Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
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Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
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Jun 27, 2023 12:51PM
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Old Lyme, Conn. PUBLIC library facing calls to ban two sex-ed books from teen sectionLet's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
You Know, Sex: Bodies, Gender, Puberty, and Other Things
A letter, signed by 23 citizens of the town, was sent to the Old Lyme-Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library on May 25. The letter references “You Know, Sex.”
It reads: “In recent years, we have observed that the books the library carries have become increasingly focused on sex and sexual identity. There are topics (and often visuals) designed for far more mature audiences than youth and even teens … and yet they’re packaged with bright colors and sometimes cartoon styles.”
A second letter, signed by 135 citizens of Old Lyme and Lyme and sent to the library June 16, called to remove both books from the young adult shelves.
“One of the outstanding aspects of the (library), given its close proximity and close affiliation with Region 18 schools, is the ability for middle and high school students to visit the library independently after school and at other times,” the letter reads. “We do not believe that this material is in any way sex education and it is unbecoming of our community values.”
Region 18 schools serve students from both Old Lyme and Lyme.
The second letter states “We ask that you reconsider your decision on this book and its availability to children ages 11-19. If it is determined to be inappropriate, we request a proper review of the materials in the teen-tween room in hopes that no other content like this is available in that space.”
Signatories
Steve Spooner, a member of the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee, identifies himself on the second letter as the “lead organizer” of the effort to remove the books from the young-adult shelves.
Among the signatories on the second letter are Selectman Matthew Ward, Board of Finance Chair J. David Kelsey, Board of Finance member Maria Marchant, school board members Mary Powell St. Louis and Christopher Staab and library board trustee Tara Ward.
Kelsey has been a major library benefactor “for many, many years,”
"On Friday, the library posted a notice on its website: oldlymelibrary.org:
“The Board of Trustees are currently reviewing these titles per the library’s collection development policy and established process. In the meantime, these titles will remain in circulation and are available to request via the library’s catalog.”
The board will meet on July 11 to discuss the issue, Huffman said.
The library has one copy of each of the books, she said.
In an interview on Monday, Huffman said over the last several years, people have made comments about some of the library’s content.
Huffman said she also was not surprised that many of the signatories are not residents of Old Lyme, but of Lyme. "
https://www.courant.com/2023/06/27/ol...
My parents live near there. Jenn McKinlay grew up near there in Niantic. Her mom was a school librarian. She hasn't posted about this yet but I'm betting she will. Future plot for her Library Lovers mystery series maybe. Books Can Be Deceiving (older tween, teen to seniors!)
Montgomery County Virginia’s Board of Education is expecting a crowd of demonstrators outside its Tuesday meeting. They made the meeting virtual. Updates to follow
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/lo...
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Let's Talk About It: The Teen's Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human
[book:You Know,..."
Do these book banning MORONS actually believe that teenagers are going to not be sexually active if books about sex are not available and not being allowed?
Manybooks wrote: "Do these book banning MORONS actually believe that teenagers are going to not be sexually active if books about sex are not available and not being allowed?Rhetorical question but I believe the answer is yes. They think the bright, cartoony covers will catch the eye of their toddlers and small children and their special snowflake babies will lose their innocence all because they can't effectively parent their kids. Keep them from running lose in the library, help guide them to the books that are for their age group, teach them the birds and the bees and leave the books alone.
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Rhetorical question b..."
What a bunch of garbage like thought, and of course these idiots want everyone to suffer, to impose their views on ALL.
Yikes! Today's news is mostly horrible but through it all, librarians, booksellers and authors continue to push back.Important points the censors are not understanding:
Prince & Knight is no more about gay sex than Snow White and Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella are about heterosexual sex.
There is no pr0n in schools or libraries. There is however, loads of it online.
Parent your own children not everyone else's. Don't let them run around stealing books from library shelves. My nieces and nephews never went for the books unless it was the pink shelf or truck shelf. They usually went for the toys first. That's the case with all very young children I see in the library unless their parents are reading to them.
Library books are optional. No one is forcing you or your kid to read them.
Read the Constitution again because the United States is not a theocracy. HELLO wasn't there a big deal about Kennedy being Catholic because people were terrified he'd answer to the Pope ahead of the law? Aren't these the same people who claim Obama is a Muslim? The Muslims are siding with the censors!
That's the summary. If you'd like the longer winded version, read on.
Protests continue in Montgomery County, Maryland‘We will never surrender our children!’: Groups protest Montgomery Co. schools’ book opt-out provision
Protesters gathered outside the Montgomery County Public School system’s Board of Education office Tuesday afternoon to press the school board to reverse its decision barring an opt-out provision over the use of LGBTQ+ books for children from pre-K through fifth grade.
Before Tuesday afternoon’s Board of Education meeting, tweets from the group Family Rights for Religious Freedom, which wants a return to an opt-out policy, showed protesters chanting, “We don’t hate anyone!” and “We will never surrender our children!”
Inside the school board meeting, speakers were given time to express their concerns.
The first speaker, who described herself as a Christian and “an ambassador of Christ and his coming kingdom,” told the school board that the board’s authority “is indeed asserted by God and God alone.” She added that the protesters outside were not being “represented rightly” by the school board.
Laura Stewart, a member of the new Coalition for Inclusive Schools and Communities, told the school board that the issues that were being protested become so charged that several LGBTQ+ advocates have told her they were “uncomfortable with how heated the debate has become,” and as a result, stayed away from Tuesday’s meeting.
Zainab Chaudry, regional director of the Council on Islamic American Relations, told the school board that the protesters outside the meeting were “demonstrating for their right to be able to have a say on when and how children are exposed to content that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs.
Chaudry said the heated debate included “different forces with political agendas who are trying to pit communities against one another and fuel culture wars.” But, unlike those who applaud the school system’s no-opt-out policy, Chaudry said the way the school board has handled the issue is “reprehensible.”
Saleem Peter, who described herself as a “concerned parent” of elementary and middle school children, said the school system should be more transparent and restore the opt-out policy.
“Introducing sexual behavior and preference at an early age raise legitimate concern for us parents,” she said.
Jocelyn Guyer told board members that she was present because of her concern about the safety of LGBTQ+ students, which she said is personal for her.
Guyer said that her older daughter, who is transgender, was subjected to “vicious, vicious bullying” in 2018, and the school system was responsive to her family’s concerns at the time.
“So yes, I am concerned. I am beyond concerned about student safety as this ugly, ugly debate intensifies,” Guyer said. “If this were truly about teaching kids at too young an age about sex, I would get it … I would.”
But she added that one of the books in the schools’ curriculum, “Prince & Knight,” is “no more about gay sex than Cinderella and Snow White are about heterosexual sex.”
The policy adopted in March states, “MCPS expects all classrooms to be inclusive and safe spaces for students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+,” and “Students and families may not choose to opt out of engaging with any instructional materials,” other than those in the “Family Life and Human Sexuality Unit of Instruction.”
The books that were introduced earlier in the year are part of the school system’s language arts curriculum, and according to school officials, reading them is not mandatory.
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/20...
How book bans threaten democracyPodcast discussion
"In this episode of The Weeds, we dig into threats to defund public libraries and the growing movement to ban books at schools and libraries across the country. Cody Croan, an administrative librarian in Missouri and the legislative committee chair of the Missouri Libraries Association, talks about what he’s seen on the ground. Kasey Meehan, the program director for Freedom to Read at PEN America, tells us what this new level of censorship means for American democracy."
https://www.vox.com/politics/23776025...
This makes me sick and sad for the kids.Katy Texas- Katy ISD halts all library book purchases, directs incoming books to storage pending book reviews
Katy ISD has frozen purchases of new library books and will place incoming books in storage, following a directive by the board of trustees.
At Monday’s meeting, the school board instructed Superintendent Ken Gregorski to cease buying new books, and mandated that any books already purchased for the new school year be placed into storage until the board changes the current book policy or creates a committee for book evaluation.
The only books exempt from the decision are those destined for the district’s newest schools, which will open for the first time this year, in order for the schools to have a library.
Katy ISD has been mired in controversy over removing or limiting access to books at schools. Last year, the board adopted a policy requiring parents’ permission for students to check out classroom library books. The district’s three newest board members, elected in May, cited the removal of “sexually explicit” materials as top priorities during their campaigns.
The agenda item was a discussion-only issue, meaning no vote was required, enabling the board to instruct Gregorski to freeze purchases of new books and store incoming books.
The discussion began when Katy ISD General Counsel Justin Graham broached House Bill 900 with the board, noting that the newly passed legislation, which aims to ban sexually explicit materials from school libraries, will become law April 1, 2024.
In the interim, board President Victor Perez suggested that Katy ISD circumvent the need for removing books from the library by preventing them from entering libraries all together.
In response, Gregorski agreed to cease all book purchases and to move already purchased books into storage indefinitely until the board creates a new procedure for book evaluation.
“That can be done immediately, beginning tomorrow, that we just redirect those purchases to the warehouse … and they will just sit in the warehouse until we figure this out, if that’s what the board would like me to do,” Gregorski said.
Some board members questioned the legality and practicality of the move.
Fox also questioned whether the move was drastic, noting that the overall percentage of banned books in the district is very small. She also posited that elementary libraries be exempt from the action, as books for younger children have so far evaded controversy in the district.
Newly elected trustee Morgan Calhoun said she’s seen books in elementary schools that “support sexually alternative lifestyles.”
“There are elementary schools that have Pride sections in them … so yes, elementary school, middle school, high school (books) — all of them,” Calhoun said.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neig...
Book banning law taking effect in Indiana on July 1stOne law has school corporations implementing new policies.
It’s called House Bill 1447.
The bill requires schools to have a procedure in place for parents or community members to challenge books in school libraries.
The bill urges schools to have an online list of the books on their shelves, allowing parents or community members to look them over and express their concerns.
Books can be removed from the shelves if they’re deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors.”
The bill also gives local prosecutors the ability to bring charges against librarians or media specialists who might have a book deemed “obscene” on their shelves.
https://www.wevv.com/news/book-bannin...
Book banning law taking effect in Indiana on July 1stOne law has school corporations implementing new policies.
It’s called House Bill 1447.
The bill requires schools to have a procedure in place for parents or community members to challenge books in school libraries.
The bill urges schools to have an online list of the books on their shelves, allowing parents or community members to look them over and express their concerns.
Books can be removed from the shelves if they’re deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors.”
The bill also gives local prosecutors the ability to bring charges against librarians or media specialists who might have a book deemed “obscene” on their shelves.
https://www.wevv.com/news/book-bannin...
Some good news for a changeLA County could make eBooks, including those banned in other jurisdictions, available to all CA
https://abc7.com/california-book-bans...
Bernards Township NJ School Board Rejects Another Sociology Book for high schoolers."I read the book front to back and to me, it's a disqualifier. So I will not be supporting this textbook either," said BOE president Keith Molinari.
The textbook at the center of the discussion was "Sociology: A Brief Introduction: High School Edition, Fourteenth Edition" printed by Mcgraw Hill LLC. The Board was set to approve the purchase of 60 textbooks for $9,900 for the advanced placement Sociology elective course.
The textbook approval was voted down by Molinari, Lawrence Rascio, Kirsten Light and Csilla Csipak voted against the book while McKeon, Salmon, and White were in favor of the book.
"My main core problem still is the stories that they tell to go through the sociology approach are very unbalanced. They're stated more as resolved facts that then the students discuss, rather than people might have different views on that and presenting both views," said Light. "I think the construct of the entire book I think is very effective but I am concerned about the content of those stories."
When Salmon asked specifically Light took issues with, she said "every chapter."
Csipak, who also did not approve the book, listed each issue she had with the book including mentions of people wanting to be called "child free" instead of "childless."
She said the book failed to mention "the frequent regret for those that chose not to have children is completely missed." [not really... Myself and two close friends are happily child free]
Additionally, Csipak noted that the book mentions that the cost to raise a child until they are 18 years old is around $285,000 or double if they go to college.
"This is an absolute materialistic view. No financial gain can be compared to the joy of having kids around you, hugging you, and loving you unconditionally," said Csipak. [sounds like my worst nightmare, thank you! I'll save my money.]
White said the Board was "overstepping and taking away the rights of the teachers" when it comes to choosing material for their classroom.
Salmon pointed out that this criticism to curriculum material is not given to any other subject.
"To reject a book - because you a layperson - would teach sociology a different way makes no sense to me because we've done this in zero other courses. For some reason it's only sociology," said Salmon.
https://patch.com/new-jersey/baskingr...
And this is why Florida's book banning laws are ridiculously stupid. If the Amanda Gorman controversy wasn't enough, this one is adding fuel to the fire.I Am Billie Jean King
Challenged, pulled from the shelves because ONE Leon County mom complained. One guess as to why! She claims it's illegal because it violates the "don't say gay" law.
"A Leon County mother says her child was harmed after reading a page of a children's book from a school library explaining that tennis legend Billie Jean King is gay.
Katie Lyons' daughter, then a second grader at a Tallahassee elementary school, brought home a children's book about King — and also brought questions to her mother about a page regarding King's sexuality.
"This book discusses sexual orientation, a topic that is prohibited by Florida law, is inappropriate for this age group and ultimately infringes on our rights as parents," Lyons said.
In the complaint, filed on April 25, Lyons was more specific with her concerns than just "sexual orientation," a term broadly referring to whom one is attracted to.
"I object to material that discusses being gay and what it means to be gay," wrote Lyons, who declined an interview after the hearing.
Also at the hearing was D.J. Wright, a retired principal who the district picked as a third-party official to listen into the hearing and make a recommendation to the school board about what should be done with the book. Wright has 14 work days to do so, with the board making the final decision at a later date.
And, sitting across the table from Lyons was Shane Syfrett, assistant superintendent of academic services for Leon County Schools.
Syfrett defended the inclusion of the title on school shelves, saying getting rid of it would "limit all students and families from accessing this material freely when it may only be objectionable to some families."
"The exclusion of one of these profiles just because of the identification of the main subject as homosexual is not the intention of any law or statute passed by the Florida Legislature," Syfrett said.
He pointed to a clarification the Florida Department of Education issued stating that "incidental references" in books to LGBTQ people are not prohibited.
Syfrett said the school system would also be implementing a new process that allows parents to approve reading material before their children check them out.
"We thoroughly believe in a parent's right to address certain topics when and how they choose, but the job of our system is to protect that right rather than remove rights from others," he said.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...
Saline, Arkansas is still fussing about books. Saline County Judge speaks on library ordinances
The Saline County Library has been in the middle of controversy for weeks— now, we got to hear the first public comments from the county judge on the matter.
County Judge Matt Brumley sat in on that board meeting after holding a press conference on Monday to share his first public comments on the issue.
"If something is brought to our attention in a concern if something is found to be valid, it must be addressed," Brumley explained.
Part of the debate surrounds where certain children's books can be stored at a library.
"The library should enact policies to relocate materials that are not subject matter or age appropriate for children due to their sexual content or imagery," Brumley added.
That ordinance passed the quorum court in April, and while it's not legally binding, library supporters have shared concerns over first amendment violations.
Though the judge explained how that's not the case.
"I respect others enough to sit down with them. And explicitly explain why I believe the books that I do think need to be moved and not banned," Brumley described.
So far the library hasn't moved any books, which has led to some public calls for the director's replacement.
Right now the library said only two books have been formally requested to be moved and are under the review process.
Overall, Brumley said he hopes the controversy settles with joint a solution soon.
Also, something both the quorum court and library are watching is Act 372 (which broadens who can call library material obscene and then allows punishment if someone is caught giving that content to minors), that goes into effect on August 1.
https://www.thv11.com/article/news/lo...
Now the good news from ALA.Judy Blume Offers a Rousing Defense of the Freedom to Read
“When I wrote [Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret] in 1970, I gave three copies to my children’s elementary school. Signed copies. And the male principal took them off the shelf. I think he gave them back to me. And he said ‘we can’t have these books here.’” Blume recalled. “Little did I know what was coming in the '80s. And then I thought, that's it. We're done with this. That's never going to happen again. And here we are again. On steroids.”
Later in the talk, Chanda asked Blume which of her characters she would choose to send to a school board meeting to defend her books. She chose Deenie Fenner from her 1973 Deenie, again bringing up the misogyny that drives so many book bans. “You know, that book was so successfully banned in the '80s that kids didn't even know I had written it,” she said, acknowledging that Deenie remains one of the ALA’s most banned books because it includes talk of female masturbation. “I once had another male principal say to me ‘I wouldn't have Deenie in my library. But if it was about a boy, that would be different. It would be normal,'” she said, prompting groans from the audience. “Female pleasure!” she then bluntly exclaimed, drawing a round of applause.
“There's not a week goes by that I don't have people in the store who are teachers, who are librarians, and who are being hit with this. One woman said to me, ‘this is my pension. I have worked all these years for this pension. I could lose it.’ And what are we saying?” Blume said. “We have to let her know that we're all there. That we're all there and we are not going to let this happen.”
“I'm looking to publishers,” Blume said. “I'm looking to organizations that are coming in. I'm looking for legal help. I don't have the answers. But I know that we can't be complacent. I know that. And I think what happened in the '80s is that we weren't all together. I mean, I don't think that the publishers were there for us in the '80s. PEN wasn't there. NCAC wasn't there.”
One contingent that was there, Blume noted: librarians—including ALA’s longtime free speech defender, the late Judith Krug, and veteran school librarian Pat Scales, who Blume singled out for praise for her well-known work to engage parents in their child’s reading. Earlier in the program, Scales was honored with the Freedom to Read Foundation’s Roll of honor award for her dedication to upholding the principles of intellectual freedom. “We need to clone Pat Scales."
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
Now the good news from ALA.Judy Blume Offers a Rousing Defense of the Freedom to Read
“When I wrote [Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret] in 1970, I gave three copies to my children’s elementary school. Signed copies. And the male principal took them off the shelf. I think he gave them back to me. And he said ‘we can’t have these books here.’” Blume recalled. “Little did I know what was coming in the '80s. And then I thought, that's it. We're done with this. That's never going to happen again. And here we are again. On steroids.”
Later in the talk, Chanda asked Blume which of her characters she would choose to send to a school board meeting to defend her books. She chose Deenie Fenner from her 1973 Deenie, again bringing up the misogyny that drives so many book bans. “You know, that book was so successfully banned in the '80s that kids didn't even know I had written it,” she said, acknowledging that Deenie remains one of the ALA’s most banned books because it includes talk of female masturbation. “I once had another male principal say to me ‘I wouldn't have Deenie in my library. But if it was about a boy, that would be different. It would be normal,'” she said, prompting groans from the audience. “Female pleasure!” she then bluntly exclaimed, drawing a round of applause.
“There's not a week goes by that I don't have people in the store who are teachers, who are librarians, and who are being hit with this. One woman said to me, ‘this is my pension. I have worked all these years for this pension. I could lose it.’ And what are we saying?” Blume said. “We have to let her know that we're all there. That we're all there and we are not going to let this happen.”
“I'm looking to publishers,” Blume said. “I'm looking to organizations that are coming in. I'm looking for legal help. I don't have the answers. But I know that we can't be complacent. I know that. And I think what happened in the '80s is that we weren't all together. I mean, I don't think that the publishers were there for us in the '80s. PEN wasn't there. NCAC wasn't there.”
One contingent that was there, Blume noted: librarians—including ALA’s longtime free speech defender, the late Judith Krug, and veteran school librarian Pat Scales, who Blume singled out for praise for her well-known work to engage parents in their child’s reading. Earlier in the program, Scales was honored with the Freedom to Read Foundation’s Roll of honor award for her dedication to upholding the principles of intellectual freedom. “We need to clone Pat Scales."
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
A poll by Education Week shows Most Library Staffers Think No Book Should Be Banned From Schools.I think any librarian that supports book bans should be fired and barred from working in a library and lose membership to ALA.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learn...
"1,730 library personnel participated in a nationally representative survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center in April. The survey includes responses from 994 librarians, 434 library paraprofessionals, 189 library directors, and 113 employees with school-library-related jobs. The survey asked library workers about how book banning has impacted their district over the past two years.
Due to book ban controversies, 53 percent of school librarians and media professionals said they are less likely to choose titles that could be considered controversial, according to the survey. More than a quarter of library personnel are also considering leaving the profession entirely due to the stress caused by book bans. And finally, almost 20 percent have taken steps to safeguard their physical safety from threats surrounding these controversies, according to survey data.
For most library staffers, about 71 percent, there have been no personal consequences from book challenges. However, 21 percent said their professional judgment has been questioned, and 8 percent said they’ve feared losing their jobs.
Sixty three percent said no books have been challenged in their libraries over the past two years. However, in sharing anonymous responses, several respondents said they were concerned about book banning nationwide even if it didn’t affect their district directly.
Librarians largely want to work with parents to accommodate their concerns and requests about what books their child should have access to, Lucas and Morris said. Over the years, both of them have had conversations with parents, which never turned into district-level book challenges.
The part that stresses out librarians is when a community member or parent asks for a book to be entirely removed from schools, as opposed to just restricting access for their child, both of them said.
About 90 percent of respondents said parents have little or no influence on selecting library books. Most library workers—about 55 percent—said parents should have the same amount of influence that they currently do when it comes to choosing what books should be in school libraries, and about 40 percent said they should have less influence than they currently do.
Library personnel are also split on how much influence they think parents should have on what school library books their kids are reading, with 38 percent saying parents have little to no influence on their child’s book choices in their districts.
Sixty-five percent want to maintain that degree of parental influence, 18 percent want parents to have more choice in choosing what their child can read, and 16 percent said parents should have less influence than they do now.
message 1270:
by
Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs
(last edited Jun 28, 2023 03:47PM)
(new)
Mod
LA County could make eBooks, including those banned in other jurisdictions, available to all CA
https://abc7.com/california-book-bans......"
That's what my little local library seems to be doing. Not a whole lot of diversity on the shelves, but quite often when I look for something in the catalog I see it as an ebook. And the digital offerings are available regionally. (And then, because I'm not a fan of reading on my tablet, I go and get the paper book from OKC).
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Important points the censors are not understanding:
[book:Prince & Knight|3420..."
And the fact is Obama Barrack is NOT a Muslim but a church going Christian and the the MORONS who claimed Obama was Muslim only claimed this due to his skin colour and due to his name. And you know, these kinds of ignoramuses should have absolutely NO rights at all regarding getting books banned and really should also not have custody of their children for their children's own health and safety.
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I Am Billie Jean King[book..."
So I guess any book about someone who was/is homosexual or lesbian even if sexuality is not mentioned will be banned?
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https://ca.style.yahoo.com/anguished-...
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The premier of New Brunswick is obviously a homophobic pig!!
I hope that any students referred to a psychologist because they want to change their names rebel against this with extreme prejudice. And of course the NAZI inclined leader of the Conservative Party seems to agree. Mr. Polievre, your links to Adolf Hitler are showing.
Cheryl and Kathryn That's so sad! You can look on YouTube and find lovely readings of diverse picture books.
That's horrible that special needs students were denied crowns! A special needs teacher should know better. My sister would have been fuming and sent a strongly worded letter full of professional jargon why her son's mistreatment caused him psychological harm and how he has an IEP and isn't getting the education he is supposed to. (And she has had to do this).
New Brunswick sounds like a scary place to be, like Florida and Texas. That's really bad news and I hope the evil doesn't spread to other provinces and LGBTQ+ kids can find places they belong. I will be boycotting NB now.
I wish we had more affordable and workforce housing for the people of our state so we could welcome refugees from homophobic and transphobic places. A state representative from my former district is a gay woman and one of those parental rights bills came up for discussion - briefly- and a supporter used the old "groomer and p___phile" trope against her. She was furious! I'm not sure he knew she was gay though but he was censured by the Democrats. The Republicans, of course, didn't approve of THAT. They don't even plan to discuss the bill next session, after summer break.
Lancaster County is Amish Country and possibly the most conservative part of Penn. I don't think books need a rating system. They already have one. It's called "picture books", (K-3) "juvenile", (3-6) "young adult"(7-12) and "adult". Non-fiction is even divided into handy categories so homophobes and transphobes can avoid the gender and sexuality section! Who decides on these ratings? Isn't it redundant and extra work for librarians?The policy proposed:
Elizabethtown Area School District’s school board voted unanimously Tuesday to advance revisions to its library materials policy — including a new rating system to identify mature content in books — which got its first official reading at the meeting
A second reading of the policy is likely to come at the board’s August 22 voting meeting. The board doesn’t meet in July. If the policy is approved after that reading, it is implemented immediately.
Books that don’t meet newly defined criteria in the revised policy could be removed if it is adopted, Superintendent Karen Nell said at a June 13 meeting, responding to board member Danielle Lindemuth, who had asked if any library books would be removed.
The rating system would sort books into the following categories: lower elementary (grades K-4), upper elementary (grades 3-7), middle school (grades 5-8), young adult (grades 8-12), young adult-mature (grades 9-12), advanced (grades 10-12) and advanced-mature (grades 10-12).
Mature content is defined in the policy as inclusion of multiple vulgarities or obscenities, sexually descriptive content, significant references to underage drug and alcohol use, significant graphic depictions of violence, and themes of abuse or self-harm.
Martin said the rating system is meant to make it easier for parents to identify which books they might want to keep their student from accessing. Previously, books were flagged for mature content but not specifically categorized.
ool board voted unanimously Tuesday to advance revisions to its library materials policy — including a new rating system to identify mature content in books — which got its first official reading at the meeting.
One of the main concerns among residents who spoke during the meetings’ public comment portion was the amount of time it would take the district’s librarians to categorize the books.
“The vast majority of families do trust that we have appropriate materials in our libraries,” said Kristy Moore, a parent and Democratic candidate for school board. “I fear that we're going to have our librarians put all that work into a system that evidence shows most families won't use anyway.”
https://lancasteronline.com/news/loca...
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That's so sad! You can look on YouTube and find lovely readings of diverse picture books.
That's horrible that special needs students were denied crowns! A special needs teach..."
New Brunswick is a great province and MANY New Brunswickers do NOT support the premier (Higgs will not have in any way an easy time and neither teachers nor students will simply accept him and his mandates). I went to university at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick and the university has just opened up its gender transition care clinic (that was before just for Mount A students) to the general public and there is NOTHING that the premier will be able to do about this. Premier Higgs is NOT all that popular and he is being increasingly despised by the population of New Brunswick (which might be why he is acting out like this and flexing his puny muscles).
Also in Penn.Hempfield board advances policies limiting explicit content in school libraries
In May
The board voted seven to two for both proposed policy 108.1 and revisions to policy 109 on resource and library materials. In both votes, board member Jim Maurer and Mike Donato voted against the proposals. The proposed policies establish guidelines for the selection and review of books in the district’s libraries, including a rule ensuring books with explicit content or material are no longer available to students.
Explicit content and material is defined in one policy as (view spoiler)
"There's a potential for risk of violating our students first amendment rights here," Maurer said of the revisions to policy 109. "It has not been rewritten appropriately."
The Free Speech Rally organized by parents Jamie Beth Cohen and Jennifer Applegate was co-sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, Lancaster Stands Up and Freedom Readers (a Lancaster County group against book banning).
Representatives from each of the groups – some from outside of the district – showed up to the rally, but Cohen said most of the protesters were Hempfield School District residents. She had handed out 60 stickers indicating who was a Hempfield resident and said she would have given out more if she hadn’t run out.
Additionally, over 900 signed a petition Cohen started to protect free speech and access to books in the Hempfield School District.
Cohen previously told LNP | LancasterOnline that a significant portion of books in the school libraries would be removed if the policies are passed. Cohen is a resident and parent of two students who she removed from the district in 2022 because she felt the school failed to adequately protect them from COVID-19 and did not take action to address antisemitic comments made by other students.
Cohen discussed use of the Independence Law Center to craft the proposed policies. Independence Law Center, a Harrisburg-based law firm with a reputation for opposing LGBTQ+ rights in favor of religious liberty, recently met with the board in executive session.
https://lancasteronline.com/news/loca...
In Huntington Beach, CA: Letters to the Editor: Librarians push back on Huntington Beach plan to keep kids from reading ‘obscene’ bookshttps://www.latimes.com/opinion/lette...
Manybooks wrote: "New Brunswick is a great province and MANY New Brunswickers do NOT support the premier ..."
I hope not. How much power does he have? In the meantime, before he gets ousted, it's still terrifying for LGBTQ+ kids. My brother worked teaching college art classes in a rural conservative area and students would come out to him because he and my SIL welcomed them and made them feel safe. My heart breaks for the kids who can't trust their teachers because their teachers are required to rat them out.
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New Brunswick is a great province and MANY New Brunswickers do NOT support the premier ..."
I hope not. How much power does he have? In the meantime, before he gets ousted, it's..."
Luckily, the premiers of Canadian provinces generally do not have the same amount of personal power as do USA governors, and neither in fact does the Canadian prime minister. I mean when I compare the USA to Canada (and to the UK and other constitutional monarchies in Europe), it always flabbergasts me just how much personal (almost monarchial) absolute might and clout both the US president and state governors seem to have.
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The big city library downtown in the city where I actually live (as opposed to the small community library I walk to) has a Pride Month display in the teen space "Libraries are for everyone!" is written on a sign in rainbow letters. These kids have way bigger problems that what books they read. The usual urban inner city problems apply to two large high schools in a decaying former industrial city.As the students in Beaufort, SC said kids have REAL issues to deal with like drugs, school shootings, sex abuse, gender and sexuality and none of those problems come from books. Books allow them to learn about these issues and deal with them in a safe space.
Jodi Picoult seems to be picking up the mantle from Judy Blume for a new generation. She is very quoteworthy! (Listening to the discussion about 97 Documentary now https://www.97documentary.com/)
This hasn't hit the media yet but I heard directly from a source that a school committee meeting was happening in a consolidated school district in south coast, Mass. I listened in on some of the arguments for and against parental rights in education. The same old... There is apparently ONE trans student in the school who was using their preferred pronouns and was outed to their parents who didn't know their child was trans. School counselors are concerned for the student's safety.
There is also fuss and bother because - and this teacher was asking to be fired for this - sociology teacher showed kids an image of a trans person's genitals in transition and said "What happens in the classroom stays in the classroom!"
Now there are calls for cameras in the classroom so helicopter parents can monitor everything that goes on.
This is a very conservative area. I won't be at all surprised if they do pass one of those parental rights in education bills. I once saw a Confederate flag hanging from someone's home. I've heard racial and ethnic "jokes", "Let's Go Brandon", grumbles about Dr. Fauci, anti-vax, anti-masking in schools and all that good stuff. Lovely.
I have a box of books I was going to send to Florida but it sounds like they might be needed closer to home. I may have to see if they have a Little Free Library in the park by the lake and give them some of my books.
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While I was doing my PhD at the University of Waterloo, I saw a Nazi flag flying on the flagpole of a Waterloo house, and yes, I ripped the flag down and very happily desecrated it. Yes, I know I went onto someone's property and tore down that flag, but there is (in my opinion) a huge difference between I tearing down a Nazi flag and someone tearing down Pride flags.
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A teacher showing students picture of genitals should not only be fired but also be arrested and investigated by the police.
Manybooks wrote: "A teacher showing students picture of genitals should not only be fired but also be arrested and investigated by the police.."I do not know the context of this sharing or whether that's even what actually happened. I bet the meeting is still going on. I'll look in the news tomorrow.
I would have reported a Nazi flag. Some creeps have been leaving white supremacy leaflets and painting swastikas around. The police take that VERY seriously. Confederate flags? Maybe not so much. They're rare around here.
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I do not know the context of this sharing or whethe..."
I probably should have reported the flag, but I was so shocked, I just ripped it down and cut it up into little pieces.
I haven't been home most of the day so the only other news I'm seeing is how protestors in San Diego's Rancho Peñasquitos library’s ruined the Pride Month exhibit by checking out nearly all the books.The protesters, Peñasquitos residents Amy Vance and Martha Martin said "libraries are open, public spaces for children that should be free of references to gender identity and how adults experience sexual attraction.
“Minor children have the right to belong to a community that respects their innocence and allows families to have conversations about sex and sexual attraction privately, and only when parents deem it appropriate,” Vance and Martin wrote in a June 15 email to Jones after checking out the books in the Pride display.
Jones said in a June 21 response email that the Pride display was appropriate because public libraries serve as inclusive spaces for communities that promote inte“Displays such as the one at Rancho Peñasquitos send a powerful message that LGBTQ+ patrons and their allies are respected members of our community,” Jones wrote. “They also serve to encourage conversations and dispel misconceptions and stereotypes that often surround the LGBTQ+ community.”
Jones said the display should not be viewed as the library endorsing one group over another.
“Pride displays are much like other displays that recognize other cultures, holidays or causes so that we can recognize the experiences of others and have a more inclusive and equitable society,” she said. “We are proud of our position in encouraging members of our community to learn, grow and celebrate our differences, intellectual freedom, access to information and diverse perspectives."
The email from Vance and Martin said they have no problem with libraries helping children explore ideas, but not controversial or divisive ones.
“It’s time for the American public libraries to once again be a respectful space for young children to freely explore great ideas that unite and inspire us all, rather than places where controversial and divisive new ideological movements are given free rein to promote their theories and policy positions about sexuality to children without the consent or notification of parents,” they wrote.
Mike Van Meter, a pastor at Foothills Christian Church in El Cajon, said he sympathizes with the sentiment that prompted the protest.
“I think a lot of parents see what seems like a targeting of kids — impressionable kids of certain ages,” he said. “It seems to undermine the traditional view of the family.”
Van Meter said many young people spend after-school hours in libraries without parental supervision, making what they see there a sensitive subject.
“Somebody needs to stand up for these kids,” he said. “Pushing these hyper-sexualized issues on them is wrong.”
Jones said she understands some of the concerns raised by the protesters.
“I completely understand that parents make the decisions for their children,” she said. “But what if the children are LGBT and the parents don’t accept them?”
Jones also stressed that the Pride display was not in or near the children’s area. It was in the front of the branch near the new books area, she said.
Councilmember Marni von Wilpert, whose district includes Rancho Peñasquitos, said she is working with nonprofit and civic groups to raise enough money to quickly replace the 14 books the protesters checked out.
The New Queer Conscience
The Rainbow Parade
Gay Rights
Goldenboy
Wild Things
Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...
Psst LGBTQ is not new and neither are LGBTQ+ books
Oscar Wilde
Sarah Orne Jewett
Willa Cather
Gertrude Stein
Alice B. Toklas
The Well of Lonliness (1928) is the first officially lesbian novel I've heard of and it's nearly 100 years old. I've also heard Sarah Orne Jewett wrote about women who chose to forge paths with other women as she did herself.
These people should read The Civil War of Amos Abernathy and Alice Austen Lived Here to learn more about WHY exhibits and monuments to queer icons should be made. AND Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present! has some of the same names and a lot more newer ones besides.
Reading = education = open mind = tolerance
After a Colorado Springs school district banned several books, one parent is requesting they pull the Bible, tooThe Bible should be removed from a school district’s libraries because of its explicit and inappropriate sexual and violent content, according to a parent in the Academy 20 district in Colorado Springs.
Backed by the national Freedom From Religion Foundation, parent Rob Rogers made the request after El Paso County’s largest school district banned several books at the request of a local conservative anti-LGBTQ group.
“Never did I envision advocating for the removal of books, but the lopsided approach we're witnessing is more than just a little disconcerting,” Rogers wrote in a letter to the district. “This isn't about the books. It's about the principle. It's about ensuring fairness and equity. When books by brilliant authors are being removed based on subjective 'standards', the rule should apply to all.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is committed to the separation of state and church, said all versions of the Bible should be purged from school libraries using the same criteria that the books were banned.
It says the Bible is full of verses that “display a lewd, depraved, pornographic view of sex and women, with sexual violence often ordered or countenanced by the biblical deity” that are not appropriate for children.
“The district cannot ban books because it disagrees with the viewpoint expressed while allowing other inappropriate books because it supports their viewpoint,” foundation staff attorney Chris Line wrote in a letter to the district.
https://www.cpr.org/2023/06/29/colora...
From the Salt Lake TribuneLetter: Here’s how book selection — and school librarians’ role in it — works
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letter...
I still can't find the news from last night's school committee meeting in Southcoast, Mass. I can try to get the inside scoop tomorrow and you will have to wait for Sunday or Monday until I can share it.I didn't find much of anything else going on today. All the news is about the Supreme Court decisions handed down today.
Book Riot posted a handy dandy primer on censorship language
https://bookriot.com/a-censorship-lan...
The book ban debate comes to Clyde-Savannah, New YorkPastor Jacob Marchitell of Christ Community Church on West Genesee Street in Clyde claims their children have been reading "filth" and urged the district to remove books he finds objectionable giving a speech filled with Biblical quotes and apparently claiming that the schools were full of sinners?!
" At the school board meetings, he doesn’t just give the titles of the books he finds abhorrent; he reads graphic excerpts from them while making a video recording with a body cam. "
He reminded people of the law, “For those of you who were unaware of these books, and many more just like it — which I’m hoping many of you are,” said Marchitell, “I must, out of my deep love and concern for my neighbor, let you know that New York State Penal law 235.1 says that a person is guilty of disseminating indecent material to minors, a Class E felony, when they provide to a child any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced or sound recording which contains any matter of (view spoiler)
"Marchitell said he has three school-aged children, “all of whom I pulled out of the government school district two years ago.” His wife is a principal in the Waterloo Central School District. Marchitell would not comment on whether his spouse supports his efforts at Clyde-Savannah, explaining he “would prefer to keep my personal and professional life separate.”
He didn't approach the district and go through the proper channels for banning books. Marchitell said he was “acting under the understanding that the administration knew what was in the books, because they were the ones who procured them. The gravity of such p____c material being intentionally made available to underage children obligated me to proceed as I did."
So far, the district has resisted Marchitell’s calls for book removals.
On Friday, June 16, he was told a committee appointed by Superintendent Mike Hayden determined three books Marchitell called “filth’ in that April meeting were to remain in the junior-senior high school library.
People Kill People
It Ends with Us
All Boys Aren't Blue
In accordance with district policy, the committee has 60 days to make determinations on book objections by school district residents. The district provided Marchitell with its determination on the due date.
The pastor also objects to
Jesus Land: A Memoir
Red Hood
The district committee will need to make determinations for those books by July 10, Marchitell said.
He was back before the Board of Education on Wednesday, June 14, where he thanked members for pulling 14 books from the library that were outside of the books he had objected to.
However, Superintendent Mike Hayden insisted after the meeting that no books were pulled.
When told this, Marchitell responded that he made the determination after putting together a spreadsheet based on the website Go Follett, which details books available in school libraries across the nation.
He also cites another site, Booklooks.org, “that is run by like-minded parents who go through these books and categorize them for other parents to vett what their children read, and has entire sections of the books able to be read and/or downloaded.”
In Marchitell’s latest video on the meeting, he suggests the district pulled the books and then put them back — a charge the district also denies.
The school district does admit to censorship
"Please be advised that for the record, that is simply not true,” Hayden said in a statement this past week. “I can say that books are evaluated on an ongoing basis, which sometimes can result in books being taken out of circulation, with new ones added. No books have been removed due to objection."
“Per BOE policy, community members have the right to object to instructional materials and controversial Issues,” Hayden said. “The Clyde-Savannah CSD recently received an objection from a community member to reconsider certain books that are in circulation in the Junior-Senior High School Library. Although the community member stated that he did not read the books in their entirety, he read enough to launch a complaint. Per BOE policy, a review committee was designated to investigate and evaluate the challenged library material. … After careful consideration and review, the committee reached a consensus to keep the books in circulation within our school library. Their decision was based on a comprehensive analysis, considering factors such as literary merit, educational value, age-appropriateness, and alignment with our district’s policies.”
Hayden said it “is important to note that the selection of books for our library undergoes a rigorous and thoughtful process. Our library offers a wide range of literary works that reflect different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity not only enriches our students’ educational experience but also fosters critical thinking, empathy, and open-mindedness. While we understand that individual preferences may differ, it is crucial to acknowledge that literature often explores sensitive topics or difficult themes to challenge students’ thinking and broaden their understanding of the world. Exposure to diverse perspectives through literature helps develop important skills and values in our students.
The books the pastor is objecting to are not used in the classroom.
These are not used for curriculum.
While several parents have concerns about the pastor, naturally Moms for Liberty thinks he's A-OK. (Jennifer Williams chair of the local chapter)
Clyde resident Donna Robbins said Marchitell has spurred important conversations. She supports the idea of removing "obscene" books from the schools.
https://www.fltimes.com/news/the-book...
The book ban debate comes to Clyde-Savannah, New YorkPastor Jacob Marchitell of Christ Community Church on West Genesee Street in Clyde claims their children have been reading "filth" and urged the district to remove books he finds objectionable giving a speech filled with Biblical quotes and apparently claiming that the schools were full of sinners?!
" At the school board meetings, he doesn’t just give the titles of the books he finds abhorrent; he reads graphic excerpts from them while making a video recording with a body cam. "
He reminded people of the law, “For those of you who were unaware of these books, and many more just like it — which I’m hoping many of you are,” said Marchitell, “I must, out of my deep love and concern for my neighbor, let you know that New York State Penal law 235.1 says that a person is guilty of disseminating indecent material to minors, a Class E felony, when they provide to a child any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced or sound recording which contains any matter of (view spoiler)
"Marchitell said he has three school-aged children, “all of whom I pulled out of the government school district two years ago.” His wife is a principal in the Waterloo Central School District. Marchitell would not comment on whether his spouse supports his efforts at Clyde-Savannah, explaining he “would prefer to keep my personal and professional life separate.”
He didn't approach the district and go through the proper channels for banning books. Marchitell said he was “acting under the understanding that the administration knew what was in the books, because they were the ones who procured them. The gravity of such p____c material being intentionally made available to underage children obligated me to proceed as I did."
So far, the district has resisted Marchitell’s calls for book removals.
On Friday, June 16, he was told a committee appointed by Superintendent Mike Hayden determined three books Marchitell called “filth’ in that April meeting were to remain in the junior-senior high school library.
People Kill People
It Ends with Us
All Boys Aren't Blue
In accordance with district policy, the committee has 60 days to make determinations on book objections by school district residents. The district provided Marchitell with its determination on the due date.
The pastor also objects to
Jesus Land: A Memoir
Red Hood
The district committee will need to make determinations for those books by July 10, Marchitell said.
He was back before the Board of Education on Wednesday, June 14, where he thanked members for pulling 14 books from the library that were outside of the books he had objected to.
However, Superintendent Mike Hayden insisted after the meeting that no books were pulled.
When told this, Marchitell responded that he made the determination after putting together a spreadsheet based on the website Go Follett, which details books available in school libraries across the nation.
He also cites another site, Booklooks.org, “that is run by like-minded parents who go through these books and categorize them for other parents to vett what their children read, and has entire sections of the books able to be read and/or downloaded.”
In Marchitell’s latest video on the meeting, he suggests the district pulled the books and then put them back — a charge the district also denies.
The school district does admit to censorship
"Please be advised that for the record, that is simply not true,” Hayden said in a statement this past week. “I can say that books are evaluated on an ongoing basis, which sometimes can result in books being taken out of circulation, with new ones added. No books have been removed due to objection."
“Per BOE policy, community members have the right to object to instructional materials and controversial Issues,” Hayden said. “The Clyde-Savannah CSD recently received an objection from a community member to reconsider certain books that are in circulation in the Junior-Senior High School Library. Although the community member stated that he did not read the books in their entirety, he read enough to launch a complaint. Per BOE policy, a review committee was designated to investigate and evaluate the challenged library material. … After careful consideration and review, the committee reached a consensus to keep the books in circulation within our school library. Their decision was based on a comprehensive analysis, considering factors such as literary merit, educational value, age-appropriateness, and alignment with our district’s policies.”
Hayden said it “is important to note that the selection of books for our library undergoes a rigorous and thoughtful process. Our library offers a wide range of literary works that reflect different cultures, experiences, and perspectives. This diversity not only enriches our students’ educational experience but also fosters critical thinking, empathy, and open-mindedness. While we understand that individual preferences may differ, it is crucial to acknowledge that literature often explores sensitive topics or difficult themes to challenge students’ thinking and broaden their understanding of the world. Exposure to diverse perspectives through literature helps develop important skills and values in our students.
The books the pastor is objecting to are not used in the classroom.
These are not used for curriculum.
While several parents have concerns about the pastor, naturally Moms for Liberty thinks he's A-OK. (Jennifer Williams chair of the local chapter)
Clyde resident Donna Robbins said Marchitell has spurred important conversations. She supports the idea of removing "obscene" books from the schools.
https://www.fltimes.com/news/the-book...
Good news... The Town Council has rejected a Republican nominee to serve on the Board of Directors of the Welles-Turner Memorial Library [CT] due to her previous opposition to certain books in school libraries in town.” https://www.newstimes.com/journalinqu...
League City, Texas appoints four members to controversial book committeeA handful of protesters turned out to a city council meeting Tuesday evening to oppose a vote to appoint four people to a committee charged with deciding whether books that draw complaints should be removed from the children’s section of the public Helen Hall Library.
Appointing four of the seven members would create a quorum and allow the committee to begin meeting without the members from the library board, officials said.
Some residents also opposed the makeup of the committee, asking the council to reconsider the appointments and select a more diverse group.
Mayor Nick Long asserted the reason he has not yet appointed any members from the library board yet is because he received no interest from library board members.
Long also pledged to not swear any of the four members into the new committee until after the council’s next meeting, when council members expect to appoint three members of the library board.
“Mayor Long repeatedly stated that the committee would be diverse, representing the entire community,” Woodland said. “However, the nominations for the community seats on the committee are not representative of League City’s population.”
The committee needs to work closely with the library staff to ensure a wide variety of popular literature is available to the community and that the books represent the city’s values.
Under early drafts of the policy, the committee would review complaints about (view spoiler) and recommend whether to move them from shelves in children’s section of the public Helen Hall Library, 100 W Walker St., to adult section.
https://www.galvnews.com/news/league-...
In Forsythe County, Georgia, Ellen Hopkins’ Tilt and Perfect, Tilt, PerfectMargaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake, and E.R. Frank’s Dime will remain on library shelves. However, to borrow them, students need parental permission.https://www.appenmedia.com/schools/fo...
In York County, North Carolina, they want to ban LGBTQ+ books from the public library by placing them in an "age appropriate" section. They also want books presenting the "other side of the story." [Which by definition is the default!] Meaning books about Trump and other controversial figures."Scott Cowgill said he found 23 books by authors or politicians with Democratic ideologies and Karl Marx’s book, “Capital,” as well as 59 returns on a search for books regarding “transgender.”
He said he did not find Donald Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal,” or any books by four other specified authors or politicians who express controversial ideologies; nor did he find a copy of a “best seller” book by Abigail Shrier, “Irreversible Damage,” which analyzes a recent surge in gender dysphoria."
https://www.lebanonlocalnews.com/coun...
In Christian County, Missouri, two board members of the library are up for reappointment, but they won’t just automatically be reappointed as has usually been the case because there are 21 other people who want to have control over the library.https://sgfcitizen.org/government/soc...
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I hope that the students who stayed away get penalized for this, and it would certainly make me laugh out loud if many of these students ended up coming out to their parents (or running away from them and their bigotry).
Children's Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Out of the Blue (other topics)The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (other topics)
My Rainbow (other topics)
Butt or Face? Volume 3: Super Gross Butts (other topics)
The Day the Books Disappeared (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jodi Picoult (other topics)Sarah J. Maas (other topics)
Ellen Hopkins (other topics)
Jodi Picoult (other topics)
Scott Stuart (other topics)
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