored?

Roles and Responsibilities
A. School Officials, Boards and State Mandates
B. Principles Governing Selection and Retention of Materials in Schools
C. Complaint Procedures

Censorship Policies
National Education Association (NEA)
The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association (NCTE/IRA)
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
American Library Association (ALA)
National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC)

Introduction: Free Speech, Public Education, and Democracy

Purpose of the Resource Guide: The First Amendment safeguards the rights of every American to speak and think freely. Those rights are central to the educational process and are equally important to educators and students.

For teachers and administrators: The First Amendment protects teachers when they exercise their judgment in accordance with professional standards, making it possible for them to create learning environments that effectively help young people acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become productive, self-sufficient, and contributing members of society.

For students: The First Amendment protects students' ability to think critically and learn how to investigate a wide range of ideas. Students have the right to express their beliefs, just like any other citizen. Protecting students' rights to read, inquire and express themselves is critical to educating informed, engaged citizens.

This guide describes in practical terms what the right to freedom of expression means for students, teachers and administrators in public schools.

Free Speech, Public Education, and Democracy: Our founders considered public schools to be one of the vital institutions of American democracy. But they also knew that education involves more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. Education in a democratic society requires developing citizens who can adapt to changing times, decide important social issues, and effectively judge the performance of public officials. In fulfilling their responsibilities, public schools must educate students on core American values such as fairness, equality, justice, respect for others, and the right to dissent.

Rapid social, political, and technological changes have escalated controversy over what and how schools should teach. References to sexuality, profane language, descriptions of violence and other potentially controversial material have raised questions for generations of parents and educators. Addressing those questions is even more complicated now, when most school communities are made up of individuals with differing backgrounds, cultural traditions, religions, and often languages. With students and parents bringing a range of expectations and needs to the classroom, educators are challenged to balance the educational needs of an entire student body while maintaining respect for the individual rights of each member of the school community.

The First Amendment can help resolve this tension. It defines certain critical rights and responsibilities of participants in the educational process. It both protects the freedom of speech, thought, and inquiry, and requires respect for the right of others to do the same. It requires schools to resort to " more speech not enforced silence " in seeking to resolve our differences.

The First Amendment and Public Schools
A. The First Amendment
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 United States Constitution ratified December 15, 1791

The first provision of the Bill of Rights establishes the rights essential to a democratic society and most cherished by Americans: the right to speak and worship freely, the right to assemble and to petition the government, and the right to a free press. Although most countries purport to guarantee freedom of expression, few provide the level of protection for free speech that the First Amendment guarantees.
B. The Public Schools
The potential for tyranny by the state and abuse of government authority particularly worried framers of the Bill of Rights. Thus, the language of the First Amendment begins by prohibiting certain government conduct -i.e., "Congress shall make no law respecting...." Like most of the Constitution, these limitations control only what the government may do, and have no effect on private individuals or businesses. Although the Bill of Rights originally limited only the power of the federal government, the Fourteenth Amendment extended the limits imposed by most of the Bill of Rights to state and local governments as well. Since public schools and public libraries are part of state and local government, they must follow the First Amendment as well as many other provisions of the Constitution. However, as this manual will make clear, the First Amendment applies somewhat differently to schools than it does to many other public institutions.

Public schools are institutions which in some respects most embody the goals of the First Amendment: to create informed citizenry capable of self-governance. As many commentators have observed, a democracy relies on an informed and critical electorate to prosper. As Noah Webster observed in 1785: "It is scarcely possible to reduce an enlightened people to civil or ecclesiastical tyranny." And on the eve of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Rush stated that "to conform the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens to our republican form of government, it is absolutely necessary that knowledge of every kind should be disseminated through every part of the United States." Not surprisingly, universal access to free public education has long been viewed as essential to democratic ideals.

America's public schools are the nurseries of democracy. Our representative democracy only works if we protect the "marketplace of ideas." This free exchange facilitates an informed public opinion, which, when transmitted to lawmakers, helps produce laws that reflect the People's will. Schools, however, can sometimes limit students' right to free speech and expression when necessary to achieve legitimate educational goals. As the Supreme Court put it in Mahanoy Area School District v. B. L. (2021):

Schools have many responsibilities: They must teach basic and advanced skills and information; they must do so for students of different backgrounds and abilities; they must teach students to work independently and in groups; and they must provide a safe environment that promotes learning.

Given these multiple responsibilities, school officials have wider discretion than other state actors in regulating certain types of speech. For example, they can forbid profane speech on campus (according to Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986 )) and can punish students for advocating illegal drug use (as in Morse v. Frederick (2007)). They can also censor student speech in school publications, such as school newspapers and yearbooks, see Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988). More importantly, schools can censor student speech which is likely to substantially disrupt school operations ( Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)). Therefore, speech is not quite as free inside schools as it is outside.
1. School Publications: School Newspapers and Yearbooks
However, the limits on student speech are quite narrow, and in general, students and teachers do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." (Tinker v. Des Moines ) See below for examples of how the First Amendment applies to schools in specific ways .

The Supreme Court has ruled that student journalists have very limited rights when they write for school-sponsored publications such as school newspapers and yearbooks. The school can censor articles for many reasons, including because school officials think that the subject is inappropriate. Some courts have even said that schools can censor editorials because school officials disagree with the views expressed in them.
2. Off-campus Publications: "Underground' Newspapers, Websites, Etc.
However, several states have laws which give greater protection to student journalists. A list of those states and links to descriptions of their legislation can be found .

Concerns about censorship in "official" school papers may prompt students to publish material produced outside of school, or on websites maintained privately without use of school facilities. Some schools have attempted to censor these publications and suppress off-campus speech they find offensive, disturbing, or unflattering. However, courts have been willing to uphold school censorship of off-campus speech only in unusual circumstances in which the speech has a very high likelihood of substantially disrupting school (such as by publishing answers to tests) or harming particular persons (such as by harassing or threatening them).

Unlike student speech in school, student speech off campus cannot be punished just because it includes profanity, or advocates illegal drug use, or for any reason other than it is very likely to substantially disrupt school. In particular, schools have limited ability to punish or censor off-campus speech about politics or religion. If an independent student publication is distributed on campus, school officials have a bit more power to confiscate or ban it, but only if there is a risk that it will cause substantial disruption of the school.

Student rights can often be limited if students use school resources (such as school computers or the school's internet service) to create or distribute publications. Students can help avoid conflict with school officials by ensuring their unofficial publications are produced and maintained separately from any school course and without school materials or teacher assistance.

Also, it is important for students who use their school's technology to know their school's "Acceptable Use Policy" (AUP). An AUP, which is often found in district guidelines or in a student handbook, sets out the rules and regulations governing student use of school computer networks. Some sample acceptable use policies can be found , but your school's policy might be different in some ways.

Since the Tinker case in 1969, students, school administrators, and courts have struggled with the boundaries and limits of student dress and grooming requirements. Beginning in the early 1970s, the courts were inundated with cases that confronted the issue, and have found few clear answers. The circuit courts remain split over the control school administrators can exercise with respect to student dress and grooming. The issue often is complicated by gender and guidelines that reinforce rigid binaries. In one case, a school disciplined a boy for wearing an earring, although earrings are permitted under the dress code for girls. Other examples are hair length restrictions for boys but not girls, or dress requirements designed to enforce notions of modesty for girls but not boys. Some public schools have required uniforms, but this has hardly solved the problem, as strict dress codes of this sort are often challenged. In contrast, gender-neutral guidelines about appropriate dress rarely result in challenges.

Since gang members often identify themselves through clothes and insignia, principals have often turned to dress codes in an effort to discourage gang membership and activities. Courts have generally held that these codes are valid.

In recent years, there s been an increasing number of cases involving off-campus student speech which has effects on-campus. Often, that speech takes place on social media. Schools cannot punish students for profane speech that takes place off-campus (except during a field trip, which courts consider part of the school). Nor can they punish students for off-campus speech which advocates illegal drug use. However, schools can sometimes punish students for off-campus speech which has a strong chance of coming on campus and disrupting school, such as racist speech when the school has a history of racial conflict. And, schools can of course punish students for off-campus speech that harasses students or school employees, or which threatens violence against the school.

A. Understanding Censorship
Censorship

Censorship is the suppression of speech or other expression that the censor (a person or institution with the power to suppress speech) does not like.

Parents and community groups often try to remove school materials that discuss sexuality, religion, race, or ethnicity-whether directly or indirectly. For example, some people object to the teaching of Darwin's theory of evolution in science classes because it conflicts with their own religious views. Others think schools should not allow discussion about sexual orientation or gender identities, and other people call for eliminating The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the English curriculum because they think it is racist.

As these examples show, demands for censorship originate across the entire spectrum of religious, ideological, and political opinion.

When people ask schools to censor materials, schools must balance their First Amendment duties against other concerns, such as maintaining the integrity of the educational program, meeting state education requirements, respecting the judgments of professional staff, and addressing deeply held beliefs in students and members of the community. In dealing with challenges to materials, educators are on the strongest ground if they are mindful of two fundamental principles that the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized: 1) schools have broad power to decide what and how to teach, as long as their decisions are based on sound educational principles and are aimed at improving student learning; and 2) the decisions that are most vulnerable to legal challenge are those that are motivated by hostility to an unpopular or controversial idea, or by the desire to force acceptance of a particular viewpoint.

Pursuant to these principles, when someone claims in a lawsuit that a school's actions violate the First Amendment, courts generally defer to the professional judgments of educators. That means that courts will often uphold a decision to remove a book or to discipline a teacher, if the decision serves legitimate educational objectives, including administrative efficiency. However, it is equally true that schools which demands for censorship are on equally strong or stronger grounds. As the Supreme Court stated in its 2021 decision, schools have a strong interest in protecting unpopular expression, in exposing students to a wide range of views, and in giving students the opportunity to discuss those views.
B. Distinguishing Censorship from Selection
Therefore, it is extremely unlikely that a school official who relied on these principles and refused to accede to pressures to censor something with educational value would ever be ordered by a court of law to do so.

Schools make decisions all the time about which books and materials to include in or exclude from the curriculum. Hence, they are not violating the First Amendment every time they cross a book off a reading list. However, they could be acting unconstitutionally if they decide to remove a book solely because of hostility to the ideas it contains.

For example, administrators and faculty might agree to take discussion of evolution out of the second grade curriculum because the students lack sufficient background to understand it, and decide to introduce it in the fourth grade instead. As long as they are not motivated by hostility to the idea of teaching about evolution, this would not ordinarily be problematic. The choice to include the material in the fourth grade curriculum tends to demonstrate this was a pedagogical judgment, not an act of censorship.

However, not every situation is that simple. For example, objections to material dealing with sexuality or sexual orientation commonly surface in elementary schools and middle schools when critics claim that such material is not "age appropriate" for those students. Often, it becomes clear that their concern is not that students will not understand the material, but that they simply do not want the students to have access to that type of information. If professional educators can show a legitimate pedagogical rationale for maintaining such material in the curriculum, it is unlikely that an effort to remove it will be successful.
C. Consequences of Censorship
Moreover, while individual parents have considerable control over their own child's education and can request their child be given a different book, they have no right to impose their preferences on other students and their families.

Censorship based on individual sensitivities and concerns restricts the world of knowledge available to students. Based on personal views, some parents wish to eliminate material depicting violence, others object to references to sexuality, others to speech about racial issues or images that offend them. Some parents oppose having their children exposed to fiction that doesn't have a happy ending, teach a moral lesson, or provide positive role models. If these and other individual preferences were legitimate criteria for censoring materials used in school, the curriculum would narrow to including only the least controversial and probably least relevant and interesting material. It would hardly address students' real concerns, satisfy their curiosity, or prepare them for life.

Censorship also harms teachers. By limiting resources and flexibility, censorship hampers a teacher's ability to explore all possible avenues to motivate and "reach" students. By curtailing ideas that can be discussed in class, censorship takes creativity and vitality out of the art of teaching. Instruction is reduced to bland, formulaic, pre-approved exercises carried out in an environment that discourages the give-and-take that can spark a student's enthusiasm for learning. To maintain spontaneity in the classroom setting, teachers need latitude to respond to unanticipated questions and discussion, and the freedom to draw on their professional judgment and expertise, without fear of consequences if someone objects, disagrees, or takes offense.

School censorship is particularly harmful because it prevents young people with inquiring minds from exploring the world, seeking truth and reason, stretching their intellectual capacities, and becoming critical thinkers. When the classroom environment is not open and inviting, honest exchange of views is replaced by guarded discourse, and teachers lose the ability to reach and guide their students effectively.

A. The Numbers
How Big a Problem Is Censorship?
B. What Kind of Material Is Attacked?
The American Library Association (ALA), which tracks and reports censorship incidents, reports that there are hundreds of challenges in schools and public libraries every year. ALA estimates that roughly four or five times as many go unreported.

ALA offers an instructive analysis of the motivation behind most censorship incidents:

The term censor often evokes the mental picture of an irrational, belligerent individual. Such a picture, however, is misleading. In most cases, the one to bring a complaint to the library is a concerned parent or a citizen sincerely interested in the future well-being of the community. Although complainants may not have a broad knowledge of literature or of the principles of freedom of expression, their motives in questioning a book or other library material are seldom unusual. Any number of reasons are given for recommending that certain material be removed from the library. Complainants may believe that the materials will corrupt children and adolescents, offend the sensitive or unwary reader, or undermine basic values and beliefs. Sometimes, because of these reasons, they may argue that the materials are of no interest or value to the community.

C. What Does "Age Appropriate" Mean?
While demands for censorship can come from almost anyone and involve any topic or form of expression, most incidents involve concerns about sexual content-specifically LGBTQ+ content-religion, profanity, or racial slurs. Many incidents involve only one complaint, but nonetheless trigger a review process that can become contentious. Parents who support free expression do not step forward to participate in public discussions as frequently as those seeking to remove materials, leaving school officials and teachers relatively isolated. It is then their task to assess the pedagogical value of the materials carefully. If they give in to viewpoint-based demands, they can undermine educational objectives, as well as encourage more challenges.

One of the most common demands for censorship involves the claim that certain school materials are not "age appropriate."

Educators generally use the term "age appropriate" when they mean the point at which children have sufficient life experience and cognitive skills to comprehend certain material. For example, educators may decide that detailed scientific information about human reproduction may not be age-appropriate for six-year-olds but would be understood by 12-year-olds who have been introduced to basic biology.

However, when censors complain that a book is not "appropriate," they often mean that students shouldn't be exposed to the material for reasons of personal ideology or belief. The objection usually occurs when the material concerns sexuality and often reflects a fear that exposure to it will undermine moral or religious values. Acceding to the pressure to censor in this situation can be tantamount to endorsing one moral or religious view over another.
D. Who Gets Censored?
Responding to questions about age appropriateness, the National Council of Teachers of English noted that "materials should be suited to maturity level of the students," and that it is important to "weigh the value of the material as a whole, particularly its relevance to educational objectives, against the likelihood of a negative impact on the students... That likelihood is lessened by the exposure the typical student has had to the controversial subject."

The books targeted by censors include both popular and classic titles, affecting choices made by almost every age group. The of most challenged books in 2020 includes:
E. The Chilling Effect
Some of these titles appear on the ALA's list of most challenged works year after year. For example, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian has made the list eight times since 2010; has been on the list every year since 2016, and has been the most challenged book each of the last three years. To Kill a Mockingbird , Of Mice and Men, and The Bluest Eye have appeared periodically on the list for two decades or more.

Censorship often leads directly to self-censorship. It occurs every day. Sometimes it's obvious even if no one uses the "c" word. Sometimes it is more insidious (and less justified)-for example, when a teacher decides not to use a particular story or book or a librarian doesn't order a particular magazine because of fears about possible complaints. It is impossible to quantify the damage that self-censorship does to education. But it is common enough to have its own name: "the chilling effect." This is the idea that restricting access to information based on particular viewpoints will discourage the use of potentially controversial (or even complicated) material in the future, that teachers, for example, will avoid teaching a book just because they don't want to risk the disruption a formal complaint would cause, even if they truly believe that book would be an excellent educational choice.

A. School Officials, Boards, and State Mandates
Roles and Responsibilities: Promoting First Amendment Values at School

The school board's role is to define an educational philosophy that serves the needs of all its students and reflects community goals. In this process, most districts see a role for parents and other community members. Educational advisory boards can also assist educators in discerning the needs and perspectives of the community. Open school board meetings can keep the public informed about the school district's educational philosophy and goals, encourage comments, questions and participation, and increase community support for the schools. Although public debate about the educational system provides opportunities for community input and can assist educators in developing materials to meet students' needs and concerns, actual curriculum development and selection are tasks uniquely suited to the skills and training of professional educators. Hence, school boards should defer to the judgment of review committees composed of educators when making decisions about curricular materials.
B. Principles Governing Selection and Retention of Materials in Schools
While curriculum development relies heavily on the professional expertise of trained educators, it is also controlled by state education law and policy. Educators' choices are influenced by factors such as competency standards, graduation requirements, standardized testing, and other educational decisions made at the state level.

School officials have the constitutional duty to ensure that curriculum development and selection decisions are made without attempting to advance any particular political or religious viewpoint. School districts otherwise have broad discretion when selecting classroom instructional materials.

In contrast, policies governing school libraries and classroom resource materials place a priority on including a wider range of materials. The ALA Library Bill of Rights (1948) recognizes the library's essential role in providing resources to serve the "interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community." With minor modifications, these principles also apply in the school setting.

The considerations specifically relevant to school libraries are identified by National School Board Association guidelines:

To provide materials that will enrich and support the school's curricula;

To provide materials that will stimulate knowledge, growth, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, ethical standards, and leisure-time reading;

To provide information to help students make intelligent judgments;

To provide information on opposing sides of controversial issues so that students may develop the practice of critical reading and thinking; and

To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups that have contributed to the American heritage.

C. Complaint Procedures
The ALA believes that library materials "should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval."

All school districts should adopt formal policies and procedures for responding to complaints about materials. Formal policies clarify how the complaint process works; help faculty, staff, and administration fulfill their legal obligations; let parents and students know what criteria are used for removing materials and how they are applied; ensure that all voices are heard and considered; and protect the academic freedom of teachers.

When materials are challenged, schools with a well-articulated process for handling complaints are more likely to resist viewpoint-based censorship pressures than districts without one. Having a policy in place, and following it scrupulously, ensures that complainants will receive due process, and that challenged materials will be judged on their educational merits rather than personal opinions. It is important for teachers and administrators to be familiar with these policies and understand their importance. Armed with this knowledge, school officials are less likely to submit to pressure or react with unilateral decisions to remove books.

The most effective complaint procedures provide that:

Complaints must be made in writing.

Complainants should identify themselves both by name/address and by their interest in the material (i.e. as a parent, student, religious leader, etc.).

Complainants must have read/seen the entire work objected to.

The complaint must be specific about the reasons for the objection.

Complaints should request a specific remedy (i.e., an alternative assignment for a student, or removal/exclusion affecting the entire school community).

Complaints, standing alone, will not be considered grounds for disciplining teachers or librarians.

Complaints are adjudicated by a diverse committee of stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

Challenged materials remain in the curriculum/library until the challenge is adjudicated and all appeals are completed.

A list of model policies is available here.

It is advisable for policies to contain a statement supporting intellectual and academic freedom, and an explanation of the importance of giving students access to a wide variety of material and information, some of which may be considered controversial. The policy should also specify that viewpoint-based concerns - disagreement with a specific idea or message, and personal objections to materials on religious, political, or social grounds - do not justify removal of a book or other material. Such concerns may, however, justify a parent's request that his or her child be assigned alternate material. These principles, if uniformly and consistently implemented, protect students' right to learn. They also make it possible for educators to exercise their professional judgment, and help insulate them and the school district from legal challenge and community pressure.

In order to prepare for challenges, educators should do all of the following:

School administrators and teachers should work together to develop an understanding about how they will respond if material is challenged, recognizing that it is impossible to predict what may be challenged.

Educators should have a rationale for the materials they use, especially when they think some of it is potentially controversial.

In approaching material that may be controversial, keep parents advised about what material students are using and why it has been selected.

Encourage parents with questions about curricular materials to address them to their child's teacher, and encourage teachers to be willing and available to discuss concerns with parents.

Schedule regular meetings for parents. In one innovative program in South Carolina, librarian Pat Scales invited parents to the library once a month, without students, to discuss contemporary young adult books that their children might be reading, to understand how the books helped their children grow intellectually and emotionally, and to encourage parents to use the discussion of books to spark conversation with their children. As a result, she never had a censorship problem, and she became a resource for parents seeking books to help their children address troublesome issues. (Pat Scales' book, Teaching Banned Books (ALA, 2001) describes this program in detail.)

Involve members of the community in any debate over challenged materials. Broadening the discussion usually reveals that only a small number of people object to the same book at the same time.

Support the value of intellectual and academic freedom. Conscientious teachers who are caught in a censorship dispute deserve support from their colleagues and the community. Otherwise, teachers will stick to the tried and true or the bland and unobjectionable.

For more advice on how teachers can safeguard their selection of instructional materials from successful challenges, see NCAC resources for teachers and administrators .

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Major Educational Organizations Take a Stand for the First Amendment
Censorship Policies

Many national and international organizations concerned with elementary and secondary education have established guidelines on censorship issues. While each organization addresses censorship a little differently, each is committed to free speech and recognizes the dangers and hardships imposed by censorship. The organizations couple their concern for free speech with a concern for balancing the rights of students, teachers, and parents. Many place heavy emphasis on the importance of establishing policies for selecting classroom materials and procedures for addressing complaints. The following summarizes the censorship and material selection policies adopted by leading educational organizations.

National Education Association (NEA)

The NEA is America's oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Its 2.5 million members work at every level of education. Elected representatives from across the country are responsible for setting policy, which includes resolutions on selecting and developing education materials and teaching techniques. The resolutions embody NEA's belief that democratic values are best transmitted free from censorship and deplore "pre-publishing censorship, book burning crusades, and attempts to ban books from the ... curriculum." The NEA encourages its members to be involved in developing textbooks and materials and to seek the removal of laws and regulations that restrict selection of diverse materials.

The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association (NCTE/IRA)

An 80,000-member organization devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts, the NCTE offers support, advice, and resources to teachers and schools faced with challenges to teaching materials or methods. The NCTE has developed a Statement on Censorship and Professional Guidelines recognizing that English and language arts teachers face daily decisions about teaching materials and methods.

The IRA has 90,000 members worldwide, working in a variety of educational capacities. Its goal is to promote high levels of literacy by improving the quality of reading instruction and encouraging reading as a lifetime habit. The IRA supports "freedom of speech, thought, and inquiry as guaranteed by the First Amendment."

The NCTE and IRA have issued a joint statement on intellectual freedom:

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

Their mutual policy sets out four principles aimed at translating the ideals of the First Amendment into classroom reality: (1) to actively support intellectual freedom; (2) to foster democratic values, critical thinking, and open inquiry; (3) to prepare for challenges with clearly defined procedures; and (4) to ensure educational communities are free to select and review classroom curricula to meet student needs.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)

The ASCD is an international organization of professional educators committed to excellence in education. Its mission is to "forge covenants in teaching and learning for the success of all learners." The ASCD recognizes the importance of balancing the rights and needs of students, teachers, and parents with freedom of expression:

When challenges arise, school officials should bear in mind that education is governed by the public . . . [Educators] should recognize the value of citizen participation and respect the right of parents to shape their children's schooling. At the same time, educators should insist that, as in other fields, professional judgment must not be completely subservient to the popular will. Educators' primary allegiance must be to the integrity of knowledge and the welfare of students.

The ASCD stresses the importance of establishing complaint procedures and affirms that materials are never to be restricted for the purpose of suppressing ideas.

American Library Association (ALA)

The ALA, "the voice of America's libraries," is dedicated to providing leadership for the "development, promotion and improvement of library and information services...in order to enhance learning and access to information for all." The ALA has a widely emulated Bill of Rights affirming all libraries as forums for information and ideas. The ALA's policies stipulate that libraries should provide materials from all points of view; challenge censorship; cooperate with free speech groups; grant access to all regardless of origin, age, background, or views; and provide exhibit space on an equitable basis. Drawing on the United Nation's Declaration of Human Rights, the ALA emphasizes the importance of free speech: "We know that censorship, ignorance, and limitations on the free flow of information are the tools of tyranny and oppression. We believe that ideas and information topple the walls of hate and fear and build bridges of cooperation and understanding far more effectively than weapons and armies."

National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

Dedicated to supporting elementary and middle-level principals and other education leaders in their commitment for all children, NAESP sets policy on curriculum and instruction. In its statement on censorship and academic freedom, "NAESP affirms the right of the student and teacher to use a wide variety of curriculum and literary materials and to explore divergent points of view." NAESP also emphasizes the importance of establishing procedures to address selection of materials and challenges to selections. These procedures are to be carried out "professionally and equitably," according to established professional criteria and the values and needs of the community.

National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC)

Founded in 1974, NCAC is an alliance of over 50 national non-profit organizations-including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties group-united in their support of freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression. NCAC works with teachers, educators, writers, artists, and others around the country dealing with censorship debates in their own communities; it educates its members and the public at large about the dangers of censorship and how to oppose them; and it advances policies that promote and protect freedom of expression and democratic values. For specific advice on strengthening your book selection procedures and resisting censorship, submit a Censorship Report to NCAC at ncac.org/report-censorship.

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The First Amendment protects both students and teachers in schools. NCAC presents the following collection of materials on the topic of censorship in schools for the use of students, educators, and parents everywhere. This information is not intended as legal advice. If you face

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Libraries face a number of challenges in protecting the privacy of users, especially students in elementary, middle, and high schools. School libraries offer print, media, and online content to meet students' educational and research needs as well as to nurture their intellectual curiosity and development. Students' use of library resources is also incorporated into classroom activities, learning outcomes, and assessment.

School libraries typically are integrated into their district's administrative and technology infrastructures. Depending on district administration and outside cooperative technology or vendor agreements, school libraries have greater or lesser degrees of autonomy. A lack of autonomy may make it difficult for librarians to implement policies and procedures to protect student privacy in regard to the use of library systems, applications, and collections. In addition, state and federal laws regarding library records, educational records (e.g., the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the online activities of minors (e.g., the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) have both positive and negative impacts on the privacy rights of students. For example, FERPA defines explicit rights to privacy for students and minors but at the same time grants schools and parents access to, and oversight over, student records that weakens these privacy rights.

ALA issues these guidelines to provide school libraries with information about appropriate data management and security practices in respect to student use of library collections and resources in order to strengthen student privacy protections.
Why Privacy Is Important
Protecting user privacy and confidentiality has long been an integral part of the intellectual freedom mission of libraries. The right to free inquiry as assured by the First Amendment depends upon the ability to read and access information free from scrutiny by the government or other third parties. In their provision of services to library users, librarians have an ethical obligation, expressed in the ALA Code of Ethics, to preserve users' right to privacy. Librarians and libraries may also have a statutory or regulatory obligation to protect library users' personally identifiable information and data from unauthorized disclosure and use.

Students' and minors' First Amendment rights to free inquiry and privacy must be balanced against both the educational needs of the school and the rights of the parents. As students and minors mature, it is increasingly important that they are provided with opportunities to exercise their curiosity and develop their intellect free from the chilling effects of surveillance by educators, peers, parents, or commercial interests. As students begin to participate more fully in the online world, they must develop an appreciation for their own privacy and a corresponding respect for the privacy of others.
Clear Privacy Policies
It is important for libraries to develop privacy policies for student use of library resources that are adopted by both the library and the school's policy-making body. Students should be notified about library privacy policies when borrowing materials or accessing resources for the first time and as appropriate when there is a change in services, policies, or access. Library privacy policies should be made easily available and understandable to students in an age-appropriate manner. Safeguarding user privacy requires that staff keep all in-library use and reference questions confidential and assure that there is no monitoring by staff or peers of what students are reading, viewing, or researching while in the library.
Audit
School librarians should conduct privacy audits to determine the current threats to student privacy and what protections are already in place. The audit should cover the library management system; computer and network use in the library; eBooks and other online content; interactive Web tools; social media; and other technologies such as scanners/photocopiers and surveillance cameras. The results of the audit can be used to help create or revise privacy policies.
Collection and Retention of User Data
Libraries should limit the amount of personal information collected about students. Libraries should collect the minimum amount of personal information required to provide a service or meet a specific operational need. Libraries should not build services or resources using sensitive personally identifiable information that, if leaked or accessed by an unauthorized party, could prove detrimental to the user's privacy.

Personally identifiable information should not be retained in perpetuity. The library should establish record retention policies specifying how long to retain different types of data and specifying methods for securely destroying data that is no longer needed. Retention policies should also cover archival copies and backups.
Encryption
The use of data encryption helps enhance privacy protection. All online transactions between client applications (staff desktop clients, web browsers, mobile apps, etc.) and server applications should be encrypted. Client applications that do not support encryption (such as staff desktop clients) should employ virtual private network (VPN) technologies. In addition, any personally identifiable information and student data housed by the library or school off-site (cloud-based infrastructure, tape backups, etc.) should use encrypted storage.
Data Sharing
Library privacy policies should define when school library records can be shared (and under what conditions) with parents or guardians, school staff and teachers, and third-parties such as online service providers.

Federal laws such as FERPA and COPPA as well as state laws concerning the confidentiality of library and student records may impact if and how data is shared. Because of the broad leeway FERPA gives schools in using student data for internal educational purposes, librarians need to clearly distinguish among library records, educational records, and administrative records in order to provide explicit privacy rights in accordance with professional ethical obligations.

Agreements between school libraries and online service providers should address appropriate restrictions on the use, aggregation, retention, and dissemination of students' personally identifiable information. Agreements between libraries and service providers should also specify that libraries retain ownership of all data and that the service providers agree to observe the library's privacy policies, data retention policy, and security policies. In the event of a data breach, users whose data was compromised should be informed promptly (in the case of minors, the parents or guardians should be informed).

Many service providers have signed the Student Privacy Pledge which indicates a commitment to work in an ongoing fashion to meet and exceed all federal requirements to protect student data. Librarians should make participation in the Student Privacy Pledge a criterion when making purchasing decisions.

In addition, many states are passing legislation that restricts the collection and use of students' data by service providers (e.g. California's Student Online Personal Information Protection Act - SOPIPA). Librarians should only contract with service providers that comply with applicable state laws.
Educational Technology Systems
Primary and secondary schools are adopting learning management systems and other technologies that enable educators to monitor student reading habits (e.g. did the student access/read the assigned eBook or online text?) As a result, school districts are co-opting librarians into surveillance regimes by adopting these types of technologies. Librarians need to advocate for protecting student library use in an age of ubiquitous data logging and surveillance technologies, including learning management systems.
Digital Literacy & Advocacy
School librarians have a responsibility to teach students about their privacy rights, practices they can use to protect themselves, ethical behavior online, and respect for the privacy of others. In addition to educating students, school librarians should become advocates for protecting student privacy and intellectual freedom in the larger school environment. Often school librarians are focused only on user privacy within the library to the detriment of larger privacy issues in their school and district context. Because of their professional training and ethical commitment, librarians are well-equipped to be privacy advocates outside of the school library.
[The Library Privacy Checklist for Students in K-12 Schools is intended to help libraries of all capacities take practical steps to implement the principles that are laid out in this guideline.] Additional Resources Approved April 2, 2016 by the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association

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Library Privacy Guidelines for Students in K-12 Schools

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Introduction Libraries face a number of challenges in protecting the privacy of users, especially students in elementary, middle, and high schools. School libraries offer print, media, and online content to meet students' educational and research needs as well as to nurture their intellectual curiosity and development.

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Imagine a school where a corner of every classroom contains a corporate interloper, someone with a clipboard tracking student behavior-what they like, what they wear, what they eat for lunch-in order to target them for the company's ads and products. Impossible, right? No school board in the country would let it happen.

But in one sense, it's already happening. In December 2015, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a nonprofit digital technology rights group, filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Google for Education, alleging that the company is surreptitiously collecting data about students as they use their school-owned Chromebooks and education apps-data that they're using to target those kids with ads. In fact, EFF says, those innocent-looking laptops even have settings that allow a school administrator to share children's personal information with the internet giant.

In an age where more of our lives take place in the digital world, we all have a lot to learn about privacy. But for children and teens still developing their identities and personalities, privacy is essential, says librarian Mike Robinson, head of systems at Consortium Library at the University of Alaska Anchorage and chair of the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee's Privacy Subcommittee.

"Children need more privacy as they get older in order to form their own opinions and figure out who they are," says Robinson. "They need space to do this free from surveillance. It's not absolute, but there needs to be room for them to develop their own set of viewpoints, separate from educators, separate from parents, and separate from librarians."

As defenders of intellectual freedom, Robinson says librarians have an obvious role in both protecting the privacy of children and teaching them how to protect themselves.

Children need more privacy as they get older in order to form their own opinions and figure out who they are.
-Mike Robinson, head of systems at Consortium Library at the University of Alaska Anchorage and chair of the American Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee's Privacy Subcommittee

"The librarian should be the advocate for student privacy, both in the library and in schools," says Robinson. "We should be the privacy experts inside schools and libraries, and we should be the champions of privacy."

The heart of privacy is the control of information, says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, deputy director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), and children deserve that as much as adults, she says.

"Young people are often never given control of their information. Their privacy isn't respected in the way that we would respect it for adults. We can do better than that. We think that no matter what someone's age is, their privacy should be respected," says Caldwell-Stone.

Respecting the privacy of young people means honoring their intellectual freedom and keeping their information private, as well as teaching them how to be good digital citizens, she says. She cites the National Academy of Sciences' metaphor of the internet as a swimming pool: It offers plenty of opportunities for recreation and learning, but it can be dangerous, too.

"You can teach them how to swim, or you can put up a fence. What happens when they climb that fence and open the gate? The best thing is to give kids the education to protect themselves," says Caldwell-Stone.

Although many adults share the perception that children and teens have no concept of or worries about privacy online, research shows that's not actually the case. For more than a decade, Denise Agosto, professor of information science at Drexel University, has been studying how young people perceive technology and threats to their privacy.

"The vast majority of teens on social media are aware of privacy issues, but they conceptualize privacy differently," says Agosto. "Most teens believe personal privacy doesn't exist-that it's impossible to live a life that's private in today's world-but they're also worried about sharing information with unintended audiences."

How to Learn and Teach Digital Citizenship

1. Know your resources. OIF and its subcommittee on privacy have put together many resources and guidelines on privacy in the library, including information about privacy for children and teens.

2. Learn the Five Ps. AASL President Leslie Preddy cites five Ps for a positive digital footprint from a program in Queensland, Australia, that can help structure your conversations: profiles, positive, permission, privacy, and protect. She also recommends Common Sense Media's video series and resources for teaching kids and parents about privacy and good online habits.

3. Get creative. OIF's Caldwell-Stone notes a fun Virtual Privacy Lab created by San José (Calif.) Public Library where kids and adults can learn about privacy issues in an interactive game format. She also notes libraries that have had book discussions, movie nights, and displays that highlight issues of privacy and online safety.

4. Teach about privacy anytime. Did you miss Choose Privacy Week (May 1-7, 2016)? Librarian Mike Robinson says don't worry-anytime is the right time for a discussion about privacy and online practices. "We did programming in June because it fit better in the calendar," he says. Choose Privacy Week comes around once a year, but really, it should be used as a spark for libraries and librarians to get involved with privacy all year long.

5. Review your school or library's privacy practices. Just as librarians protect their patrons' physical book borrowing records, take note of your institution's practices in protecting and encrypting digital information. If you are a school librarian, look at what education apps and services your school uses and investigate how data is collected and protected.

What Agosto has shown in her research is that teens want to know about privacy and how to protect themselves, but our current efforts to teach them are falling flat. Agosto has spent thousands of hours in public schools and libraries across the country in the past decade, and what she's seen has been disappointing.

"The majority of it is built on scare tactics," she says. "We're telling them everything is dangerous, and that turns them off. There are so many terrible videos of people telling their horror stories that just don't work. The end result is that most teens are not that well educated on safety and privacy issues."

One message is getting through, though, says Agosto: that information you put on the web stays on the web and can affect future college and employment prospects. But more needs to be done, she says, and librarians are perfectly situated to educate today's youth on privacy issues.

"Young people are much more interested in learning from adults they have trusted relationships with, and librarians already have those trusted relationships," Agosto says. "Even librarians who feel like they are not very technical can do this. It's not so much a technical issue but having discussions about critical thinking and creating a safe environment where they talk about what they've experienced online."

School librarians have an important role in educating kids about online privacy, says Leslie Preddy, Indianapolis Perry Meridian Middle School librarian and president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

"School librarians are in a unique situation," Preddy says. "The school librarian doesn't just get to work with all kids in the school, but all staff in the school. We can teach other adults about online privacy and help them incorporate it into their lessons and classes."

In addition, school librarians can host educational events for parents and community members, teaching them the basics of good digital citizenship and helping reinforce what kids are learning in school.

Preddy cautions that teaching kids about their "digital footprint" isn't a one-and-done lesson plan but a continual process that should expand as kids get older and become more sophisticated internet users.

"It's really trying to put it in their minds at a young age and continue to reinforce it. It takes a long time to build good habits," she says. "You introduce something, and then you have to enrich and reinforce and expand the concept. That's what we need to do with kids to help them develop good habits online."

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Champions of Children's Privacy | American Libraries Magazine

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Imagine a school where a corner of every classroom contains a corporate interloper, someone with a clipboard tracking student behavior-what they like, what they wear, what they eat for lunch-in order to target them for the company's ads and products. Impossible, right? No school board in the country would let it happen.

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Librarians Serving Diverse Populations: Challenges and Opportunities
By Lori Mestre
Librarians seeking or inhabiting professional diversity roles will find this title a valuable resource. Focused on academic libraries, the book bases its conclusions on a study of 25 academic respondents to a comprehensive survey on diversity. Methodology and materials are included, along with several responses by librarians from underrepresented backgrounds. These responses are perhaps the most valuable part of the book. As the author indicates, many librarians work in institutions that either have no diversity focus or do not provide training for their diversity positions. This book is a good starting point not only for librarians tasked with improving their institutions' diversity outlook but also for librarians who want to take on that job for themselves. ACRL, 2010. 232 P. $54. PBK. 978-0-8389-8512-0. (Also available as an ebook.)

Engaging Diverse Learners: Teaching Strategies for Academic Librarians
By Mark Aaron Pogler and Scott Sheidlower
Targeted at academic libraries, this book focuses on the problem of student distraction. Its most useful section looks at missteps in classroom engagement and offers ways to combat them using informed strategies and experiential learning. In terms of addressing diversity, the book is strongest when explaining the need for safe classroom spaces, free from sexism and homophobia. The concept of meeting learners on their own cultural territory is presented in the context of engaging students whose positive associations are with Black cultural structures and cues. The book's grounded, common-sense advice makes it a good introductory text for academic librarians venturing into instruction or attempting to improve their pedagogy. Libraries Unlimited, 2017. 186 P. $60. PBK. 978-1-4408-3850-7. (Also available as an ebook.)

Information Literacy for Today's Diverse Students: Differentiated Instructional Techniques for Academic Librarians
By Alex Berrio Matamoros
Learning styles can vary according to cultural norms. This book presents teaching techniques for information literacy instructors whose students have backgrounds that predispose them to certain learning styles. Fortunately, the book doesn't linger on specific cultural differences; assigning blanket learning characteristics to cultures is problematic and would be better explored in a more complex work. Because cultural diversity is presented as a good reason to implement the book's pedagogical strategy, it would be disingenuous to say Information Literacy is primarily about diversity. The book should be taken for what it is: a resource for using differentiated learning with students who have a variety of learning styles. Libraries Unlimited, 2018. 159 P. $75. PBK. 978-1-4408-6207-6. (Also available as an ebook.)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Planning, Leadership, and Programming in Action
Edited by Christine Bombaro
These 10 essays present a range of perspectives on improving diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in academic libraries. Each essay offers an initiative for fostering diversity, plus a discussion of outcomes. For the most part, the essays focus on the library's ability to serve, support, and boost minority and marginalized communities, including racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, veterans reentering civilian life, and first-generation college students. One of the most interesting essays addresses medical bias. Thanks to its unique perspective on medical racism in literature, libraries, and medical schools, this essay is essential reading for anyone who works at a medical school or hospital. ALA Editions, 2020. 208 P. $67.99. PBK. 978-0-8389-4759-3. (Also available as an ebook.)

Supporting Diversity and Inclusion with Story: Authentic Folktales and Discussion Guides
Edited by Lyn Ford and Sherry Norfolk
This engaging book comprises folktales from around the world, along with references, commentary, and notes on their tellers. In contrast to the scholarly discussion of diversity in libraries, it provides a hands-on approach to cultural education. Both school and public children's librarians will find this a valuable resource-and depending on your community, it may inspire adult programming as well. It presents a nuanced perspective on the importance of story in fostering cultural competency and advice on effective storytelling. Examples range from the abstract, including an awareness of current politics, to the specific, such as not affecting a character's accent while reading. Highly recommended. Libraries Unlimited, 2020, 126 P. $45. PBK. 978-1-4408-6707-1. (Also available as an ebook.)

Social Justice and Cultural Competency: Essential Readings for School Librarians
Edited by Marcia A. Mardis and Dianne Oberg
This collection, focused on K-12 school librarianship, gathers articles previously published in School Libraries Worldwide. The articles are grouped by theme: social justice, cultural competency, and innovative practice. Instead of focusing on diversity buzzwords, the book encourages an active and progressive approach for librarians and educators. In the book's introduction, Mardis and Oberg state their goal: encouraging ongoing development in cultural competency rather than a one-time professional development exercise. Librarians seeking to expand their pedagogy to better assist underserved student populations would do well to explore this trove of good advice and innovation. Libraries Unlimited, 2019. 178 P. $50. PBK. 978-1-4408-7120-7. (Also available as an ebook.)

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Serving Diverse Patrons | American Libraries Magazine

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Librarians Serving Diverse Populations: Challenges and Opportunities By Lori Mestre Librarians seeking or inhabiting professional diversity roles will find this title a valuable resource. Focused on academic libraries, the book bases its conclusions on a study of 25 academic respondents to a comprehensive survey on diversity.

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As I was reading Candace Aiani's article "International School Librarians Count: Current Issues in Intellectual Freedom and Access to Information," in the Intellectual Freedom issue of Knowledge Quest, I thought back to my own experience defending intellectual freedom in the Dominican Republic last year, where I was the school librarian at an international school in Santo Domingo.

In a one-on-one meeting, my principal said, "Oh, I've been meaning to tell you, we can't have any books in the library that promote being gay."

The pronouncement seemed to come from nowhere, so I asked her to explain what she meant.

"Oh, well, of course we accept gay people! We accept gay people like we accept prostitution: we accept it, but we wouldn't promote it in school."

I was at a loss. Not only was this terribly insensitive (especially considering that we had out LGBTQ students at our school), but I had already done my book buying, and had purchased several fiction and nonfiction books with LGBTQ characters and themes. In fact, Malinda Lo's Adaptation, which features a bisexual protagonist, was on display directly behind my principal's head during this conversation. The issue was unresolved by the end of the meeting, so I spoke to some of my colleagues about the conversation. The next day one of those teachers spoke to the principal without my knowledge. He later told me that he explained to her that we want to prepare our students for the world, and LGBTQ people are part of that world.

Later, I got a call from my principal who wanted to "clarify" her comments, and tell me that of course, we would have books in the library about LGBTQ people. I don't know if she reconsidered her comments or was embarrassed, but I don't think her attempt to keep books with LGBTQ themes out of the library came from any personal prejudice. Like many administrators, she hoped to avoid controversy and potential complaints. Even librarians can fall into the same trap of self-censorship (although perhaps less consciously so), particularly in regards to LGBTQ-themed books.

In her article " 2.5 Million Teens," Wendy Rickman found that the majority of school librarians surveyed reported reluctance to purchase LGBTQ-themed materials. Another recent study in School Library Research found that on average only 0.4% of school library books were LGBTQ-related. The same study also found that school libraries had more LGBTQ fiction than nonfiction and biographies combined, however, a 2004 survey by Darla Linville found that LGBTQ teens valued finding LGBTQ informational resources in the library over fiction.

Similarly, as part of the National School Climate Survey, GLSEN has been asking LGBTQ students whether they can find LGBTQ resources in the school library since 2004. Unfortunately, in the most recent survey, less than half of students reported that they could find any LGBTQ resources in the school library, no better than 10 years ago.

The reluctance of school librarians to build strong a LGBTQ collection is understandable. I wasn't surprised to read that both the librarians profiled in the Intellectual Freedom issue, DaNae Leu and Dee Ann Venuto, were defending books which had been challenged based on LGBTQ content.

In her column, AASL President Leslie Preddy wrote, "When our students enter their school library and work with their school librarian, they are all equal in the eyes of equitable access to information and intellectual freedom." Providing equitable access to information means our LGBTQ students should see themselves reflected in the library collection, and that all students who visit the library see an accurate representation of the diversity in the world. This principle holds true for all grade levels; if certain ways of being or kinds of families are nonexistent or deemed "inappropriate," students will learn to attach that stigma to themselves and others.

As the "conduit to equitable access to information," school libraries cannot, in good conscience, attempt to avoid controversy by pretending that one portion of the population doesn't exist. In Debra Lau Whelan's School Library Journal article "Out and Ignored," Ann Symons, former president of ALA and current board member of the GLBT Round Table, was quoted as advising taking a "proactive stance" to starting an LGBTQ collection by "building the collection you feel you need and dealing [with the controversy] later."

However, there are strategies to develop an LGBTQ collection while protecting oneself against potential challenges. DeeAnn Ventuo wrote that in response to the challenge she faced, she has increased the justifications for her selection decisions. The Stonewall Book Award, presented by the ALA GLBT Round Table, has included a Children's and Young Adult category since 2010. The GLBT Round Table's Rainbow Books also regularly reviews books for children and teens and provides annual "best of" lists for librarians. The Lambda Literary Awards, which also celebrate excellence in LGBTQ literature, have recognized Children's and Young Adult Literature since 1992. Increasingly, books with LGBTQ themes are also being recognized by mainstream literary awards: 2015 Printz Award Winner I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson and honor book Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith both contain LGBTQ themes. School Library Journal has a long history of covering LGBTQ topics and reviewing LGBTQ-themed materials. Not every book in the library will be an award-winner with glowing reviews, but these resources can help librarians justify their selection decisions by recognizing LGBTQ books as good literature.

The resources profiled in the Intellectual Freedom issue, such as the Intellectual Freedom Manual and the Code of Professional Ethics, can help librarians justify developing an inclusive collection and can help inform policy development at the school level. In Serving LGBTIQ Library and Archives Users, edited by Ellen Greenblatt, Alvin M. Schrader and Kristopher Wells provide detailed guidelines for school librarians in developing policies and practices. They recommend developing and approving policies that support inclusion and intellectual freedom, establishing inclusive selection guidelines, and framing policies and procedures for challenges in accordance with the ALA Library Bill of Rights.

Back in the Dominican Republic, a few months after my awkward conversation with my principal regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ books, the School Library Committee was working on revising policies. I added sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected identities enumerated in the library's non-discrimination statement. All the members of the committee (including my principal) readily agreed to the addition.

Here in the U.S. I have found that familiarity with case law, such as the cases Theresa Chmara discusses in her article on First Amendment rights in schools, to be very empowering. Stuart Biegel traces the legal history of LGBTQ students and teachers in schools, and a number of the cases profiled are related to book challenges, often resulting with courts ruling in favor of protecting intellectual freedom.

There are a wealth of other resources available to school librarians to help better serve LGBTQ students. Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians by James R. Murdock and Hillias J. Martin includes special sections specific to school libraries. The ALA GLBT Round Table provides a series of professional tools, including bibliographies on topics such as same-sex parenting and supporting students, and I recently began writing " School Is In," a monthly column on the GLBTRT news site related to LGBTQ topics in school libraries.

School librarians can also justify LGBTQ collections and better serve LGBTQ students by becoming familiar with LGBTQ issues in education and issues facing LGBTQ youth, such as homophobic bullying, heterosexism, and school safety. Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schools by Elizabeth Meyer provides a brief but informative introduction to LGBTQ topics in schools, as well as recommended resources for further reading. GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) provides research and educational resources for educators. The California Safe Schools Coalition has a variety research briefs, including research on LGBTQ students and school safety and the impact of LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum on school safety for all students.

I invite school librarians to examine their collections and consider whether the resources available accurately represent the roughly 10 percent of students who may identify as LGBTQ. As some of our most vulnerable students, LGBTQ students must be able to depend on their school libraries for their information needs. As LGBTQ lives and experiences become more visible in the news, entertainment and media, and cultural institutions, and as LGBTQ rights become a regular conversation at international, national, and local levels, all students have a right to accurate, unbiased information about the world around them.

Works Cited:
Hughes-Hassell, S., Overberg, E., & Harris, S. (2013). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ)-themed literature for teens: Are school libraries providing adequate
collections? School Library Research, 16.

Kosciw, J. G. (2004). The 2003 National School Climate Survey: The school-related experiences of our nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. New York: GLSEN.

Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Palmer, N. A., & Boesen, M. J. (2014). The 2013 National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation's schools. New York: GLSEN.

Linville, D. (2004). Beyond Picket Fences: What gay/queer/LGBTQ teens want from the library. Voice Of Youth Advocates, 27(3), 183-186.

Rickman, W. (2015). 2.5 million teens. Knowledge Quest, 43(5), 22-27.

Schrader, A. M., & Wells, K. (2011). Queering libraries and classrooms: Strategies to build inclusive collections and services for sexual minority and gender variant youth. In E. Greenblatt (Ed.), Serving LGBTIQ library and archives users: Essays on outreach, service, collections and access. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company.

Whelan, D. L. (2006, January). Out and ignored: Why are so many school libraries reluctant to embrace gay teens? School Library Journal, 52(1), 46-50.

Categories: Blog Topics, Intellectual Freedom

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Intellectual Freedom for All: Developing LGBTQ Collections - Knowledge Quest

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As I was reading Candace Aiani's article "International School Librarians Count: Current Issues in Intellectual Freedom and Access to Information," in the Intellectual Freedom issue of Knowledge Quest, I thought back to my own experience defending intellectual freedom in the... Read More ›

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Knowledge Quest: A School Library Diversity Model and Assessment Guide

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Knowledge Quest: A School Library Diversity Model and Assessment Guide

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The American Library Association supports equal and equitable access to all library resources and services by users of all ages. Library policies and procedures that effectively deny minors equal and equitable access to all library resources and services available to other users is in violation of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights. The American Library Association opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age of library users.

Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states, "A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views." The right to use a library includes free access to, and unrestricted use of, all the services, materials, and facilities the library has to offer. Every restriction on access to, and use of, library resources, based solely on the chronological age, apparent maturity, educational level, literacy skills, emancipatory or other legal status of users violates Article V. This includes minors who do not have a parent or guardian available to sign a library card application or permission slip. Unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness should be able to obtain a library card regardless of library policies related to chronological age.

School and public libraries are charged with the mission of providing services and resources to meet the diverse interests and informational needs of the communities they serve. Services, materials, and facilities that fulfill the needs and interests of library users at different stages in their personal development are a necessary part of providing library services and should be determined on an individual basis. Equitable access to all library resources and services should not be abridged based on chronological age, apparent maturity, educational level, literacy skills, legal status, or through restrictive scheduling and use policies.

Libraries should not limit the selection and development of library resources simply because minors will have access to them. A library's failure to acquire materials on the grounds that minors may be able to access those materials diminishes the credibility of the library in the community and restricts access for all library users.

Children and young adults unquestionably possess First Amendment rights, including the right to receive information through the library in print, sound, images, data, social media, online applications, games, technologies, programming, and other formats. Constitutionally protected speech cannot be suppressed solely to protect children or young adults from ideas or images a legislative body believes to be unsuitable for them. Libraries and their library governing bodies should not resort to age restrictions in an effort to avoid actual or anticipated objections, because only a court of law can determine whether or not content is constitutionally protected.

Article VII of the Library Bill of Rights states, "All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use." This includes students and minors, who have a right to be free from any unreasonable intrusion into or surveillance of their lawful library use.

The mission, goals, and objectives of libraries cannot authorize libraries and their governing bodies to assume, abrogate, or overrule the rights and responsibilities of parents and guardians. As "Libraries: An American Value" states, "We affirm the responsibility and the right of all parents and guardians to guide their own children's use of the library and its resources and services." Libraries and their governing bodies cannot assume the role of parents or the functions of parental authority in the private relationship between parent and child. Libraries and their governing bodies shall ensure that only parents and guardians have the right and the responsibility to determine their children's-and only their children's-access to library resources. Parents and guardians who do not want their children to have access to specific library services, materials, or facilities should so advise their own children. Libraries and library governing bodies should not use rating systems to inhibit a minor's access to materials.

Libraries and their governing bodies have a legal and professional obligation to ensure that all members of the communities they serve have free and equitable access to a diverse range of library resources and services that is inclusive, regardless of content, approach, or format. This principle of library service applies equally to all users, minors as well as adults. Lack of access to information can be harmful to minors. Libraries and their governing bodies must uphold this principle in order to provide adequate and effective service to minors.

Brown v. Entertainment Merchant's Association, et al. 564 U.S. 08-1448 (2011).

Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville, 422 U.S. 205 (1975): "Speech that is neither obscene as to youths nor subject to some other legitimate proscription cannot be suppressed solely to protect the young from ideas or images that a legislative body thinks unsuitable for them. In most circumstances, the values protected by the First Amendment are no less applicable when government seeks to control the flow of information to minors." See also Tinker v. Des Moines School Dist., 393 U.S.503 (1969); West Virginia Bd. of Ed. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943); AAMA v. Kendrick, 244 F.3d 572 (7th Cir. 2001).

" Privacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights," adopted June 19, 2002, by the ALA Council; amended July 1, 2014; and June 24, 2019.

" Libraries: An American Value," adopted on February 3, 1999, by ALA Council.

" Rating Systems: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights," adopted on June 30, 2015, by ALA Council; amended June 25, 2019.

Adopted June 30, 1972, by the ALA Council; amended July 1, 1981; July 3, 1991; June 30, 2004; July 2, 2008 under previous name "Free Access to Libraries for Minors"; July 1, 2014; and June 25, 2019.

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Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

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The American Library Association supports equal and equitable access to all library resources and services by users of all ages. Library policies and procedures that effectively deny minors equal and equitable access to all library resources and services available to other users is in violation of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights.

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Education and Information Literacy: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

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Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. Education and information literacy1 are fundamental to the mission of libraries of all types and form the foundation of intellectual freedom. Libraries provide acce…

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Olivia believes that a truly democratic society nurtures difficult questions and discussions. Parents and educators play a pivotal role in being open to questions and topics that might be uncomfortable. Difficult conversations that might not have a right answer need to occur at school and at home.

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The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to defend each person’s right to read under the First Amendment and ensure free access to information. Every year, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books in order to inform the pub…

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When it comes to intellectual freedom, most people would agree that adults should have the right to read what pleases them. Many would also agree that teenagers need some freedom to explore their own reading tastes and choices. But what about children, specifically school-aged children? Does it make sense to talk about intellectual freedom for a population that generally exercises little freedom at home or at school? The Library Bill of Rights does not discriminate on the basis of age, which would include younger children as well as older ones. But are there other reasons to support intellectual freedom for younger readers?

First things first: What is intellectual freedom? We use the term so often in librarianship that it runs the risk of being too vague and undefined. Basically, intellectual freedom is both an ideal that we work towards, and a guideline for library policies and practices. It has three components: access, diversity, and privacy. Access means that readers are able to find and check out the materials that interest them, without unnecessary barriers. Diversity means that there are a wide range of materials to choose from, including viewpoints and experiences that may have been overlooked or marginalized. Privacy means having that access to materials without oversight or supervision. Together, these three components make up the broader category of intellectual freedom.

Second, let's look at elementary school aged children. What is this developmental stage like? In a word, it's all about curiosity. Kids get interested in books and other media because it feeds their often insatiable desire to know. This is completely developmentally appropriate for kids, especially those aged 7 to 11. As they inch toward 11 and middle school, kids become obsessed with the concept of justice. Everything must be fair! The combination of these two passions, curiosity and justice, make elementary school an ideal time to give kids some freedom and responsibility for the information and entertainment they seek.

Besides being developmentally appropriate, intellectual freedom for kids has some practical benefits for librarians. If you have policies that involve screening or previewing for offensive things, you set up the expectation that you'll be able and willing to do that for all young patrons. It will be very difficult to be consistent, it will take up large amounts of time, and it's not really what librarians do. This doesn't mean that you can't suggest a different book for a kid if you believe that s/he isn't ready for one they've chosen. You can always suggest alternatives. The important thing is to have some wiggle room in your practice and not be tied down with a rigid, one-size-fits-all policy.

Even more importantly, free choice in reading is good for reading motivation! Lots of research supports this, but for an overview see Stephen Krashen's The Power of Reading or Reading Matters: What the Research Reveals about Reading, Libraries, and Communities. When kids have access to reading that appeals to them, they read more, and through practice they become better readers. Intellectual freedom is thus not an abstract ethic, but a framework for how we're teaching kids to love reading.

Reading is also a key component of identity formation. This is clearly true of teenage readers, but is also true of school-aged children. As they form a world outside of their families at school, church, camp, and other communities, kids are discovering who are they are for the first time. Reading, according to Rudine Sims Bishop, is about providing window and mirrors: readers can see themselves reflected in reading as well as discover other people's experiences that might be unfamiliar. In any case, meaningful exploration of identity demands some freedom of reading choice, even for young readers.

In sum, intellectual freedom for young readers makes sense, for many of the same reasons that it makes sense for teens and adults. It also makes sense for younger readers in particular, because they are just beginning to explore identity and are building themselves as readers and students. By allowing kids some free rein in book choice, and by eliminating barriers to access, diversity, and privacy, we make it more likely that young readers will learn to love reading and libraries. By the time they are older, intellectual freedom will become ingrained in their expectations of learning and life.

Categories: Blog Topics, Intellectual Freedom

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Intellectual Freedom and Youth: Practical and Philosophical Considerations - Knowledge Quest

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When it comes to intellectual freedom, most people would agree that adults should have the right to read what pleases them. Many would also agree that teenagers need some freedom to explore their own reading tastes and choices. But what... Read More ›

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Intellectual freedom is defined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as, “the right to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” (UNESCO, 2019).

Valerie Nye, library director at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, drills to the heart of the matter by defining intellectual freedom as the “right to read, learn and explore without limitations“ (2017).

How do these freedoms apply when considering K-12 school libraries and why is it important? First, students across the K-12 spectrum are afforded rights under the first amendment, the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, and within the purview of the American Association of School Librarian’s standards. Second, it is the responsibility of the school librarian to make sure that the library is offering a wide range of services, resources, and a physical collection that meets the diverse interests and learning needs that protect the intellectual freedom of the school community. Finally, promoting intellectual freedom benefits the students directly, across the K-12 spectrum, in their perspective, identity, and empathy building, motivation to engage with reading and learning, and explore experiences that will allow them to make stronger more relevant connections as a global citizen (Gaffney, 2018).

References Gaffney, L. (2018, April 11). Intellectual freedom and youth: Practical and philosophical considerations. Knowledge Quest. https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/intellectual-freedom-and-youth-practical-and-phil osophical-considerations/. Nye, V. (2017, October 2). Why is intellectual freedom important? Intellectual Freedom Blog. https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=11060. UNESCO. (2019, December 2). UNESCO and the Universal Declaration on human rights. UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/udhr.