That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America

by Amanda Jones

I know of a book that was removed from the shelves of a neighboring school by the school’s principal because a parent came and complained. The parent did not file a formal book challenge. The principal did not follow the book challenge policy, did not consult the district, and forced the librarian to remove it from the school’s library all at the request of one parent who admittedly hadn’t read the book. The fact the book was professionally reviewed for that school’s age group did not matter. The decision was made by a principal whose only experience in the classroom was as a PE instructor, who hadn’t read the book, and who had no training in library science.