Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
In Virginia, they're still discussing the fate of the Samuels Library.Same discussions going on elsewhere. Remember when this was "just" schools?
Future of Samuels Library once again hot topic at supervisors' meeting
"After meeting in closed session with the county attorney to discuss a Memorandum of Agreement with Samuels Public Library, the Warren County Board of Supervisors once again faced a meeting room Tuesday night packed with residents eager to share their views on the library.
Though it was not on the agenda, 19 people spoke about the library during the meeting's public comments period.
Clean Up Samuels, asked supervisors in a June public hearing to withhold library funding until the books were removed, to replace the library staff, and to force the library to sever ties with the American Library Association.
The group is now asking the county to take over operations at the library by installing trustees appointed by the board of supervisors.
Several speakers asked supervisors to force the library to accept a county-proposed MOA, saying that in their view having an unelected library board is “taxation without representation.”
Colleen DeLaFleur said that the library's current operating structure does not allow taxpayers, "particularly parents," to have a say in library policies.
“They are run by an unelected and completely unaccountable board,” said Joseph Kuplack. Noting that the library receives about $1 million annually from the county, he said that taxpayer contributions are “money that we have worked hard for and expect to go toward things that we support as a community.”
He and several other speakers told supervisors that the county’s proposed MOA “must be accepted without revisions” and encouraged supervisors to appoint new trustees to the library board immediately.
Anne Miranda echoed Kuplack’s comments, asking supervisors to hold the library “accountable.”
“I moved to Warren County in order to be in an area that better aligns with my values. I specifically sought out a community like this one with like-minded people,” she said. “I have found a true home here amongst people with rural family values who for the most part share concerns and my outlook on life.”
Several speakers, many of whom have filed requests with the library to remove books, said Tuesday night that they believe there is "pornography" in the library. Library staff and trustees point out that it would be illegal to have obscene material in the library.
Books located in the children’s section about which complaints were filed do not contain sexual content and generally reflect LGBTQ family life situations. Books for older readers that have been requested for removal explore themes like gender identity and homosexuality and, in some cases, do contain explicit content.
The library voted in July to move books with more mature content to a “new adult” section that is housed on the adult side of the library. The library also voted in July to add two new library cards that allow parents to restrict their child’s ability to check out books from certain sections of the library.
Kelsey Lawrence, spokesperson for Save Samuels, a group that supports the library’s policies, said Tuesday that opponents of the library’s operations and collection do not represent the majority of the community.
“The only thing I’m going to say on the library is that we continue to negotiate in good faith and hopefully we’ll come to an agreement soon. I think we all want the same thing — a library that all of us can use with confidence and know your tax dollars are being spent wisely,” said Supervisor Cheryl L. Cullers, who represents the South River district.
Added North River Supervisor Delores R. Oates, “What I've noticed is that everyone wants the same thing. Everybody appreciates and loves our library and the other thing that I want you to know is that everybody wants to protect kids — everybody. That's been a consistent theme through either side — everybody cares. So I just want to remind the community that we are a community. We are neighbors. And we need to treat each other that way and we need to respect the fact that we may have opposing viewpoints, but we’re gonna work through this. We will work through this and hopefully we’ll be better for it.”
The county and the library continue to negotiate on a MOA of how the library should be funded and managed.
https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/futur...
Ida Rupp Public Library, OHA group of moral crusaders is attacking the library over LGBT+ books. They've been frustrated because the library board and staff continue to defend the Constitution and the rights of people to have their stories told. So the book banners are now mounting a Vote No campaign to try and defeat a Levy.
Columbia County Rural Library District, WA
At the library in Columbia County in Washington a community member filed a petition to close the library through an act of voters because the library contains books by and about LGBTQ+ Americans. This ballot initiative began because someone took pictures of the pride displays, altered the photos to make it appear that all the books were located in the children’s section of the library and posted the false image on a Dayton community Facebook page.
everylibraryinstitute.org
The good news of the dayA Sarasota (FL) book seller relishes in dealing in banned titles
This Bookstore Kills Fascists.
Tiffany Razzano, who lives in St. Petersburg, is a New York transplant with a passion for books and performance art. She says she's annoyed with what she calls "horrible, horrible legislation" coming out of Tallahassee.
For the last 15 years, Razzano has been holding events at book fairs across Florida, hosting literary-themed drag and burlesque shows, "murder mysteries, immersive theater stuff around Halloween," she said.
This bookstore project kind of grew out of that and just quite simply out of sheer annoyance at the state of, I'd say the state of the world, and let's just say primarily the state of Florida," Razzano said.
Many of the books on her shelves have been banned in libraries and schools across the United States.
This new store, at The Bazaar at Apricot & Lime on Lime Avenue, is the next step in her educational crusade.
Her shop’s name is her take on a slogan made famous by Woody Guthrie in the 1940s and now, like then, was designed to get people's attention. "I thought it would be kind of a funny way to get people thinking about what is happening here."
The folk singer often appeared on stage with “This Machine Kills Fascists” written on his guitar.
Razzano said her store is a commentary on how art and books are a form of protest and expression.
"We're feminist, anti-racist type folks, really just focusing ... on diverse voices and literature and getting those stories out there to people, particularly those that have been taken out of school and libraries, which we've seen way too much of in schools over the past year or two."
Razzano says she's still looking for titles to include in her store. "Anything that they don't want you to read in school, we'd be very happy to have it here," she said.
She says she hopes the store sparks conversations beyond books.
"There's so many pieces of legislation that touched on many different things, from drag to trans rights and medical access to abortion, access to the schools. This is just one of many issues, and I honestly think it was intended to divide people who would care about those things, because I think we all care about all of those things."
https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/educati...
Round-up of the rest of the news for this week from Literary ActivismIn A Darien, Conn. school board member crafted policies for curriculum, book challenges. The board rebuked him.
— After raising concerns about how Darien’s school board drafts school policy, school board member and policy subcommittee chair David Brown drafted his own curriculum policies, including one removing challenged books for up to six months.
He then attempted to submit them for legal review before they could be reviewed by his fellow policy subcommittee members, a move that caused school board chair David Dineen to call him out in a full Board of Education meeting Aug. 22.
“You had no right to go or request or put the administration in a position of saying ‘All right, the chair of the subcommittee wants me to run this by (the attorneys),’ and it hasn’t even run through the committee yet,” Dineen said. “It’s like you trying to ram your thoughts down the process. It’s not right.”
https://www.darientimes.com/news/arti...
In Davie County, North Carolina, Flamer is missing from the public library shelves. It's a mystery as to who removed it. county commissioners were faced with the public wanting to know whether the local library is being censored. The latest came from Deborah Strube, who quoted an Enterprise Record editorial. “Our concern is that this political, or whatever it is that is running across our country, doesn’t come to Davie County,” she said, noting that taking books off the shelves from public libraries deserve much more consideration than taking them from the shelves of a school library. “Censorship and banning prevents adults from getting a good, well-rounded education. “Make sure that politics doesn’t invade our library,” she said. “I love Davie County and this particular library is doing an excellent job.” While commissioners normally do not respond right after speakers during the public comment portion of the meeting, Chair Mark Jones wanted clarification. He called library director, Derrick Wold, to the podium. Jones asked Wold if any commissioner had asked that a book be removed. Wold said they had not. The editorial did not name a county commissioner from ordering “Flamer” be taken from the shelves, it noted a “high ranking” county official.
Jones then asked if the book is accessible through the library. Wold said it is through the NC Cardinal system, an agreement between libraries to share books. That means a patron in Davie County could request the book, and the library could request it be sent here from another library for that patron. Jones also asked about disruptions such as taking books from or moving books inside of the library, which were mentioned in the editorial, and County Manager Brian Barnett commented. “This was more of a concern back in the spring,” Barnett said. “Derrick, Sheriff Hartman, and our technology solutions director, John Gallimore, put together … a security plan” that includes more cameras and more deputy patrols on site.
Wold agreed that such incidents were fewer, but are still happening. “We are able to see people moving books around. We still have peole who are taking books out of the library,” Wold said, adding that reports of the incidents are sent to his supervisors.
Read more at: https://www.ourdavie.com/2023/08/31/f...
A mega church in Calif. is pushing extreme book bans and other ultra Conservative measures,In Coronado and Clovis the right-wingers are trying to ban LGBTQIA+ books in the PUBLIC library. Fight in Coronado has been ongoing since JUNE. Clovis won't remove the books.
After a summer of strong debate about LGBT books at the Clovis library, three city councilmembers plan to take action. They are penning a letter to their counterparts at the Fresno County Board of Supervisors.
“Councilmembers Diane Pearce and Drew Bessinger, and Mayor Pro Tem Vong Mouanoutoua have received inquiries and concerns from numerous Clovis residents about the recent display and availability of material featuring graphic sexual content including images of sex acts in the children’s section of the Clovis Branch of the Fresno County Library during the month of June,” states a draft letter addressed to Fresno County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sal Quintero.
The proposed letter — which does not make mention “LGBT” — is written by Clovis City Manager John Holt on behalf of Pearce, Bessinger, and Mouanoutoua. The Clovis City Council is scheduled to vote on sending the letter at its Tuesday night meeting.
Pearce publicly complained about the LGBT displays at the Clovis library’s children’s section for June Pride Month, initially posting a “public service announcement” on her Facebook account. She called some of the material age-inappropriate.
Although the three councilmembers are complaining about explicit material, there is no mention of the books being associated with the library’s LGBT display in June.
Several discussions at city council meetings followed, with a mixed response from the public. Even her city council colleagues called Pearce’s viewpoints a distraction.
The letter acknowledges that the library is overseen by the county. The letter also states that the city is “not taking a position on any material,” but only to “inform” the supervisors of residents’ concerns.
A Fresno County spokesperson told GV Wire in July that the books are selected by professional librarians.
“We know the County will continue to provide a forum for community input and consider community input to create and maintain a positive and supportive library environment acceptable to everyone,” the letter says.
https://abc30.com/clovis-city-council...
Read about the megachurch influence if you can stomach the hateful things they say and lies they tell themselves.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/califor...
More than 46,000 books in the Elizabethtown (Penn.) Area School District’s four libraries are being reviewed and rated following an update to the district’s policy on library materials.” This school district in Pennsylvania has mandated book ratings on every book.In the meantime, students can’t view or check out books in the library shared by the middle school and high school until Sept. 12, when students will be able to check out books unless a parent completes an opt-out form suspending their child’s access to all library books.
District spokesperson Troy Portser said it hasn’t been determined how long the rating process will take or how many people will be involved in the effort being led by the district’s two head librarians.
The school board approved an update to Policy 109 on Aug. 22 that requires books to be sorted into seven categories. Two of the categories include mature content, which the policy defines as the 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.
Elizabethtown Area School District's Rating System
In the revised library materials policy, the district’s 46,108 books will be categorized into the following rating system (categories are to the left, target age is in parenthesis):
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)
advanced-mature (grades 10-12).
MATURE CONTENT includes, but not limited to, the following: 1.Multiple vulgarities or obscenities
2.Sexually descriptive content
3.Significant references to underage drug and alcohol use 4.Significant graphic depictions of violence
5.Themes of abuse/self-harm
Portser said publisher notes and other platforms are being used to sort the books according to the recommended age level. Staff are taking a closer look at mature books.
Once the books are rated, a new opt-out form will be released allowing parents to select which categories they can limit their child access to.
In previous years, use of the opt out form has been sparse. An estimated 65 students in 2022-23 and 45 in 2021-22 were opted out of flagged content, according to Portser.
At recent Elizabethtown school board meetings, for example, some residents expressed concern that the time and effort needed to categorize more than 46,000 books would distract librarians from their main duties.
But Portser said the process won’t preoccupy staff in a way that disrupts student learning.
“We want to make certain the library staff is supported,” Portser said.
Currently Portser and the district are attempting to dispel misinformation, including a misconception that the library is closed completely.
“It’s a shame that this whole thing is being politicized to some degree,” Portser said. “We are a group of people that work for a school system that values kids reaching goals they set for themselves, and the library plays a role in it. We do feel caught in the middle of a community dialogue that’s occurring and all we would like to do is continue to deliver a first-rate education.”
At school board meetings, board Vice President and Policy Committee Chair Michael Martin has repeatedly defended the policy and said the district’s librarians proposed the rating system.
Portser declined to make the district’s librarians available for comment.
Weeding policy
The administrative regulations developed under this policy shall include a continuous process of withdrawing library materials that are no longer suitable for the collection and shall include a safe and secure policy for discarding said materials. This process maintains the high level of quality and relevance of library materials and shall include, but not be limited to, withdrawing and discarding for the following reasons:
1.Poor physical condition.
2.Contains outdated content that is obsolete, inaccurate, or misleading.
3.Superseded by new or revised editions.
4.Seldomly circulated.
5.Duplicates (once popular but no longer in demand).
6.No longer suitable to the age group or interests of the readers. 7.Deemed to have inappropriate content per the criteria established in this policy.
Read all the regulations
https://lancasteronline.com/news/loca...
In Texas, Midland County Commissioner releases list of books that could be moved from children’s section of libraryMidland County Commissioner Dianne Anderson issued a clarifying statement about volunteers moving books at Centennial Library in response to Texas Penal Code Sections 43.21 to 43.28.
On August 14, Midland County Commissioners passed a policy to move a list of books to the adult section of the Midland County Libraries.
On Tuesday, August 29, Commissioner Anderson notified the library director that a team of volunteers would be at the Centennial branch on August 30, to help go through the books, saying it would be a labor intensive effort for the library staff.
Volunteers recorded their time at the library, and pulled 32 books that the volunteers thought were age inappropriate for the children’s section. While volunteers worked, Commissioner Anderson visited with the Library Director and a member of the Library Foundation.
“These books were not moved to the adult section by the volunteers nor did any volunteers remove or burn any books.”
Midland County Commissioner Dianne Anderson, Precinct 4
Commissioner Anderson says she spoke to the Library Director and Foundation member about the books pulled by volunteers.
She says the books would be reviewed by herself and library staff to determine which books should be moved from the children’s section to the adult section.
By moving these materials to the adult section, if a parent(s) or legal guardian wishes its (their) child(ren) to read these materials, that decision is left to the parent. The parent(s) can check out these materials and decide under what circumstances the(ir) child(ren) can view, discuss, or otherwise handle the content. These materials should not be available to the child on its own volition.
Midland County Commissioner Dianne Anderson, Precinct 4
The final decision on moving books will be decided by Midland County Commissioners.
“Most importantly, I want to assure the public, and particularly the residents of Precinct 4, that I take my role as County Commissioner seriously and that I am committed to upholding the principles of free speech and intellectual freedom. Contrary to any assertions or misconceptions to the contrary, I am not proposing to burn or ban books; rather, I am dedicated to fostering an environment in our County Libraries where diverse ideas and perspectives can flourish.”
Midland County Commissioner Dianne Anderson, Precinct 4
see the list:
https://www.cbs7.com/2023/09/02/midla...
Due to the new rules imposed by Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft in May, the Washington Public Library and Scenic Regional Library had to draft new language for minors’ cards, stating the staff are not responsible for monitoring children’s access to reading materials, both physical and virtual. The libraries then had to ‘expire’ cards of patrons ages 17 and under, and the cards could only be reinstated once a parent or legal guardian signed the new policy.” While some children have been excited about getting a new card, Appell said, it has not been a great experience for the 16- and 17-year-olds who drove to the library themselves and were denied being able to check out a book.
https://www.emissourian.com/local_new...
Mayfield High (NM) Coalition of Conservatives in Action’s local chair, Juan Garcia, has requested removal from the Mayfield High library of a book, Jack of Hearts and other Parts.
https://www.krwg.org/local-viewpoints...
Three states are implementing PragerU materials into classroom lessons — the right-wing platform deals in misinformation. Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma, have found it to be fitting, given their legislature. Oklahoma has said it's available but not mandatory.https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniop...
Marshalltown School District (IA) has 20 books they’ll be removing to comply with Moms For Liberty’s the new law in the state.Director of Instruction Shauna Smith and Marshalltown High School Librarian Robert Gilbertson presented the Marshalltown Community School Board with a list of 20 books to be removed from school libraries during Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
The action is in compliance with new state law SF496. which prohibits school libraries from having age inappropriate books, or books containing descriptions or images of sex acts. Smith said the removal is temporary.
She told the board Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the law on May 26 and it went into effect July 1. Districts have until January 2024 to remove material from libraries. Smith and district librarians really dug into books to determine whether or not they would violate the law.
“At pre-service time, we came together and combined a list of books removed from other schools,” Smith said. “Long story short, we reviewed those in relationship to SF496 and really tried to keep our opinion out . . . We have to make sure we follow Iowa law.”
Two hundred thirty-nine books were researched, 48 were found on district bookshelves and so far 29 have been removed — five from elementary schools, nine from Miller Middle School and 15 from the high school.
She said personnel used the colors red, yellow and green for book labels, coinciding with stoplights. A book that absolutely conflicted was given a red label and needed to be removed. A book that had some connection was given a yellow label, or “yield.”
“We have librarians reading cover-to-cover so we know exactly what is in there,” she said. “So this process has been pretty strenuous.”
Board member Bonnie Lowry asked for clarification that the books included in the presentation have been reviewed, and the consensus is for removal. Smith told her that was correct. Superintendent Theron Schutte stressed that it is based on the law. Smith said the Iowa Department of Education has not provided guidance, and she doesn’t believe it will anytime soon.
“We are doing the best that we can with what we have been given,” she said.
Smith assured everyone there are 20,926 books in Miller and MHS, with many more in the elementaries, giving students numerous titles to choose from.
Gilbertson shared how the district adds books to begin with and does so through established vendors. If a librarian finds a book to add, there needs to be two positive reviews, along with an appropriate age grouping for the intended students.
Wahl asked about the process a parent should go through to ask about a book. Smith said they can reach out to her, and then she can work with the librarian. If there is a challenge, they will be directed to board policy, she said. Parents have the ability to see all of the titles available in the libraries by accessing the online catalog.
Books removed from Marshalltown elementary schools include:
• “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt
• “Drama” by Raina Telgemeier
• “Julie of the Wolves” by Jean Craighead George
• “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell
• “The Family Book” by Todd Parr
Two of the books — “Angela’s Ashes” and “Julie of the Wolves” — were removed for sexual content, the others for sexual orientation.
Books removed from Miller Middle School and Marshalltown High School include:
• “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
• “The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
• “Me, Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jessie Andrews
• “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher
• “Carnival at Bray” by Jessie Ann Foley
• “Looking for Alaska” by John Green
• “Identical” and “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
• “Monday’s Not Coming” by Tiffany Jackson
• “Beyond Magenta” by Susan Kuklin
• “A Court of Thorns and Roses” and “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
• “Beloved” by Toni Morrison
• “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
• “Native Son” by Richard Wright
All of the books were removed for containing sexual content.
https://www.timesrepublican.com/news/...
Sexual content in Julie of the Wolves?! There's ZERO sexual content in Tango. What are these librarians READING? Or rather reading into books that isn't there?
A small group of morality police want to remove or place in a restricted area the manga available at Garfield County Libraries (CO).Children having access to Manga books is the main issue for opponents. They would like to see restrictions put in place to keep the books out of the hands of these children.
The opposition efforts are being led by Garfield County residents Trish O’Grady and John Lepkowski.
O’Grady has filed a petition asking that the Manga books not be banned but relocated to a separate room where one would have to present identification and age verification to library staff to access and check out the books.
“Garfield County Libraries have these adult Manga-style graphic novels,” O’Grady said. “The pictures depict what I could consider pornography. The issue is that there is no state policy keeping children from checking them out.”
When asked about wanting other books, besides Manga, to be placed in this proposed separate room, O’Grady replied that anything with an explicit content warning should exclusively be for people who are 18 years of age or older.
Content warnings are generally issued by the author or publisher at their discretion for anything considered to be difficult topics or dark themes.
O’Grady went on to explain that it’s the images that are of more concern to her and that those images are what represent pornography.
“It’s typically the drawings more than the words. Words do play into it but these kinds of books have as many drawings as they do words,” she said. “Every single page has a drawing on it, and every third page has what I would consider to be pornographic.”
Lepkowski began his efforts almost a year ago when he first learned about Garfield County Libraries carrying Manga books. The original goal was to have all the books placed on the top shelf, out of the reach of children, who he feels are too young to be exposed to such content.
“It appears that a lot of people are pushing gay pride on children, and a lot of people do not agree with that,” Lepkowski said of the issue. “If you want to be gay, that’s fine, but at 18 or 20 years old. Do not try to push that on a five-year-old.”
Lepkowski was joined by O’Grady a couple of months ago, who heard about Lepkowski’s efforts through a friend.
Lepkowski and O’Grady have brought multiple requests and complaints to Garfield County Libraries, including its executive director and board of trustees. The main request is to have the books be put on the top shelf, in a back area or room, or in a locked box.
But so far their requests have been rejected.
Garfield County Libraries Executive Director Jamie LaRue has used this opposition effort to highlight the purpose of public libraries.
“The reason (public libraries) exist is to say, ‘Hey, here’s everything that is going on,'” LaRue said. “We are not writing these books, we are not creating them, we are simply presenting them to the community so they can look at all the information and make up their own minds.”
LeRue said libraries exist for people of all ages — not just children — but that library books with adult content are marked with red stickers. He reiterated that the Manga books in question are nowhere near the children’s section and that the purpose of public libraries is to present books and information to the whole community, and not restrict what people can and cannot access.
According to Garfield County Libraries policy, parents who do not wish their children to have access to certain materials should accompany or otherwise advise their children.
https://www.postindependent.com/news/...
In Fulton County Schools (GA), the following books were just banned: Flamer, Blankets, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Gender Queer.Brian Noyes, the Chief Communications Officer for Fulton County Schools, declined an on-camera interview but issued a written statement.
“The following books found in the libraries of multiple high and middle schools were determined to include inappropriate sexually explicit descriptions and visuals,” the statement said. “The district is looking into the selection process and creating a manner to screen more thoroughly for this type of material prior to books being selected for purchase.”
“Fulton County Schools strives to keep relevant and appropriate learning materials available for our students,” the district’s statement said. “Our materials must meet multiple criteria including being age-appropriate.”
Zdena Spackova, a Fulton County resident, agreed with the district’s decision, saying the books are better suited for a public library.
But Laura Van Riper called it censorship.
“I think that the groups that are pushing for that have an agenda that is not about keeping children safe,” Van Riper said. “It’s about pushing a conservative political agenda.”
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fult...
Mod
Prattville, Ala. public library will stay open. They came up with a stupid compromise. Children under 16 have to be accompanied by a parent or guardian! What about the 16 year old in community college? What about teens who drive themselves to the library and need books for a school paper? They have to bring a parent with them? Libraries can not give out patron records without a police warrant and this law applies to children. https://www.alreporter.com/2023/09/08...
“I take this very serious because we’ve been beat up so bad,” said vice chair Wayne Lambert, who made the motion. “That’s what the public wants; let’s mandate that.”
Nothing prior to the vote prevented parents or guardians from attending the library with their children, and parents are still free to attend and directly supervise their 16- to 18-year-old children.
“Right now, a 13-year-old can roam over to the adult section,” Lambert said. “That’s what some people don’t understand. Right now if you’re 13 and above, you can go anywhere in the library you want. If we put this in place, the parent has to be there to make sure they don’t go over into that section.”
Lambert said the new policy will be an “inconvenience” for parents who don’t mind their 13+ kids being unaccompanied in the library, but said this policy is something that would “make community leaders happy.”
“That’s what they want, let’s give it to them,” Lambert said.
The implementation is already underway and is set to be fully in place by Sept. 15.
Things like signing must be updated to give parents fair warning about the new policy.
Steve Burton, the longest-serving member of the board, said that this should quell the “negative atmosphere we have out there.”
“We are level-funded this year in a year of inflation,” Burton said. “We’re being considered for a portion of a sales tax, but that has not taken place. We’re being considered for a bigger library, and that is in the process, I think. We are being stretched to the end of what we can do budget-wise.”
The policy makes a special provision for members of the library’s Teen Advisory Board, although library director Andrew Foster said he believes all current members are 16 or older and thus would be unaffected by the new policy. But board member Tommy Gamper said it is important to carve out an exception for TAB members given how active they are and how burdensome it would be to have a parent constantly present for their activities.
https://www.alreporter.com/2023/09/08...
Oregon's libraries see record-high number of attempts to remove books, report findsThe second highest number of book challenges happened back in 1992-1993.
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/loca...
Manybooks wrote: "It is bad enough that books are being more and more censored and restricted for school libraries (and for classroom use), but there should not be ANY book banning AT ALL allowed in ANY state in pub..."Not states but DISTRICTS in the case of California. A small vocal majority is speaking for everyone else. The governor is ANTI book-banning.
"California Legislature sends Newsom his ‘anti-book ban’ bill
The legislation would fine districts for blocking curriculum and books for discriminatory reasons.
Conservative groups and the California School Boards Association opposed the bill. And though the legislation was amended last week to remove two provisions opposed by CSBA, the group argued it would still allow “unfettered state intervention before a school district is made aware of a complaint and has an adequate opportunity to review and remediate the issue.”
Newsom’s bill would allow the state to fine districts if they block books simply because they include representation of a marginalized group. It would have originally only applied to textbooks and curriculum adoption, but was expanded to cover school library book selection.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09...
When Maine Police Were Asked To Investigate Gender QueerAfter multiple complaints, the Cumberland Police Department found that the Greely High School library was not in violation of Maine state laws
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/when-...
Maia Kobabe comic on having the most banned book in America. https://thenib.com/i-made-the-most-ba...
Mod
I am glad that California opposes book banning but these "churches" do in my opinion need major reigning in. They are obviously just like the Taliban.
It has come to my attention that in my very, very bluest of blue state, some of the public libraries outside the metro area have PICTURE BOOKS in the adult section or reference section and one library has an adult book on witchraft/pagan behind the reference desk. This is censorship! Other libraries have "family topics" or "concepts" in the picture book section where they stash the LGBTQ+ picture books.
Mod
Well, ANYONE who is fiscally conservative and in a same sex relationship or in any way trans and would still vote for the Conservatives and their putrid leader after this, they are ignoramuses at best.
But then again, hopefully this stupidity will make people in Ontario, Quebec and young adults in particular stay away from the Conservatives and their increasingly American style Fascism and vote either Liberal or NDP (and you know, it would be kind of majorly funny if the Conservatives with their catering to the fanatical and the hysterical, the homophobes, helped the NDP, helped the Socialists win).
And if Conservatives do away with vaccine mandates, they should also then allow hospitals to favour primary care for those of us who are intelligent enough to get ourselves and our children vaccinated, for not getting vaccinated when there are safe vaccines around is for me akin to someone taking illegal drugs and over indulging regarding alcohol.
Goodish news from Florida. The law doesn't stop the censors who think they are above the law but the law is NOT on their side._______________
Florida AG weighs in: So-called 'Don't Say Gay' law doesn't apply to school library books
The Parental Rights in Education law prohibits instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. Some have wrongly used the law to challenge books that deal with those two topics.
The Palm Beach County School District has retooled its policy on challenging library books after Florida's top attorney signaled that the state's Parental Rights in Education law does not apply to books when it restricts instruction on sexuality and gender identity.
State Attorney General Ashley Moody made her stance clear in a legal filing Aug. 4, just days before the beginning of the school year and during a busy month in which school districts codified ways for parents to challenge books and issued guidance to media specialists on how to choose books for their school libraries.
Palm Beach County school leaders on Wednesday struck two small parts of its new policy on library books that referenced the law, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics. The now-deleted portions of the school board's policy said the district could restrict access to books on reading lists and in libraries if they instruct on topics prohibited by the Parental Rights in Education law, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
The policy still allows any county resident to challenge a book they believe is p___graphic, inappropriate for the students accessing it, "not suited to students' needs and ability to comprehend," deemed "harmful to minors," or if it does not align with Florida state standards.
Moody, a Republican, said the parental rights law "does not even arguably restrict library books," when it bans classroom instruction on certain topics. She's taken the stance in at least two other lawsuits that challenged book "banning" in Florida.
The most recent statement came in a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against Lake County public schools regarding a children's book that was challenged under the belief that it violated the Parental Rights in Education law. The book, "And Tango Makes Three," tells the story of two male penguins who create a family by taking in a young penguin. Access to the book was restricted to older grades, then later returned to all library shelves in Lake County, northwest of Orlando.
...
Moody's opinion contradicts arguments made by some parents and community members challenging books in schools that cover topics related to gender and sexuality. Some children's books that have been challenged feature characters who don't fit into typical gender roles by wearing dresses or liking sports.
And her opinion carries weight, said Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University.
"As the state's chief legal officer, one of her duties is to render an opinion," he said. "There’s an assumption that until and unless the attorney general's opinion is disagreed with by the courts, that that is a presumptively correct statement of Florida law."
The Parental Rights in Education law, Jarvis agreed, "says nothing about school libraries or education resources."
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/n...
Also, Lake Worth Beach has declared itself an LGBTQ+ sanctuary city!
I sent myself more stories from my mom's phone but they haven't come through. I'll see if I can find them.
In Conn. (don't trust any state founded by Puritans)“Brookfielders in Support of Diverse Reading Materials” held a discussion held in light of recent efforts to ban books in Brookfield Public Schools as well as in Newtown schools and across the state and nationally.
At Friday's event, speakers argued the books in the library should be protected. A speaker said she understands her son may read something that makes him "uncomfortable."
"We’re OK with that," she said. "We’re creating an open and honest space in our home where he can feel like he can come to me and his dad and talk about what he’s read and how it makes him feel.”
Speakers at the conversation, which was planned to take place at the new pocket park and relocated to Democratic headquarters due to rain, included Board of Education Chair Bob Belden, who is running for selectman as an unaffiliated candidate, and education board candidate Wendy Youngblood, who is also unaffiliated.
Belden, who brought with him all the recently challenged books in both Brookfield and Newtown schools, said he read them all and spoke highly of them.
He said public schools “have a fundamental responsibility of supporting all of our students. Every single one of them and the students have a huge variety of backgrounds and interests. … It’s why you have books of different ilk in a public school library."
Before the event, Youngblood said access to a diversity of books is “essential for all people, especially youth. Books are one of the best ways to follow curiosity, indulge in dreams, explore new dimensions of knowledge, investigate the past.”
Youngblood, who said she has been a teacher for 25 years, also defended the job of librarians.
“They have done incredible work at keeping books in our schools and local libraries to keep up with the times while also honoring classic literature and helping new generations of readers discover what suits them best,” she said.
The Brookfield school board may soon review "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic," which is about a woman who discovers her father is gay, after she comes out as a lesbian.
“The person who challenged the book met with the librarian, it was forwarded to the principal," Belden said. "The school policy says the next step would be to form a committee who would then read the book in its entirety and then discuss the book based on the challenge that was received."
He added after the committee has finished reviewing the book, “that either closes the topic or it moves on to the superintendent. If the superintendent sends it up to the board, that’s when we would get it.”
In their request to have the book removed from the high school, parents wrote that they objected to its "sexually explicit material."
"Maintaining age-appropriate literature for a public school library collection is not book banning as these books are still available in public libraries and bookstores across the country, as well as through online sources such as Amazon," parents wrote.
Whenever a book is challenged in the Brookfield school district, Belden said he orders a copy of the book to read.
To challenge a book, one must complete a form, called “Reconsideration of Materials,” which is available on the district website.
“They have to lay out all their reasons why and what their specific complaints about the book are and what alternatives they would suggest," Belden said. "We have them actually meet one-on-one with the librarian who’s in charge of the collection. ... It’s a thoughtful and thorough process.”
The district's policy committee is reviewing the petition, which was sent to Hearst Connecticut Media, to change the district's book selection criteria. Brookfield residents make up 78 percent of the signatures, Belden said.
“Our book selection policy is very broadly written. It charges the librarian to select appropriate information from the audience — so for age, vocabulary, content and the like,” he said. “They want us to fine tune that.”
https://www.newstimes.com/news/articl...
Good for residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the lead-up to Banned Books Week 2023, several organizations came together to host the first Freedom to Read Community Summit Sat. Sept. 9PEN America, Black History Saturdays, Historic Vernon AME, and 2892 Miles To Go will host a convening for community members to engage with each other and leaders from PEN America and Black History Saturdays in a series of workshops and discussions on the nationwide book-banning crisis and the intolerance, exclusion, and censorship undergirding it.
This will be an opportunity to speak with community-based and national leaders working to end book bans remove barriers from teaching Black History across the US and inspire community members to join the cause.
One of the main features of this event is a Map of Voices which is an Esri-hosted map of excerpts from banned books.
The hope for the map is to create a visual representation of voices sharing words that matter from works that are being increasingly restricted to create the future we hope to see by ensuring everyone's freedom of expression and right to learn.
https://ktul.com/news/local/join-the-...
There was also a read-in in Penn. Mackenzie Fangman, Fangman, 26, of Greensburg, who is gender-queer... was among a dozen people who read passages from frequently banned books Friday evening during a “read-in” at the nonprofit You Are Here in Jeannette. It was hosted by FREADom in Hempfield, a community group whose goal is to highlight contested reading material and push back against recent efforts to ban certain books from public- education curricula.
The read-in was co-hosted by Greensburg nonprofit Voice of Westmoreland. Sakura Okuri, a Black man, said he has supported the grassroots group since he moved to Westmoreland County.
“I have a school-age son,” he said. “The only way people are emboldened to take action is to see other people also doing that. I think a nuanced discussion of these books would benefit everyone, and that’s not what is happening. I think it’s a very surface-level reaction.”
For Fangman, Okuri and others, pushing back against restrictions on books addressing topics such as gender identity and race was about offering students a chance to hear marginalized voices.
“When you don’t have the words to describe who you are, you can’t imagine what it’s like to find, or read about, people like you,” Fangman said.
https://triblive.com/local/westmorela...
I hope more people like Jill Duggar (Counting the Cost) and Julia Scheeres ( Jesus Land: A Memoir) start speaking out against these extremist Christian cults. I've read a heck of a lot more stories about abuse of children in these cults than I have children in public schools and public restrooms. Reading books helps teach them healthy things like consent, sexuality, identity, understand what others may be going through and is a heck of a lot more healthy and productive than "protecting the innocence" of the children.Jill Duggar's husband says : ""I'll call it what I think it is, a cult," Derick, 34, tells PEOPLE. "A lot of verses in the Bible are taken out of context and manipulated for people who are not desiring to follow Jesus but wanting to control and manipulate and see this as an opportunity. The organization has attracted people who have that goal and see the ability to use it for that."
"It's attractive to people who are vulnerable or looking to fix certain problems, and it takes 'em down to a completely different path that's harmful," he adds.
Jill, continuing, notes that it's all "fear-driven."
"A lot of what they teach is fear-driven, but I think it's important to make decisions that you feel good about," she says. "As parents, we don't want to teach them to fear, which is hard to do."
Because of her own experiences, Jill says she now feels "passionate about empowering others to find their voice."
"And if they do that through finding something in my story that's relatable, that allows them to feel like they're not alone, that they don't have to feel isolated, they can gain back some of their life, maybe because I think that isolation and control go hand in hand," she explains. "If somebody can isolate you, then they can have control over you and power over you."
https://people.com/why-jill-duggar-di...
Reportedly her dad flipped out when her siblings came across her (a grown adult woman with a family of her own) wearing leggings in the park!
(People magazine, Yahoo news and outlets that discuss ex reality TV stars).
News today we need to be aware of."Colorado Springs-area school board seat now ‘vacant’ according to district website, special board meeting.
A Board of Education seat for one of El Paso County’s largest school districts is “vacant,” according to the district’s website.
On Friday, it was announced there would be a special D49 board meeting at 5 p.m. to discuss the vacant seat. At that meeting, the board officially declared the vacancy.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Director District 1 seat for D-49, previously the Director District 4 seat, was vacant. The seat was held by Ivy Liu. KKTV 11 News ran a story centered on Liu in November of 2022 after she posted a quote from Adolph Hitler to social media.
KKTV 11 News already had an interview scheduled for Liu on Thursday afternoon as she is planning to run for the District 5 seat in the upcoming election. D-49 recently went through redistricting, impacting the area in which Liu previously lived. Liu was elected to a two-year term in November of 2021 for District 4. When redistricting happened, Liu’s residence was then located in District 1, making her ineligible to seek re-election in the district she had lived in at the time. Liu informed 11 News she believes the redistricting was “political” and is planning to run for District 5 in the upcoming election, however, the election official for D-49 said that as of Wednesday night, Liu didn’t have enough valid signatures to get on the upcoming ballot. Liu showed 11 News a list of signatures and she believes she does have enough valid signatures.
https://www.kktv.com/2023/09/08/color...
The debate over free speech continues in AlabamaOzark citizen calls on council to censure mayor for behavior in library debate
Fontenot told the council that it should censure Blankenship due to the mayor’s contact with a citizen.
Ozark citizen Bryant Fontenot asked the Ozark City Council Tuesday night to consider a motion to censure Mayor Mark Blankenship.
Fontenot told the council that it should censure Blankenship due to the mayor’s contact with a citizen in connection with the community’s debate over Blankenship’s call to defund the Ozark Dale County Public Library unless it moved all LGBTQ+ books to the adult section.
“The First Amendment is first because it is supreme,” Fontenot told the council, and quoted a court opinion that “debate on public issues should be uninhibited” and that public discussion “may well include caustic and sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks on public and government officials.”
Noting that the library called a special meeting after “an informal request” by the mayor to move the books, citizen Adam Kamerer made a request to Library Director Karen Speck under the authority of the Alabama Open Records Act for communications between she and the mayor, and any other public officials, regarding potential defunding of the library or moving LGBTQ+ books.
Kamerer began to read these text messages aloud at that same special called meeting of the library board, before a citizen complained that it amounted to a personal attack.
The board ultimately took a 20-minute break before Kamerer finished his three-minute allotment for public comment, and under advisement of law enforcement, decided not to let Kamerer finish reading the texts aloud. He later published the texts on social media and released them to traditional media, including a comment by board member Monica Carroll stating she would “bring a match” in response to how to move the LGBTQ+ books.
Carroll has since offered a lengthy public apology through Facebook.
Blankenship, however, sent Kamerer a Facebook message including a screenshot of an email Blankenship had received, which sources identify as being from Southeast Star editor Pierre Little, advising that the text messages should be considered private communications and offered that the “library had no protections.”
“Hope you have a good lawyer!” Blankenship said after sending the screenshot.
Fontenot did not expressly identify this conversation, but told the council that “recently discovered conversations and other remarks” by Blankenship are cause for concern.
“The recently discovered conversations and other remarks by Mr. Blankenship toward citizens debating his stance on this matter of our public library show at least a gross illiteracy of our first amendment history, or at worst, disregard willfully,” Fontenot said.
Brenda Simechak, council president, informed Fontenot at the meeting that she has heard similar calls from members of the public but noted that “the same way there is a procedure for the library, there is a procedure for what you are calling for, and it has to be initiated by the people; it is not initiated by the council.”
That statement was incorrect; and Simechak responded to APR to note that she had been mistaken during that comment.
Lori Lein, counsel for the Alabama League of Municipalities, explained to APR that there is no strict protocol for censure in the state, although councils are certainly within their rights to take a vote that could express disapproval or reprimand of a mayor. Such an action would not carry any other penalty than a public show of condemnation from the fellow governing members.
Lein also clarified that there is no procedure for recall in Alabama except for an extremely unique situation in Dothan do to a particular form of government there; and even then, Lein said a recall attempt may not meet constitutional muster.
https://www.alreporter.com/2023/09/08...
Berkley, South CarolinaOne Berkeley County parent is challenging 93 books on the county’s school shelves on allegations of obscenity. But for now, the books are available.
But district spokeswoman Katie Tanner today said: “BCSD policy KNBA outlines the process for a parent/legal guardian to request the reconsideration of instructional materials. This policy is not new and is not unique to Berkeley County. … At this time, no reviews have been conducted and no books have been removed as a result of this process.”
The issue in Berkeley County arose Thursday when the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina (ACLU) released the results of a public records request that revealed a list of the 93 books targeted for censorship in BCSD classrooms and libraries.
“Book banning is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment guarantee of access to information,” ACLU Executive Director Jace Wooodrum said in a statement. “Censorship remains deeply unpopular across the state and across the political spectrum, and we hope that the district will listen to parents, teachers, students and librarians who support the freedom to read.”
All of the challenged books are listed on BookLooks, a site commonly used by political interest groups. They were also challenged by a single individual, who reportedly is a parent of a student enrolled in BCSD. The parent filed 93 individual challenges, one for each book, on May 27.
https://charlestoncitypaper.com/2023/...
Not content to let librarians do their jobs, Midland, TX continues reviewing books. I knew this would happen."Precinct 4 Commissioner Dianne Anderson and a group of volunteers plan to go to Centennial Library at 10 a.m. Saturday to review books again.
On Aug. 30, Anderson and a group of volunteers noted 32 titles in children’s and young adult sections in Centennial Library that should be considered for redesignation into adult sections. Anderson said the final decision regarding the fate of the titles will be decided by county commissioners.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Scott Ramsey expressed his dismay Friday when asked about the events of Aug. 30. Ramsey said the volunteers who perused the library in late August were not vetted by or brought in front of the entire Commissioners’ Court before doing so."
https://www.mrt.com/news/article/midl...
The Tulsa "Freedom to read community summit" was well attended.https://www.fox23.com/news/community-...
The ALA Seeks Member Input on Freedom to Read Statement Revisionthe American Library Association has announced a series of "listening sessions" which could lead to a revision of the statement.
The review will include five virtual sessions, organized by theme and facilitated by an Intellectual Freedom Committee task force focused on revising the statement, which will gather ALA member input throughout the fall of 2023 and submit their findings to the Office of Intellectual Freedom for consideration. ALA leaders are "strongly encouraging" members to attend one or all of the upcoming listening sessions.
"At these virtual sessions, attendees should plan to share their thoughts on how well the current statement addresses these themes and what changes may need to be made to the statement," an ALA release notes. "The discussions will focus on big picture ideas, rather than wordsmithing the statement. Each session will also include a brief overview of what the Freedom to Read Statement is and how it has been revised in the past."
The Freedom to Read listening sessions are set for:
Wednesday, September 27 (1:30-3 p.m. CT): First Amendment
Thursday, October 5 (2-3:30 p.m. CT): Disinformation and Misinformation
Friday, October 13 (1:30-3 p.m. CT): Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Thursday, October 19 (2:30-4 p.m. CT): Challenges to Materials and Authors
Wednesday, October 25(2-3:30 p.m. CT): Youth Access to Materials
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
https://www.ala.org/news/member-news/...
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...
Another library breaks from ALA!Coeur d'Alene to break from ALA, continues policy work
Community Library Network Director Alexa Eccles read an overview of censorship per the Idaho Commission on Libraries as she and the board of trustees gathered at the Harrison Library for a special meeting Friday morning.
"Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that certain persons, individuals, groups or government officials find objectionable or dangerous," she read. "It is no more complicated than saying, 'Don't let anyone read this book or buy that magazine or view that film because I object to it.'"
Eccles shared this overview as trustees continued to hash out the Community Library Network's materials selection policy and whether the network will disaffiliate with the American Library Association, of which the Community Library Network has been a member since the network was founded in 1977.
The board majority, led by Chair Rachelle Ottosen, intends to send a brief draft resolution to the board's counsel to review regarding departing from the American Library Association. The language comes from Campbell County Public Library in Wyoming, which distanced itself from the association last fall. One of Ottosen's proposed resolutions of three in the board packet cites the American Library Association's election of a "self-avowed lesbian Marxist who states that she wishes to use the collectivist power of the ALA to 'queer the catalog' and/or 'queer the library,' which in one reasonable interpretation of the phrase(s) means weaponizing taxpayers' hard-earned money against them by promoting dangerous Marxist ideology" as a reason for divorcing from the association.
The shorter resolution that will go to the board's counsel, D. Colton Boyles of Boyles Law Firm, who was not present at the meeting, also states that the Community Library Network will not promote the American Library Association's agendas or campaigns, such as Banned Books Week.
https://cdapress.com/news/2023/sep/09...
South Carolina4 Charleston Co. school board members raise questions about special meeting
Four members of the Charleston County School Board are claiming a lack of transparency over what they call a “secretive special called meeting.”
Board members Courtney Waters, Darlene Dunmeyer-Roberson, Daron Lee Calhoun II and Dr. Carol Tempel called a news conference for Monday at noon.
The news conference is scheduled three hours before the special called meeting the group says was called by the “Moms for Liberty faction of the board” to discuss the contract of Charleston County School District Superintendent Dr. Eric Gallien. The group claims they “have not been privy to the purpose of the meeting or told why the superintendent’s contract is being discussed.”
https://www.live5news.com/2023/09/09/...
Mod
Some of the governors of certain states support book banning and censorship and some of those governors wish to be President of the U.S. while some want more local control like school board or governor. The censors spread lies and misinformation online and it spreads like wildfire. The censors are a small vocal minority. No one has cared enough before now to be loud in support of libraries. I gave my "Support your local librarian!" sticker from MoveOn to the teen librarian at the library nearest me where Kirk Cameron first tried to hold his Brave Books storytime. She's super nice and has a thankless job! She said we just ride the wave and things will get better. Mainly, the book banners are in rural communities where kids need access to books. They censor under the premise of "community interest" and values while speaking only for a small segment of the community. How do you know what literally every person in your community is going through? You don't so you can't say that EVERYONE in your community doesn't want these types of books. No one is ever going to agree on 100% of the books in libraries but that's OK. Not every book is for every reader or every reader is for every book.
The censors are coming for my job next. Archives always maintained a position of neutrality but as we figure out how to better describe the people in our collections and diversity, equity and inclusion measures, the more people we anger.
Mod
And why are many Social Conservatives such horrid and nasty and think that parents somehow can do no wrong?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitche...
Manybooks wrote: "Well, Mr. Lecce, if school boards reveal information about non binary students to parents and these students ended up being attacked, being abused, YOU would be or at least should be held at least ..."This is happening in schools all over the U.S. even though experts keep saying that it will have a devastating effect on the mental health of the students, lead to increased bullying, etc. It was up for discussion at a town near me but nixed. Kids are pawns in political power plays between ultra conservatives and people with sense.
I have a few stories already today.
The GOOD news is, Arizona is NOT cutting ties with the ALAThe Arizona Freedom Caucus
https://kjzz.org/content/1856784/some...
(no, the president of the ALA can not "queer up" all libraries nor "indoctrinate" people into Marxist theory. It's a volunteer, largely ceremonial position among a board of trained librarians!)
Thank you California!California To Ban Book Bans by School Boards
The bill passed both chambers and heads to the Governor's desk.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to sign Assembly Bill 1078, which is intended to prevent school boards from banning books based solely on the books’ inclusion of history or culture related to Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, LGBTQ people or other groups. It expands the state’s existing education code requiring schools to include the experiences of racial, ethnic and LGBTQ groups in curriculum.
“(This bill) offers a clear statement from the Legislature and governor about California’s commitment to free inquiry and non-discrimination in our public schools,” said UCLA education professor John Rogers, who’s studied book bans. “That’s always been important, but it’s particularly important now, as we’re seeing efforts in some areas to challenge the role of the public school as an instrument to promote the ideals of inclusion and diverse democracy.”
Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Democrat from Moreno Valley. He said it was Florida that drove him to it. According to a database compiled by PEN America, Florida school districts, under a law signed by Gov. Rick DeSantis, have banned more than 500 books, including novels by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and biographies of baseball great Hank Aaron.
“These disgusting tactics are part of a national strategy by conservatives to literally retell history to not reflect the truth about people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ,” Jackson said.
“We have to take a stand, and prevent what’s happening in Florida from happening in California. We are in new territory, and we cannot be afraid to act.”
If signed by Newsom, the bill, which won legislative support on Thursday, would take effect immediately and create a new process for the public to complain directly to the state superintendent of public instruction if they feel students are being deprived of proper education materials. The state would provide the textbooks to the students and could deduct the cost of the textbooks from the district’s funding.
The California School Boards Association remained opposed as of today. The bill’s intentions are laudable, said association spokesman Troy Flint, but the repercussions could be negative and long-lasting.
California already has a lengthy public process to adopt a new curriculum, he noted. In addition, the state, county offices of education and local school districts have complaint processes for the public to protest textbooks, policies or other facets of the education system. The public also has an opportunity to weigh in on textbooks when county offices of education conduct their annual reviews of instructional materials.
Instead, the bill would further incite tension between the state and school boards, which under California’s system of “local control” have a large degree of autonomy, he said.
“We understand the motivations behind the bill, and we agree on the importance of students having access to inclusive textbooks,” Flint said. “But we think there are less inflammatory ways to handle this.”
Flint also pointed out that the bill could potentially stop schools from banning books that some might feel are racist or homophobic. That has already happened in some California schools. In 2020, Burbank Unified in Los Angeles County banned “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Of Mice and Men,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and two other books after parents complained that the books are racist.
“The implications are significant… Proponents are under the impression that the people in charge now will forever remain so,” Flint said. “A good law is just in all situations, not only in reaction to a certain environment.”
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/...
More ...“California is the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them," said Newsom. "With the passage of this legislation that bans book bans and ensures all students have textbooks, our state’s Family Agenda is now even stronger. All students deserve the freedom to read and learn about the truth, the world, and themselves.”
Opponents to the bill claim it takes away the local control of schools; however, as has been seen over and over across the country, "local control" is code for right-wing board takeovers, with an agenda to implement conservative values, including removing of books about diverse people.
Assembly Bill 1078 does not extend to public libraries nor to prisons, but it is a step forward. School boards are–and should be–apolitical, but as has been seen over and over, they have become the place for right-wing politics to thrive at the expense of students.
Indeed, Assembly Bill 1078 reaffirms the knowledge, experience, and expertise of trained professionals in educational institutions to do their jobs.
Literary Activism
https://literaryactivism.substack.com...
Unfortunately Florida is still banning books for the lamest of reasonsThe Florida Department of Education released a list of all the books removed from school library shelves last year, and some of the titles might be surprising.
In total, Florida saw 386 book removals from 1,218 total objections last year, according to the list. Clay County had by far the most removals with 177 books removed. Martin County removed the second most books in the state with 98 books removed, followed by Manatee County in third with 25 books removed.
But also removed from school libraries, according to the list, are a book about a mammal from Asia and one of the most famous artists of all time.
Ready Player One removed from all Clay County School District libraries, according to a spreadsheet from the district, after it was reviewed by a committee of parents, librarians and principals.
The science fiction novel by Ernest Cline, published in 2011, was removed from K-12 shelves for mentioning prostitution, drugs and using profane language, according to the request form.
The book's film adaptation, released in 2018 and rated PG-13, was directed by Steven Spielberg and nominated for an Academy Award.
The requester, a man affiliated with "No Left Turn in Education," wrote his reasoning for flagging the book was to "PROTECT CHILDREN!! (sic)"
The requester said the book included "victimhood=CRT," on page 320; prostitution references; drugs and pills on page 270; and profanity, including the F-word.
Under the question for what the requester believes will be the result of a student reading the material, the man wrote "Damaged Souls."
Christian, the Hugging Lion
Manatee County officials also removed "Christian, the Hugging Lion" by Justin Richardson, a 32-page children's book about two men who raise a lion named Christian in a London apartment. When Christian becomes too big, the two men release the lion into the wild in Africa. When the men go to visit Christian in Africa, they find that he remembers them. The book is based on a true story.
The district cited The Parental Rights in Education Act as the reason for removing the book from district libraries. The Parental Rights in Education Act has a line prohibiting the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms.
While the two men, John and Ace, lived together in London and raised Christian the lion, it is never explicitly said in the book whether the two men were in a relationship.
The authors of "Christian, the Hugging Lion" were also the authors of "And Tango Makes Three".
Michelangelo Manatee County district officials removed the book from libraries citing Florida Statute 847.012, titled "Obscenity," and involves the sale or distribution of harmful materials to minors.
What on Earth Is a Pangolin?
Manatee County officials removed "What on Earth is a Pangolin?" by Edward R. Ricciuti, a 32-page children's book about Pangolins as part of the "What on Earth" series on obscure wildlife. Pangolins are scaly, anteater-like mammals native to Asia and Africa, and are the most trafficked mammal in the world, according to the World Wildlife Foundation.
Manatee County removed the book from district libraries, citing Florida Statute 1006.40(3)(d). However, section (3)(d) does not appear to exist under Florida Statute 1006.40, which is titled "Purchase of instructional materials."
When asked for clarity and for a full copy of the objection, Manatee County did not respond in time for publication.
Florida Virtual School removed a National Geographic article called "Will we ever grow organs?" from a digital anatomy and physiology course, according to a FLVS spokesperson.
The request to remove the article came from a teacher who teaches the course in a school that licenses the class from FLVS.
The teacher raised concerns about the doctor profiled in the article, Paolo Macchiarini. Macchiarini was sentenced to two years and six months in prison this past June after he was found guilty of gross assault.
While the 2012 article touts Macchiarini's work building windpipes out of stem cells, a Swedish court said the surgeon "acted with criminal intent" by transplanting trachea into three patients, who all died when the implants failed, between 2011 and 2012.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to remove the article referenced from the new version of the course," said FLVS spokesperson Hailey Fitch.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/new...
Brevard school board mulls no longer broadcasting public comment in light of HB 1069Brevard’s formal book review process has been halted since June, but with a new state law, parents could find a way to circumvent the traditional review process. That left the school board debating how to respond if a parent seeks to force a fast-track ban on a book.
House Bill 1069, which went into effect July 1, lays out rules related to what can and can’t be taught in schools or kept on library shelves. It also says that parents must be allowed to read passages from “any material that is subject to an objection,” and that if the school board stops a parent from reading the passage because it is p___graphic, the book must be pulled from library shelves or removed from curriculum.
But the language is so vague, it doesn't specify where the parent should read the book, just that it needs to be in the presence of a school board member.
"I don't think we're about to pull every book that might have content that we wouldn't necessarily want read in a public meeting," said board member Katye Campbell. "I'd like us to proactively think about, 'What if this happens in Brevard?'"
How they might handle such a situation wasn't decided at Thursday night's meeting, but proposed solutions included allowing parents to read explicit passages but no longer broadcasting the public comment section, with the concern that stopping parents from reading would get out of hand.
Books that are found to contain content that is sexually explicit or p___graphic must pulled within five days of being reported to the district, according to HB 1069. Books that may be age inappropriate, such as books containing explicit language or violence, are given more leeway, with the law allowing districts to restrict the books to specific grade levels rather than fully banning them.
At Thursday night’s meeting, Campbell expressed concern about the law being abused to ban books with profane language or violence in circumvention of the district's book review policy.
“There are parts of, for example, Huckleberry Finn, that I wouldn’t want somebody reading in a public meeting, because there’s some colorful language,” she said. “There are some biographies of some of our Black American heroes that are going to include the N-word. Are we going to — I don't want that content read in a public meeting.”
Based on the law’s text, the board isn't required to pull a book if they stop someone from reading a passage with explicit language. The law only says books with p___graphic content must be pulled if a board member stops someone from reading it in public.
But vague language in the bill’s text has left the district with a lack of guidance and caused confusion amongst board members.
Board Attorney Paul Gibbs said the book must be objected to prior to the parent reading a passage — otherwise, the board doesn’t have to pull it, even if they stop someone from reading a sexually explicit passage.
However, the law isn’t so clear. It says books subject to an objection based on sexually explicit or p___graphic content must be removed from shelves within five days of the objection until the district can resolve the objection. It’s not clear if an objection is limited to a request for a book review, or if it also applies when a member of the public brings a book forward during a school board meeting.
Board members and Gibbs also discussed who had the ultimate authority to stop a public commenter from reading and decide if a book needed to be pulled. It was a topic discussed back in June, just before the book review process was halted, with board members debating whether or not they should take advice from the book committee and make the final decision on a book's fate. No decision was ever made.
Generally, Board Chair Matt Susin stops public comment when a speaker goes over their time limit or uses profane language. The same would likely be true in the instance of someone reading an explicit passage, though other scenarios could be possible, Gibbs said.
"(Susin) runs the meeting, so he's the one that stops public comment," Gibbs said, though he added that if another board member stopped public comment, the speaker could "make an argument" that the board cut them off and thus the book should be banned.
Jennifer Jenkins took issue with this, saying not only would they be circumventing the book review policy, but authority would rest on Susin rather than the board as a whole.
"It literally circumvents the entire point of the (review) committee and the policy (if) going forward it's one person," she said.
The law doesn't require the authority to rest on the board chair -- or that's not how other districts are interpreting it.
With the potential for explicit material to be read allowed at meetings, Campbell brought up concerns about breaking Federal Communications Commission guidelines, as the district broadcasts a livestream of board meetings. Her proposed solution — let public commenters read passages in full so that the books would still be required to go through the book review process and broadcast the rest of the meeting, but record the public comment section later to be posted online with a content warning.
“It would satisfy FCC guidelines … it would satisfy state law, because we’re allowing parents to read the content, it would help us stick to the book challenge process that we have established,” she said.
She added that the district's book review policy is good and she would like to proceed with it, but that it needs to be "tweaked."
Megan Wright said it's important to her to make sure public comment is available to people who can't attend meetings in person.
"I think everyone needs to hear it, if that's what happens," she said, referring to the scenario of a parent reading an explicit passage.
She added that she understands why people might try to get around the formal review process.
"I would hope that the public would honor the process, but I understand the frustrations because, let's face it, how many years did (the book review process) go on?" she said. "And how many books were reviewed when it was the other way around?"
The book review process, which was paused in June due to concerns about public comment and harassment toward committee members, as well as the need to incorporate language from HB 1069, has yet to resume.
Gibbs said legally, the district is not required to broadcast public comment, or any of the board meetings. “Some public entities don’t broadcast their meetings,” he said. “That’s all legal, and that’s fine. If you want to record it, that’s fine — post it later, you can do that.”
He added that the board may have to make an amendment to their public comment policy prior to making any changes.
A decision about how to handle public comment was not made Thursday, but the board is scheduled to discuss the issue further at Tuesday's work session.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/ne...
Mod
Mod
It should not have to be like that. Thank you unhinged extremists! But I bet that horrid "student" is likely considered a hero amongst homophobes and misogynists.
Manybooks wrote: "So I guess the information regarding poachers makes What on Earth Is a Pangolin? somehow left wing? I guess Ron DeSantis and company support poachers and trophy hunting, sigh."Hunting, yes, is big in the South, but they seem determined to ban any books with non-white and non-American characters and any book not depicting a "traditional" family. They want to send us back to the 1950s and 1850s. I haven't looked at the pangolin book yet.
a ha! The WWF fund states "There is also demand in the United States for pangolin products, particularly for their leather to be used in boots, bags, and belts."
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species...
Or perhaps deforestation offends the censors?
or perhaps the book details mating habits?
The book is too old to mention COVID-19 but it may mention coronovirus in context of the ANIMAL version and the censors lack the reading comprehension skills to understand the difference?
Mod
And sadly, if the moron Ron DeSantis is chosen to lead the Republicans, and if he won the election, he would probably implement book banning in ALL states, even in those like California that are actively fighting against book banning.
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)
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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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Largest Oklahoma school districts to opt out of lesson plans with conservative advocacy group
No one wanted to go on camera but KOCO 5 got several statements.
A day after the state Department of Education announced a partnership with a conservative advocacy group, Oklahoma's largest school districts said they're opting out of optional lesson plans.
On Tuesday, state Superintendent Ryan Walters argued videos and materials from PragerU Kids offer educators more options. No one wanted to go on camera, but KOCO 5 got several statements.
The strongest was from the largest district, Oklahoma City, saying the new partnership between Walters and PragerU doesn't change anything for their schools.
"We’re highlighting them. We want all schools to know it’s available. It’s going to be a free resource to schools. So this is going to be part of a long relationship with PragerU to make sure not only are the videos available inside the school setting, the curriculum along with the videos, but also available for parents," Walters said.
So far, several of the metro's largest districts are telling KOCO 5 they will not be opting into the offerings from PragerU Kids. PragerU claimed to offer free alternatives to "dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media and education."
Oklahoma City Public Schools told KOCO 5 that Walter's endorsement of PragerU doesn't change anything they are doing in the classroom. They went on to say that they believe their teachers are the experts and that they will use the curriculum provided by the district and appropriate supplemental materials.
https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma...