Children's Books discussion
Banned Books: discussions, lists
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Discussion of censorship, equity, and other concerns.
Manybooks wrote: "And as soon as these artificially coddled students get to college and university and take a history, a politics or a literature course, they cannot handle even remotely any kind of controversy covered in class."On the contrary. They're creating liberals by the scores, just what they're trying to avoid. I got to college in the 1970s, and I realized everyone had been lying to me! I rebelled against all they were trying to instill.
Ivonne wrote: "On the contrary. They're creating liberals by the scores, just what they're trying to avoid.."Not really. In Florida they have restricted access to education that will make students unfit to attend college out of state, which is what they want. Certain books and topics are on AP exams. I doubt a student can get into an Ivy League University without some honors and AP credits. And where are most of those top tier schools? In heathen Yankee land with the "leftist liberalist agenda" and Communists. Good thing every teenager has a phone in their hand and can access the outside world and find out they're being duped.
I feel very sad for the little ones, especially 9-10 year old girls going through puberty not knowing what's happening to their bodies or able to ask a teacher to go to the school nurse for help if they get their periods.
Book Bans Live on in School District Now Run by DemocratsDemocrats swept a school board election in Bucks County after Republicans instituted book bans and other changes. But the right-wing “parental rights” movement has left an indelible mark.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/27/us...
They did at least retire the ban on transgender athletes.
https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/new...
A sensational headline... more like puberty books and others they don't agree with. Absurd that this even has to be NEWS.https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/ne...
Huntington Beach review board deems potty training books inappropriate for children
A group of Huntington Beach residents known as "Protect HB" said they've gathered enough valid signatures to try repealing a new ordinance that could impact which books are put on public library shelves.
More than 15,000 people have signed a petition that's headed to the city clerk. If valid, voters will decide whether city council majority's community parent-garden review board will exist. It has teh power to decided which library books are purchased and can pull children's books that it deems inappropriate.
"The books that they have relocated are currently puberty books," said Friends of HB Libary board member Carol Daus. "Books that had any form of nudity that they didn't feel comfortable with so that would be potty training books for example. Those have been moved way up to the fourth floor in an adult section, which I think is inappropriate."
City council member Rhonda Bolton is one of the three members who voted against the review board.
"If you do look at legal jurisprudence, what that says is even moving a book from the children's section to the adult section is censorship," she said. "That's what the law says. So, I'm not going to advise anyone to do something that's not legal."
If the issue goes on the ballot, resident Katie Casper will dig deeper to find out more.
"Probably doing a little bit research on who is appointing these members to the committee," she said.
Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, who supports the board, said the city "will respect the will of the voters," if the committee is eliminated.
"But as of right now, the current city council majority has done a stellar job in protecting and preserving our award winning libraries," she wrote.
I can't see the wording inside of the article which says that potty training books have been deemed inappropriate for children. I wonder if the person who wrote the headline, read the article.
TheAccidental wrote: "I can't see the wording inside of the article which says that potty training books have been deemed inappropriate for children. I wonder if the person who wrote the headline, read the article."It comes from a quote which mentions puberty books and then the quote says potty training books are included in that category. Everyone Poops contains illustrations of little boys on the potty and without diapers (frontal nudity toddlers oh my!) and a grown up sitting on the toilet. All you can see is his butt and yes this gets the book labeled explicit/adult/p-word and moved to the adult section or banned.
"The books that they have relocated are currently puberty books," said Friends of HB Libary board member Carol Daus. "Books that had any form of nudity that they didn't feel comfortable with so that would be potty training books for example. Those have been moved way up to the fourth floor in an adult section, which I think is inappropriate."
This stuff-same verbiage- is happening in Korea too. I highly doubt the book is in elementary schools unless Korean elementary school goes to a higher age than North American but it doesn't I looked and Korean pre-K and Kindergarten is lumped together ages 2-5 and elementary school is ages 6-12. PERHAPS the librarian stocked the book for the teachers to read. PERHAPS teachers might want to check the book out and select passages to read with their older students? I don't know how the school libraries work in Korea. https://www.chosun.com/english/nation...
"Is 'The Vegetarian' inappropriate for minors? School bans spark debate
Controversy erupts over Nobel Laureate Han Kang's novel"
The Confederation of National Parents’ Association
A parent’s [sic] association called for banning The Vegetarian from school libraries, claiming the book is “harmful to minors. “Parents are shocked at the attempt to place a book with such extreme and violent content in elementary, middle, and high school libraries simply because it was written by a Nobel laureate,” the Confederation of National Parents’ Association said in a statement on Oct. 22.
The association argued that the novel should be classified as “harmful content for youth,” citing graphic descriptions of sexual intercourse. “Just because an R-rated film wins an Academy Award doesn’t mean it becomes suitable for minors,” the association added. The association launched a petition to prevent The Vegetarian from being placed in school libraries, and so far, more than 10,000 people have signed the petition.
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“I read The Vegetarian, and it is a deeply thoughtful work,” Yim Tae-hee, Superintendent of Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, said during the national audit. He added, “But I understand parents’ concerns from an educational perspective. I would also recommend that my child read The Vegetarian after graduating high school.”
Some lawmakers demanded an apology from Superintendent Lim, calling the decision to remove the novel an “anachronistic form of censorship.” Rep. Baek Seung Ah of the Democratic Party criticized the Gyeonggi Office of Education for “directing schools to remove books deemed harmful by conservative Christian groups and the ruling People Power Party.”
The public is also divided over this issue. Worried mothers expressed concerns about the novel on online communities for moms. “I don’t want my teenage daughter to read a book with such explicit sexual content,” read one post.
Others contend that such concerns are “extreme” and that some parents are focusing too much on the sexual content within the novel, considering that The Vegetarian deals with bigger themes in a nuanced and metaphoric manner.
“The way I see it, the controversy is a side-effect, but a positive one,” said a publishing industry insider. “More people are taking an interest in Han Kang’s works, and hopefully this will encourage more people to read books.”
EveryLibrary's Libraries 2024 initiative helped state partners conduct candidate surveys for both the primary and general elections.These candidate surveys were created to inform both candidates and voters about the importance of voting for libraries in the upcoming election.
You can view each party's platform on censorship and curriculum in their own words (seems to be taken from media reports) here
https://www.libraries2024.org/librari...
Chicago Public Schools General Election Candidate Survey: This November, Chicago will hold its first ever election for the city’s school board. Voters will be able to elect 10 out of 21 of the school board members. The Chicago Public Schools candidate survey asked respondents about school library issues across the city. With a 52% response rate, candidates expressed overwhelming support for funding libraries and recognized the importance of school libraries for the well-being of students.
https://www.libraries2024.org/cps_can...
Arkansas Statewide Candidate Survey: This two-part survey asked state-level candidates in both the primary and general elections about their views on library issues. Despite legislative efforts to take away funding from libraries across the state, our survey revealed that candidates recognize the importance of funding libraries and promoting, aiding, and equalizing public library services in Arkansas.
These survey results not only show the importance of libraries for local communities and students but also emphasize the importance of voting in next month’s election to safeguard and protect the very purpose of libraries.
https://www.libraries2024.org/arkansa...
Connecticut -founded by Puritans and New Canaan Mom challenges New Canaan Public Schools over book in 9th grade class
https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news...
The book appears to be The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Gee what a surprise.
SC education board's first book hearing to include '1984,' 'To Kill a Mockingbird'https://www.postandcourier.com/educat...
Paywalled
South Carolina now has the most restrictive book banning policy. Please tell them Romeo & Juliet isn't too explicit for the library! To Kill a Mockingbird? My little cousin in Catholic school had to read that when he was too young to understand what the crime was. He asked me and I had to come up with a response that was age appropriate followed by "I haven't read the book so ask your teacher what it means in context." He understood it was violent. By the time teenagers have to read this book they should know what's what and what's going on in the story.State book ban policies approved for Charleston Co. schools
https://www.live5news.com/2024/10/29/...
Specifically focusing on the book ban vote from Monday night, the South Carolina Department of Education implemented a new law this summer which left the CCSD with really no choice in approving the policy.
“Since the summer and since we’ve had more knowledge about this regulation, we have been working to ensure that they (principals) know the support that we want to offer them and to their teachers,” Huggins said.
The state law completely bans material for any age group if it includes visual depictions or descriptions of s--ual conduct. It also outlines a process for someone to challenge them all the way up to the State Board of Education.
Board members were presented with multiple, very detailed policies that are aligned with state regulations and unanimously approved each specific policy.
One of the major changes in the regulation now requires teachers to catalog books which puts a challenge on educators to select and retain materials.
“Our principals, they have welcomed the opportunity to really ensure that the content of the curriculum that we’re choosing, the materials are rigorous and they’re appropriate for the age with which the students that they’re serving,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Luke Clamp said. “So they’ve not necessarily been concerned, but really it’s an opportunity.”
When asked about feedback from parents, Huggins said there are two very different views from parents…
“We hear from parents who want students to have access and opportunity related to books of all content, and then we have parents who want a voice in what their students read and have access to in our library media centers across the district,” Huggins said.
The regulation allows the State Board of Education to have the final say in local disputes over what materials are appropriate, ranging from school library books to even those read by an afterschool student book club.
The State Board of Education will be holding its first book review hearing on Thursday to decide if famous books such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” will still be on the shelves of public schools in the state.
“This week’s first committee review at the State level has sparked some interesting dialog and debate,” Huggins said. “There are various titles on the list to be considered among the committee, and so we await the decision and the recommendation of that committee to the state board and the next steps.”
QNPoohBear wrote: "South Carolina now has the most restrictive book banning policy. Please tell them Romeo & Juliet isn't too explicit for the library! To Kill a Mockingbird? My little cousin in Catholic school had t..."Our rallying cry should be "Don't Dumb Down Our Schools."
Idaho. Can I take a stab at guessing where they found their list and what group they may belong to? A bit of internet sleuthing could probably find this person's name!
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One person challenged 23 Eagle library books, records show. City shields their identity
https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/...
One person filed nearly two dozen requests to relocate books in the Eagle Public Library, prompting trustees to move the titles to an adult section last month, according to emails obtained by Idaho Education News.
The city of Eagle, which oversees the library board of trustees, is shielding the identity of the filer, citing a state law that protects information that would identify someone using a library item. But it’s unclear whether the anonymous filer used any of the challenged books. Two of the books have not been checked out in at least two years, according to library circulation records.
Eagle’s decision to protect the filer’s identity is one example of a broader dilemma, which has surfaced as library materials across the nation have faced increasing scrutiny. Public libraries have long safeguarded the privacy of the people who use their resources, and most states have confidentiality laws similar to Idaho’s.
But whether the same privacy rights should be extended to those seeking to remove or relocate a book is an unsettled question. Eagle is handling its relocation requests differently than other libraries and school districts, including the Boise Public Library and Kuna School District, which are not redacting the names of filers.
Some librarians believe users’ privacy should be protected no matter the circumstance, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Others argue that there shouldn’t be an expectation of privacy for a request to limit someone else’s access to public resources.
It didn’t take long for Eagle’s anonymous filer to employ a new state law that gives sharper teeth to book relocation requests.
Prior to the “Children’s School and Library Protection Act,” adopted earlier this year as House Bill 710, Idaho libraries had processes in place for patrons to request relocating or removing materials. The new law added a private right of action, which gave minor library patrons or their parents standing to sue if they find unrestricted material deemed “harmful” to children.
On July 24, a little more than three weeks after the law went into effect, someone filed 25 “written notices to relocate library materials” with the Eagle Public Library. The forms are meant to notify library staff and trustees that unrestricted material in the library could meet the new law’s definition of “harmful.”
Library officials have 60 days after these forms are filed to review the book, film or other content and decide whether to remove the material or relocate it to an adults-only section.
On Sep. 13, the anonymous Eagle filer sent an email to library board members and city officials to remind them of the upcoming 60-day deadline and to promise to follow up with “extensive details” about each book.
“I submitted a request for 25 inappropriate books to be transferred from the children’s section to the adult section of the Eagle Public Library,” said the message, which EdNews obtained through a public records request. “As the 60-day deadline approaches I want to make sure that everyone on the board is aware of the situation … Let’s work together to keep our children safe from this smut.”
Library board chairwoman Candice Hopkins responded 16 minutes later. She said the board planned to review the books at its next meeting, and she invited the filer to speak during the public comment section of the meeting. The filer did not speak at the meeting, according to a recording archived online.
EdNews previously obtained all requests to relocate books filed with the Eagle Public Library since July 1. Someone filed 25 requests on July 24, but two of the forms were left blank, possibly by mistake.
The library board considered the other 23 requests in a closed-door discussion on Sept. 18, and trustees voted to relocate all of them. Twenty books were moved to the adult section and three were placed behind the library desk, where patrons must request them.
The library received multiple complaints about four of the titles that the unnamed filer had challenged on July 24.
The motion that trustees approved during last month’s meeting included 23 titles, according to an archived recording of the meeting.
EdNews initially reported that 24 books were relocated. But that figure inadvertently separated one book title, “We Know It Was You: A Strange Truth Novel” by Maggie Thrash, into two titles.
Other news outlets have reported that 25 books were relocated, citing Eagle trustee Brian Almon, but that figure does not line up with the motion. Almon wrote in a column following the September meeting that trustees considered 25 requests, which may be the source of conflicting totals.
The city of Eagle, which manages library public records requests, has withheld the names, addresses and contact information of the individuals who filed requests to relocate library books. The July 24 filer’s name was redacted from email records as well.
Eagle cited a decades-old state law that protects information that would reveal the identity of someone “checking out, requesting, or using an item from a library.”
EdNews asked Eagle’s public information officer, Dana Biberston, to provide evidence showing city officials had verified that filers checked out, requested or used a library book before shielding their identities and citing the records exemption.
Biberston declined to answer questions and pointed EdNews to the law that grants requesters the right to appeal a records denial in District Court.
Meanwhile, EdNews requested circulation records for the 23 relocated books. The data shows when the books were checked out, requested by a patron or moved to another section of the library.
Two of the books relocated last month — “The Trauma Cleaner” and “SuperMutant Magic Academy” — have not been checked out in at least the last two years, according to the data. Nor has a patron requested they be transferred to Eagle from another library.
Circulation dates for the other 21 books are sporadic. One was last checked out on Feb. 26, 2024, another on Oct. 15, 2023. More popular titles, like Sarah Maas’ fantasy series, are frequently checked out and requested by patrons.
There’s no clear pattern from the circulation records that would indicate one person checked out all 23 books before filing relocation requests. This is not to say that the filer didn’t read the challenged books, at the Eagle Public Library or elsewhere.
Democrats Won the Bucks County School Board Election…But They’re Still Banning BooksBucks County is a familiar name for anyone who’s been keeping up with Kelly Jensen’s Censorship News coverage. Last year, they ousted Moms for Liberty and elected a Democrat school board, but as The New York Times reports, they are still mostly following in the footsteps of the school board before them. Teachers are still banned from displaying rainbow flags. Diversity, equity, and inclusion training has not resumed.
The superintendent has recently announced even more book removals, including dozens of manga books. Some books banned by the previous board have been reinstated, like Beloved by Toni Morrison, but others remain banned.
Adrienne King, a parent activist against censorship, said, “Change is very slow and almost not evident.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/27/us...
Jodi Picoult Says 'Books Are On The Ballot' After Her Book Nineteen Minutes Was the Most-Banned Book Last Yearhttps://people.com/jodi-picoults-nine...
"We know from history that a way you control a nation is by controlling what its citizens read," Picoult said in an Instagram Reel
The bestselling author teamed up with PEN America, a nonprofit organization championing writers and books, to encourage readers to consider what's at stake for books on election day.
In an Instagram Reel shared on Oct. 28, Picoult, 58, says that her 2008 novel, Nineteen Minutes was the most banned book during the 2023-2024 school year, in 98 school districts across the country. The book is about a school shooting, which Picoult notes is "something that our kids, unfortunately, do not need a book to learn about."
"In fact, hundreds of students have told me Nineteen Minutes stopped them from committing a school shooting or showed them they were not alone in feeling isolated," she continues. "The book did not harm them. It gave them tools to deal with an increasingly divided and different world."
"That's what books do," Picoult notes, in the video. "They help kids see themselves in a different way. They help kids see the world in a different way."
South Carolina now has the most restrictive book banning policy. Ban Romeo & Juliet? That is so incredibly stupid and banning TKAM is equally dumb for different reasons. Another story
State education committee considers whether to ban 11 books from schools
https://www.live5news.com/2024/10/31/...
The first books that could be pulled from school library shelves across South Carolina, including classics like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Romeo and Juliet” will soon be before the State Board of Education.
A state education committee met for the first time Thursday to consider whether nearly a dozen books should be allowed to remain in classrooms and on the shelves of school libraries or should be banned from every school in the state.
This is the first time state education leaders are weighing the fates of books under a controversial new rule that went into effect this summer. It requires school books and learning materials to be age- and developmentally appropriate, specifically those depicting s--ual conduct.
The regulation allows the State Board of Education to have the final say in local disputes over which materials are appropriate and set a statewide policy with its rulings.
What makes Thursday’s hearing a little different is that these books came forward from the Department of Education, not from a parent in a local district.
“The chairman of this committee requested that staff help identify materials that were either raised to the board’s attention during public comment or materials that were frequently challenged at the local level prior to the implementation of this regulation,” South Carolina Department of Education Policy and Legal Advisor Robert Cathcart said.
“This is a well-intentioned action by the Instructional Material Review Committee,” Patrick Kelly, the director of governmental affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association said.
But Kelly noted the regulation requires the person challenging the book to start by having a conversation about it with the school, something that didn’t happen with this process.
“I think what’s most problematic here is we didn’t have the conversations that need to take place around these books,” he said.
The State Board’s Instructional Materials Review Committee did hear brief public testimony Thursday on whether the first eleven books brought under the new rule should stay or go.
The books under consideration are:
“Damsel” by Elana Arnold
“Ugly Love” by Colleen Hoover
“Crank” by Ellen Hopkins
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
“A Court of Frost and Starlight” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Wings and Ruin” by Sarah J. Maas
“1984″ by George Orwell
“Romeo & Juliet” by William Shakespeare
“Normal People” by Sally Rooney
The committee recommended three books all considered literary classics — “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “1984″ and “Romeo & Juliet” — be allowed to remain on shelves.
Of the remaining eight, it recommended seven of them — “Damsel,” “Ugly Love,” “A Court of Frost and Starlight,” “A Court of Mist and Fury,” “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” “A Court of Wings and Ruin” and “Normal People” — be removed from the shelves of every school library in the state despite just one person speaking in favor of removing just one of them.
For the remaining book, “Crank,” the committee voted to postpone further consideration of removing it after public discussion.
Department of Education staff said nonetheless all of these books contain excerpts with descriptions of s--ual conduct that are not age and developmentally appropriate, which violate the rule.
“Staff believes that this material should be removed from all South Carolina school libraries, collections, anywhere else in the public school system that it might be available to students,” Cathcart says.
These are recommendations with those titles coming before the full State Board of Education next Tuesday.
Whatever decision the board makes is final and will apply to every district in the state.
Lots of news. PEN America's latest report is inBanned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves
https://pen.org/report/beyond-the-she...
Idaho newsAn Eagle woman has taken credit for successfully petitioning public library trustees to relocate 23 books that she deemed “harmful” to minors.
https://www.idahoednews.org/news/eagl...
Angela Russell on July 24 filed the notices calling on the Eagle Public Library’s board of trustees to move nearly two dozen books to the library’s adult section. A few of the books have attracted multiple complaints since a new law making libraries liable for civil lawsuits went into effect July 1. However, Russell filed challenges to all of the titles, and trustees agreed on Sept. 18 to relocate them.
Russell claimed ownership of the notices in a social media post the day before the library board’s vote. Russell posted to the neighborhood-focused social networking website Nextdoor seeking support in anticipation of “a lot of backlash” for her requests.
“These books contain s--ual activities with minors, nudity, Profanity (sic), racial slurs, s-x change operation info, violence, child abuse, alternate gender ideologies,” she wrote. “The list goes on forever.”
Eagle trustees reviewed Russell’s list of “harmful” books in a closed-door meeting. And the city of Eagle, which oversees the public library, has declined to identify her or the handful of other people who challenged books prior to the September library board meeting.
Angela Russell and her husband Blane Russell have political ties to at least two officials who provide oversight to the public library and financial ties to the city of Eagle, Idaho Education News found through public records.
Social Eyes Marketing, a Boise-based company operated by Blane Russell, is paid by the city to provide digital media services, according to City Council records and receipts. The Eagle City Council last year approved up to $40,000 in expenditures for the company’s services.
Campaign finance reports show that Social Eyes Marketing has produced political advertisements for a raft of conservative candidates in recent years, including a current Eagle City Council member and a former Eagle mayor as well as Idaho lawmakers who supported enacting new penalties for libraries this year. The company has collected roughly $169,000 since 2020 for the campaign work, according to public disclosures.
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Angela and Blane Russell also are active members in the Republican Party’s District 14 committee, which is chaired by Eagle library trustee Brian Almon.
Almon was one of three library trustees who supported the book relocations that Angela Russell requested under the Children’s School and Library Protection Act.
Former trustees Sarah Hayes and Kelsey Taylor also supported relocating the books on Russell’s list. BoiseDev reported Tuesday that the Eagle City Council voted on Oct. 8 to remove Hayes and Taylor from the library board, without explanation.
Almon, in public statements after the library board’s decision, said he couldn’t share details about the trustees’ private deliberations. When asked about his political ties to Angela and Blane Russell Thursday, Almon said he’s “acquainted” with the couple and they “travel in the same circles.”
Angela and Blane Russell were alternate delegates to the Idaho Republican State Convention this year in Coeur d’Alene, Almon said, and Blane is currently an alternate precinct committeeman in District 14.
“My acquaintance or non-acquaintance with anyone who potentially submitted relocation requests did not influence my vote in the September meeting,” Almon said by email. “The Eagle Library Board has discretion to relocate books within the library, and I believe all trustees took each book under consideration on its own merits.”
Almon also said that he has “never personally engaged in a business relationship” with Social Eyes Marketing.
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Eagle City Councilwoman Mary May’s campaign gave Social Eyes Marketing $4,629 in 2023, according to the disclosures. May told EdNews Thursday that the company produced videos and ad placements for her campaign, but she said she has “no ongoing relationship” with the firm.
She also noted that the city’s digital media agreement with Social Eyes Marketing pre-dated her council tenure. And she’s not aware of any influence the council had over the recent book relocations.
“I had no involvement and I am not aware of any City Council involvement in the discussions or deliberations surrounding the complaints or the placement of books,” May said by email. “That was the purview of the Library Board.”
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Altogether, Social Eyes Marketing has collected roughly $169,000 since 2020 for its work on campaigns in local, state and federal elections, according to campaign finance data from the Idaho Secretary of State and Federal Election Commission.
The company earned $75,000 for ads that supported Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) board member Bryan Smith’s 2022 congressional campaign and attacked his opponent, Rep. Mike Simpson, according to FEC filings.
IFF is a hardline conservative think tank that has pushed lawmakers in recent years to enact penalties for libraries that expose children to sexual content and LGBTQ+ themes.
Almon worked as a lobbyist for the group in 2023.
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Key details about Eagle’s handling of the book relocations remain hazy, and city and library board officials haven’t provided clarity more than a month after the initial decision.
In a Sept. 20 column discussing the book relocations, Almon wrote that “some of the citizens” who submitted notices “did not appear to meet” the criteria for a lawsuit, and “nevertheless we decided to evaluate all of the challenged books.”
Almon said he didn’t play a role in the city’s decision to shield the identities of people who filed relocation notices. But he criticized reporters Thursday for publicizing information about the book challengers.
EdNews asked Villegas to clarify which city official made the decision to redact the names from public records tied to the relocation notices. He did not respond.
Eagle Mayor Brad Pike also did not answer this question, among others related to the transparency of the book relocation decisions.
Pennsylvania25 books and graphic novel series have been removed from Pennridge’s libraries this year
Under the new policy, the district has removed seven books and graphic novel series, deeming them “age-inappropriate.” That’s on top of 18 the district removed based on the old policy.
https://www.inquirer.com/education/pe...
The Pennridge school board in September rolled back the prior Republican-led board’s policy banning “sexualized content” in library books. But that hasn’t put an end to books being pulled from library shelves.
Under the new policy, the district has removed seven books and graphic novel series, deeming them “age-inappropriate.” That’s on top of 18 books and graphic novel series that the district disclosed this fall were removed based on the old policy, or whose status was challenged during its existence.
Some community members have accused the board, which is now run by Democrats, of enabling book banning. The board’s president says the district’s librarian and other staff have recommended the removals.
“There are some books that shouldn’t be in a high school library,” said the board president, Ron Wurz. “I don’t call that banning, I call that age-appropriateness.”
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At a policy committee meeting in August, the district’s superintendent, Angelo Berrios, said the district was in the process of reviewing 22 books that were pulled in the 2022-23 school year. Those books were not formally challenged but were checked out for prolonged periods by staff members that school year, after Republican board members warned of “p----ographic filth” in the libraries. A parent took the district to court over the issue, and won an open records case last year, with a Bucks County judge ruling that Pennridge had “effectuated a cover-up” of book removals.
The committee in August directed the administration to pause reviewing the books until it passed a new policy. “We’ll ask the librarians if repurchasing these books is appropriate,” Leah Foster Rash, a Democrat who chairs the committee, said.
But according to a presentation Pennridge administrators gave the committee in October, the high school librarian decided that 14 of those books shouldn’t go back in the library.
“This was her professional opinion,” Berrios told the committee, adding that the librarian was evaluating the books as if they were new books to add to the library, rather than existing books being challenged. “We weren’t coercing, fearmongering, or anything else.”
Among the books the librarian ruled out: Gender Queer,; The Haters, and Push.
But the district also issued decisions on a series of additional books challenged since last year. It removed 11 books and graphic novel series that were reviewed by a reconsideration committee of staff members. Some had themes of revenge and the occult or were “excessively violent,” with graphic s--ual content.
Other books included American Psycho and Sex is a Funny Word — the latter of which Assistant Superintendent Kathy Scheid said was meant to be used by adults with students, as a resource book. “It’s not a book that’s even written for kids to take out of the library,” Scheid said.
Some books that have been reviewed have been maintained by the district. Pennridge decided to return to library shelves six of the 22 books that disappeared in the 2022-23 school year, including the popular young-adult novel Looking for Alaska and Beloved, by Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison.
It also kept some of the books that were formally challenged by community members — though it will require parental consent for students to check them out. That group includes Identical, and A Stolen Life, a memoir about a girl’s kidnapping.
Pennridge’s high school librarian also referred to the district’s reconsideration committee two titles that disappeared from library shelves in 2022-23: The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Cirque Du Freak. Their review status was unclear this week.
Some Democrats on the board expressed frustration that books popular with teenagers have been removed — including several in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, and It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover.
“I feel like we’re missing an opportunity to engage children in voluntary reading,” Rash said at the October policy committee meeting. She said she had checked the online libraries of the 10 highest-ranked school districts in Pennsylvania and found they carried many of the books Pennridge was excluding.
“Districts performing way better than us, what are their best practices? Did they kick these books out, too?” she said. (Scheid noted that Pennridge promotes independent reading, “from kindergarten on.”)
Meanwhile, Republican board and community members questioned the district’s process for evaluating books, voicing concern that the district would consider recommendations from the American Library Association...Some objected to new rules that parents read an entire book before challenging it.
Ricki Chaikin, a Republican on the board, said during October’s policy committee meeting she wouldn’t want her daughter reading some of the books that were removed from library shelves in 2022 that the Pennridge librarian had decided to reinstate.
“If you want the committee to review a book, you would follow the same process,” Scheid said, telling Chaikin she could submit a reconsideration form.
Ann Patchett has a new children's book and discusses book banning with Jenna Bush Hager.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
No surprise for 2023-2024 school year but I expect that to changeFlorida again leads U.S. in book bans, new report finds
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/...
There were 4,561 instances of book banning in Florida public school districts last school year — accounting for about 45% of all book bans nationally, according to the report by PEN America, a free speech group.
The report blamed a 2023 Florida law (HB 1069) for the bans. The law expanded the Parental Rights in Education law, which was dubbed “don’t say gay” by critics and put any book that included “sexual conduct” under scrutiny. Orange County Public Schools removed nearly 700 books from classrooms in 2023 for fear they violated the law. Educators across the state removed titles they worried would no longer pass state muster, from classics by Ernest Hemingway to the picture book “No, David!”
Stephana Ferrell, a Orange mother who helped found the Florida Freedom to Read Project, said the actual number of books removed from Florida schools is likely much higher than PEN America’s count, as some teachers and administrators quietly removed books they worried violated the state law, self-censoring even if no one objected to the titles.
“HB 1069 really paved an easy path for censorship,” Ferrell said. “The idea of what should be available for our children, it’s being trampled on and being ignored and being dismissed, especially when the state says, ‘No, that’s not happening’,” she said. “Gaslighting gets used a lot, but I mean, come on.”
Materials removed from schools disproportionately describe race and racism, LGBTQ+ people and characters, people and characters of color, and books with sex-related content, the report noted. The removed books often included depictions of substance abuse, grief and mental health, it added.
Book bans in Florida cost districts between $34,000 and $135,000 per year, according to the report.
Books by Jodi Picoult, John Green and Stephen King Among the Most Banned in Schools - The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/bo...
Jodi Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” a novel about the aftermath of a school shooting, was banned in 98 school districts across the country in the last school year, making it the most frequently removed book in a period that saw a record number of book bans across the country, according to PEN America.
When the novel was first published, in 2007, it was lauded for its nuanced depiction of bullying and violence in schools, incorporated into many high school curriculums and awarded multiple teen book awards.
“It’s really alarming,” Picoult said of the shift. “What’s crazy is that the book hasn’t changed.”
“Nineteen Minutes” was among 4,231 unique titles that were banned in schools across the country during the 2023-2024 school year, according to a new report from PEN America, a free speech organization.
In total, when accounting for books that were banned in multiple districts, there were more than 10,000 book removals in schools across the United States during the school year, a rise of around 200 percent compared with the previous year, the report found.
In addition to “Nineteen Minutes,” the most frequently banned titles included “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, “Sold” by Patricia McCormick and “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. Other frequently banned authors include the blockbuster fantasy author Sarah J. Maas, Ellen Hopkins and Stephen King. King’s books were banned in 173 instances across 26 school districts.
...
Picoult said she was stunned to see her novel about a shooting being banned by so many districts at a time when students have to live with the very real threat of violence in their schools. Hundreds of children have written to her about the novel, sometimes saying that it prevented them from committing acts of violence or helped them deal with bullying, she said.
“Nineteen Minutes” is often targeted for removal not because it depicts violence, but because of a date r--e scene that critics of the book consider s---ually explicit. But Picoult said that efforts to shield young readers from complex and upsetting subjects could leave them with fewer tools to deal with the difficult issues they face in real life.
“The book banners who believe that banning books is protecting children are actually doing harm to children,” she said.
Book bans have risen sharply in states that have recently passed legislation that regulates what kinds of books should be available in schools. Florida, which passed legislation that prohibits s--ual content in school libraries, had the highest number of books removed last year, totaling more than 4,500 books. Iowa, which has also passed legislation restricting the content of school and classroom libraries, had the second highest number, with more than 3,600 book bans.
In its recent analysis, PEN found that books about L.G.B.T.Q. people and books that address race and racism and feature characters of color were among the most frequently challenged titles. Nearly 40 percent of books that were banned had L.G.B.T.Q. themes, while 44 percent of banned titles were about characters of color. The majority of books targeted for removal — some 60 percent — were written for young adult readers.
People who are in favor of removing books that touch on sexuality or other controversial topics often say their aim is to protect students from obscene content, and to give parents greater control over what their children read. But free speech organizations and many authors say that removing a book over its content, particularly titles that are written for young adults, amounts to censorship.
These Texas school districts ban the most books in the statehttps://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...
Four districts in the state were responsible for banning most of the 538 book bans last school year.
Texas had the third-highest number of book bans last school year, with only a few school districts responsible for the 538 book bans reported in the Lone Star State.
The four districts within the state with the most book bans were North East ISD in San Antonio, Fort Worth ISD, Conroe ISD and Plano ISD. In order, the districts recorded 171, 123, 106, and 64 book bans, respectively.
The 2023-2024 report found 10,046 book bans, a 200 percent rise over the previous school year. Over 4,000 individual titles were banned in these cases, and 4,295 bans involved books completely prohibited from district shelves.
Of the 1,091 most commonly banned books, 57 percent included s---related themes or depictions, 44 percent featured characters or people of color and 39 percent had LGBTQ characters or people.
The top five banned books were Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, Looking for Alaska by John Green, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Sold by Patricia McCormick and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.
Notably, the list included classics such as Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Alice Walker's The Color Purple.
"Having the most banned book in the country is not a badge of honor – it's a call for alarm," Picoult said to PEN America, ...
Florida and Iowa led the pack of the top five states with the most book bans. More than 4,500 book bans occurred in Florida and over 3,600 in Iowa. Texas comes before Wisconsin and Virginia, which had 408 and 121 book bans, respectively.
The report analyzed three types of school book bans: those "banned," which included books completely prohibited; those "banned pending investigation," which included books waiting for review to determine if they will be fully restricted; and those "banned by restriction," which included titles that have been limited to certain grade levels or need parental permission to access.
It also touched on forms of "soft censorship," such as "targeted weeding." Weeding is a routine way for libraries to remove old, damaged, outdated or under-circulated books from circulation. However, this practice can be used to remove certain titles from collections based on content or ideological basis.
Experts wrote that these "censorial trends have continued to ripple beyond the shelves," noting that states across the country, including Texas, have seen policy changes and new laws "designed to suppress education about certain viewpoints, identities and histories."
Hanover schools leading division in Virginia for banned bookshttps://richmond.com/news/local/educa...
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Just a question, does South Carolina's book banning also pertain to colleges and universities?
You know, maybe it would be a good idea for colleges and universities to stipulate that classic books being banned at the secondary level need to be read by students in order for them to be accepted for post secondary degrees. But of course, that would punish the students and not the school boards etc., sigh.
Manybooks wrote: "Just a question, does South Carolina's book banning also pertain to colleges and universities?"Not YET. The regulation requires all reading material to be “age or developmentally appropriate” for minors. It outlines that “age-appropriate” materials must not include descriptions or visual depictions of “s---al conduct”. Any parent with a child enrolled in a public K-12 school in the state can challenge up to five titles a month if they feel they violate these terms.
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Not YET. The regulation requires all reading material to be “age or developmentall..."
Hope South Carolina will not follow Florida ...
Well there is SOME good news todayEveryLibrary reports
"The previous Trump administration proposed gutting Federal Funding for libraries every year he was in office.
Project 2025's stated anti-library aims are clear.
EveryLibrary has been shouting about the threats to public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and the people they serve for months. EveryLibrary is committed to working in coalition with local, state, and national libraries and allied organizations to oppose the framework and proposals embedded in Project 2025.
The future of our public, academic, and school libraries cannot be taken for granted. Last night’s results are not a temporary problem. Without some intervention to combat misinformation around libraries and library workers, voters will not suddenly realize they were wrong about their lack of support for these institutions.
We have seen too many states pass laws that look like Project 2025, that throttle access, discriminate against minorities, and threaten librarians and educators. They have demanded that librarians lose access to their professional associations.
We have seen local attacks on libraries and the freedom to read across the country from Huntington Beach, California to Glenn Ridge, New Jersey. Over a dozen states have enacted or attempted to enact legislation calling for prosecuting librarians and library workers.
We expect these threats to increase in depth and scope.
The library industry will need to do significant work over the next four years to mitigate potential cuts to library funding at the local, state, and federal levels.
We must come together as an industry and commit to expending significant resources to alleviate pressure from these threats. This will include organizing communities, providing resources to citizens to push back locally, and raising and spending significant funding on national campaigns to combat misinformation about the role of libraries in American society.
Libraries on the Ballot Last Night
Election Day 2024 was mixed for libraries on the ballot across the country.
EveryLibrary identified and tracked 73 individual libraries on the ballot and actively supported seven campaigns with pro-bono consulting and direct donations.
As of Wednesday morning, November 6, we have clear results in 67 communities and can share that 54 passed their ballot measures, 13 lost their ballot measure, and one defunding measure (in Arkansas) also failed.
This is a 76% “win rate”, which is down from the 10-year running average of 90% wins. Many of last night’s wins were levy renewals in Ohio and annual budget votes in New York. Propositions, levies, and referenda for new funding did not pass as frequently as renewals.
Significant building project wins include a $22 million bond for the Roselle (IL) Public Library District
$153 million for improvements and expansions across the Toledo-Lucas County Library District
a long-awaited $195 million for earthquake retrofits at the Pasadena Central Library
$110 million to tear down and rebuild the Rose Memorial Library in Stony Point, NY.
New funding will come for operations at the Cabell County (WV) Public Library, the Granville Public Library in Licking County, OH., the Olive Free Public Library in New York, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library, and Franklin (MI) Public Library among others.
In Arkansas, voters rejected a defunding measure targeting the Lawrence County Library by a significant margin. Unfortunately, voters in Jonesboro declined to restore their library levy to pre-defunding levels.
New Mexico passed a GoBond for Libraries at nearly double the funding amount from 2022.
Our seven campaigns faced significant obstacles in going to the voters, and their results were likewise mixed.
We are celebrating wins in Marysville, OH where the library overcame fierce opposition from would-be censors to win its must-pass levy replacement.
In Missouri, the Marshall Public Library will receive the proceeds of a new ¼ cent sales tax despite opposition from anti-tax and anti-access groups.
The Millbrook (NY) Library is nearly doubling its annual budget in order to upgrade and expand the library.
West Bloomfield, MI., has successfully replaced and increased the levy to fund new collections, programs, and staffing.
Unfortunately, the Rochester (IL) Public Library District failed its third attempt to fund building expansions and operating costs. The Illinois wing of the Koch Brothers’ Americans for Prosperity anti-tax organization fielded robo calls, direct mail, and online ads against the library in the last two weeks of the campaign which tipped opinions against the library. This is the first time since before the pandemic that we have seen the AFP come out against a library so directly. At the time of writing our campaigns in Washoe County, NV, and Livingston Park County, MT are still too early to call.
For the year, we identified 153 library elections in total. This is a significantly smaller number of libraries going to the voters than in any presidential election year in recent memory. It continues a year-to-year decline that began in 2017 and was amplified by the pandemic. The count of libraries on the ballot matters. In some states, going to the ballot is the only way for public libraries to increase their operating funds or to issue debt for new building projects. If library leaders look at the political or social circumstances and decide against attempting a ballot measure, they will not be able to fund their libraries properly. Over time, collections and programs stagnate without new funding, staff are not replaced, and buildings begin to fall into disrepair.
In response to this crisis of confidence among library boards and leadership, EveryLibrary is taking action over the next few years to convene a new training and support cohort. ... With our new training and support cohort, we will proactively identify and encourage libraries that are hesitant or afraid in order to help them to get ready to go to the ballot. We want to see more libraries win their elections, but we need more libraries to have the courage to try.
EveryLibrary has successfully supported local library alliances that oppose censorship and discrimination. We know how to organize and empower local activists and return books to the shelves. With over 115 local campaigns on our Fight For The First campaign platform, we are winning.
...
Counting yesterday’s elections, EveryLibrary has now been the pro-bono partner and guide to 142 libraries on their local funding elections. We are the only library organization working on ballot measures, referenda, levies, and political funding like this. As the national political action committee for libraries, we have the experience, tools, and skills to assist each of our campaigns individually. "
And unsurprising news from South CarolinaBut hey Shakespeare can stay. Give kids the boring stuff and ban the books they actually want to read. Smart move.
SC Board of Education bans seven books from school libraries
https://www.wspa.com/news/state-news/...
he South Carolina Board of Education voted on Tuesday to remove seven books from school libraries across the state.
The board unanimously voted to remove “Damsel” by Elana Arnold, “Ugly Love” by Colleen Hooper, “Normal People” by Sally Rooney and four books by Sara J. Maas – “A Court of Frost and Starlight, “A Court of Mist and Fury,” “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” and “A Court of Wings and Ruin.”
Each of the books was reviewed by the states materials review committee, which recommended the books, which were found in high school libraries for optional reading and were not part of any curriculum, be removed due to “sexual content.”
The committee also reviewed George Orwell’s “1984,” William Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,” and Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It did not recommend any of those books for removal, and the state board of education voted to leave the books in libraries for now.
Project 2025 is here and it's happening. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics...
Some people who were not paying attention now know what's going on. My brother showed me Trump's plan to cut education funding to schools that promote and teach ... take two guesses! Did you guess Critical Race Theory and transgender/gender "ideology"? Ding. Ding. Yes we've known about this for at least three years.
The Republicans’ Project 2025 is Disastrous For Books
https://lithub.com/the-republicans-pr...
Maggie Tokuda-Hall has a nice infographic on her social media that explains what Project 2025 means for the freedom to read
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5x7o...
Authors Against Book Bans single out a shocking line from early in Project 2025’s manifesto:
“P----graphy, manifested today in the omnipresent propagation of transgender ideology and s--ualization of children…has no claim to First Amendment protection. Its purveyors are child predators and misogynistic exploiters of women.”
And breaks down what this would mean in practice:
“Translation: All LGBTQ+ content will be regarded as p----graphy. This is already the pernicious lie being used to ban books all over the nation. First Amendment rights will not apply, meaning we will no longer have freedom of speech to protect us.”
When reached by Lit Hub for comment over the summer, Tokuda-Hall, on behalf of Authors Against Book Bans, expanded on the implications of these proposals, and how the agenda underlying them is already being rolled out:
Project 2025 is the single most expansive, extreme attack on our freedom to read that we’ve seen with ambition for federal government implementation. It follows much of the playbook already established by the right wing extremists who seek book bans; it removes the publishers, teachers and librarians who are subject matter experts in child literacy from the equation, not only denigrating them as p---philes and groomers but also calling for their imprisonment and registry as s-x offenders.
It flattens all queer art into the nebulous category of “p----graphy,” which at this point is well known code used to mask the flagrant transphobia and homophobia required to ban these books.
And not only does it do that, it calls for all creators of that art to be imprisoned, aligning our work with the addictive and malignant social force of illicit drugs.
As if all that were not bad enough, it also invokes the right wing boogey man of critical race theory, a brilliant lens for understanding law coined by Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, as a justification for pulling all federal funding from any institution that teaches American history in a way that extremists dislike, and will lead to the continued banning of BIPOC stories from all of our public institutions of learning.
....
It is also worth noting that if there are readers who believe this is a far off, distant possibility, we already have state level legislation that is setting the groundwork of precedence. Idaho passed HB 710 in Spring of 2024, which removed librarians from the process of vetting content for libraries and made all public libraries financially liable for any book any person (whether they held a library card or not, or were a resident or not) finds objectionable for children. As a result, the public library in Donnelly, ID became adults only on July 1st of this year. The public library in Twin Falls, ID put up a sign requiring parents to sign an affidavit every time their child wanted to enter the library. Because that legislation passed in Idaho, nearly identical legislation has been introduced in Ohio. In Huntington Beach, CA, the public library had to remove every single book from board books to young adult to be audited for “p---graphy.” There was no p---n there. Librarians and publishers have been seeing to that for years. But that has not stopped extremists from peddling this painful and dangerous lie.
Book bans do not protect children. They just rob Americans of the freedom to read.
Readers, writers, and anyone who believes in freedom of expression or art, should be worried Project 2025’s incendiary plans for books.
Authors Against Book Bans
https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.co...
An opinion piece by Elana K. ArnoldMy book faces a statewide ban in South Carolina. Here's why that matters. | ACLU of South Carolina
https://www.aclusc.org/en/news/my-boo...
QNPoohBear wrote: "An opinion piece by Elana K. ArnoldMy book faces a statewide ban in South Carolina. Here's why that matters. | ACLU of South Carolina
https://www.aclusc.org/en/news/my-boo......"
How very, very odd! South Carolina says it will ban books with descriptions of "sexual content," yet, the Bible is not on this list. Is it possible these Christians have not read the passages on rape and incest? Feel free to check the list; perhaps the Bible is being banned, and I just missed it.
https://ed.sc.gov/state-board/state-b...
Ivonne wrote: "How very, very odd! South Carolina says it will ban books with descriptions of "sexual content," yet, the Bible is not on this list. Is it possible these Christians have not read the passages on rape and incest? Feel free to check the list; perhaps the Bible is being banned, and I just missed it.."No, every challenge to the Bible has been tit for tat and wastes time and money. They will review the Bibles and decide if they're age appropriate. Then argue that their Bible books for children are fine and should stay.
Then they proceed to ban all books about LGBTQ+ people (even picture books), nudity (even picture books), sx ed books, puberty books, the YA books teens actually want to read, books with sexual violence against women, scientific books, and books that will "make their children hate America" (racism, sexism, bullying, you name it). SOME vaguely maybe not really LGBTQ+ picture books are allowed and sometimes they get moved to the parenting section.
I will give them some board books belong in the parenting section
Our Skin: A First Conversation About Race (series)
Antiracist Baby
Those are for the parents to learn how to have these conversations with kids. The rest of the books that just have two mommies, two daddies, two penguins, families of all kinds should stay in the appropriate section and the censors should learn how to read the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress system so they can keep their kids away from certain topics in the non-fiction section.
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https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024...
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I will say this, if I were a student (with my German background and sense of responsibility regarding loudly condemning any and all racism and bigotry) in the USA right now, all this book banning etc. would definitely make me totally despise America and to also be deliberately vocal about this.
This week's news tells us what we already know. Florida Department of Education releases list of over 700 banned books in K-12 schools
https://www.cfpublic.org/education/20...
That is a staggering number! Book banners can't even recognize social satire and teenage voice or British English when they see it. I'm betting the banned this book based on the title.
On The Bright Side I'm Now The Girlfriend Of A Sex God: Further Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison
Banning books like Native Son, a book I do not like and probably barely finished before whatever paper or exam was due, is completely ridiculous. It's an important work of literature and I had to read it before high school in my summer college prep program I did. The Bluest Eye should be required reading. I wish the censors would honestly read these books and not just grab titles from a list but people who spend all their time on social media coming up with conspiracy theories aren't going to do that to legitimately challenge a book. They "don't have time." (Because they're too busy reading conspiracy theories and sharing them online?)
"Florida Freedom to Read Project Director Stephana Ferrell called the list an undercount, and says she’s worried that even according to DOE data, book bans continue to rise in the state.
“A lot of them removed many, many books, including classic literature and literature that regularly appears on the AP exams and prepares our students for college level coursework. We're removing all of these books,” said Ferrell.
Ferrell said a few parents and residents still make up the bulk of these challenges.
“And right now, what's happening is one or two loud people in a particular district can dictate for all what is available, and it runs against, again, what a majority of parents are telling their school districts they want,” said Ferrell."
New Zealand Pay attention! This Christian community is very scary and these books probably can and will be banned elsewhere too.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriav...
Gloriavale’s banned children’s books: Senior leader’s email lays out rules
Gloriavale’s children face extensive book bans, including classics like Lord of the Rings and fairy tales
Labour MP Duncan Webb calls the censorship “deeply troubling,” denying children stories that connect them to the outside world
Liz Gregory of Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust told politicians the email showed “absurd censorship” and urged government investigation
Lord of the Rings, stories about Christmas and Easter, and nearly all books containing pictures of animals wearing clothes are on the list of reading material considered too “worldly” for Gloriavale’s children.
The leaked email, sent from senior leader Peter Righteous’ email address last month, noted he was “disappointed to find books celebrating Christmas on our shelves, and others that were simply worldly”.
Righteous refers in his email to “rules” put in place by founding brethren, which forbid books in the following categories:
Fairy tales and fantasies
Science fiction
Anything promoting Christmas, Easter and the like
Supernatural or occult themes
Myths and legends presented as truth
Anything promoting evolution
Books presenting wrong as right, or the idea the end justifies the means
Acceptable books include:
History that “does not contain an obvious bias toward glorifying Babylon”
History that confirms the truth of the scripture and challenges the typical narrative of world history
Science “without the evolution or extreme views on conservation etc”
Poetry that encourages “wholesome value”
Biographies of famous people, “but avoid the movie stars and
rock’n’roll type”
War history, without glorifying the violence
Stories of survival, overcoming obstacles, victory against adversity
Fiction limited to “wholesome Godly themes” preferably in a historical setting
Righteous also offered clarification to members about other books that should not be used, including Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, joke books, and book series with a fictional hero, such as Biggles.
“If you have a hero who always conveniently and surprisingly finds the solution to his problems without God, what are you teaching your children? If they live in a realm of fantasy, they will not be exercising faith. Better for them to read a one-off historical novel where there may be a wonderful outcome, but it is realistic,” he wrote.
He said a grey area was books with illustrations of animals wearing clothes.
“These were once forbidden, but we had a push to allow Winnie the Pooh because he was so kind to his friends. God bless him.”
He does not explain why such books are generally banned.
Righteous said the homeschooling area was a “minefield” at the moment, as people searching for materials for their children “may not be aware of the dangers lurking behind the curtain”.
As a general rule, anything popular among Christians should be treated with caution, he said. Books that were generally popular were also a red flag, he said, referring to a popular marriage counselling book by a female author.
“It was infected with feminist propaganda. It belonged in the bin.”
Manager of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust, Liz Gregory, wrote to politicians about the email, describing it as “disturbing” and saying it displayed “absurd censorship” in the small community.
“It showcases the power and control under which the people in Gloriavale live. It explains why the education of those inside Gloriavale and those leaving is woefully inadequate, and why “monitoring and oversight” is simply not enough,” she wrote.
In her message, sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, coalition partners David Seymour and Winston Peters, Education Minister Erica Stanford, and others in the education sector, Gregory said Righteous’ email “highlights the thinking patterns of those in leadership at Gloriavale”.
“I think you will agree that this level of absurd censorship is damaging the current children in Gloriavale,” she wrote. “The Royal Commission recommendation was to ensure the ongoing safety of the children in Gloriavale. How can this occur in this stifling environment?
....
She asked the Government to announce an investigation into the pre-schools and reconsider their licences, organise adequate educational provision off-site for Gloriavale kids starting next year, and to halt any more home school exemptions unless families were living “with autonomy in houses off the Gloriavale property”.
“Living in close quarters makes people feel like they are being observed by leaders and also their informing neighbours,” she said.
Webb told the Herald the email was “not amusing, it’s actually deeply troubling”.
“One of the dangers around Gloriavale is that people look at it and go ‘aren’t they quaint and silly?’”
He said the truth was “much darker” and that there was a culture of oppression, as evidenced by Righteous’ comments on the “feminist” marriage counselling book.
“Essentially they are saying you can only read misogynistic texts, you can only read texts that reflect a male hierarchy.”
Labour MP Duncan Webb said the banned books demonstrate a culture of oppression at Gloriavale.
He said children could not read classic fairy tales such as Cinderella or Hansel and Gretel, and that these rules deprived them of their “birthright”.
“These texts have come up through our generations, it actually means something ... it’s just so depressing and so controlling to deny them.
“Literature and arts are a window to the outside world and this is drawing a blind down on them.”
There is hope, I guess.The 1990s? Narnia? VIOLENT? Hello TV and movies and video games!
Why The Chronicles Of Narnia Books Were Banned
https://screenrant.com/why-chronicles...
The Chronicles Of Narnia Books Were Banned In 1990 in various schools across Howard County, Maryland, for "graphic violence, mysticism, and gore."
C.S. Lewis' Books Were Also Banned In 2005 For Their Religious Symbolism
Although C.S. Lewis did not initially intend to include religion in The Chronicles of Narnia, he later realized that many aspects of the books come across as Christian regardless. One of the most notable symbols is Aslan as Jesus Christ, but C.S. Lewis vehemently objected to this idea. However, in Florida, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State objected to The Chronicles of Narnia after then-governor Jeb Bush selected the first book for children to read, then actively campaigned to have it banned in schools.
Although many Christians resonate with C.S. Lewis' books, there are also Christians who think the opposite. They believe The Chronicles of Narnia books should be censored because they purportedly embrace pagan themes and a heretical interpretation of Jesus/Aslan. It shows that literature is often subjective because no two interpretations are the same; literary analysis often does not consider or care for authorial intent.
2024 Librarian of the Year weighs in on book ban controversyhttps://www.aol.com/2024-librarian-we...
I can't really take the news right now but Kelly Jensen will be back next week so I don't have to hunt down the stories. Here's what I found for the week. There's bad news of course and also some good.I don't expect THIS to hold up but it's a piece of goodish news
Louisiana Ten Commandments law temporarily blocked by a federal judge | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/12/us/lou...
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by the new year.
The judge said the challengers have shown that the law is likely unconstitutional, citing the plaintiff’s claims that it violates the First Amendment in an order granting a preliminary injunction Tuesday. The injunction temporarily prevents the law from being implemented.
The law, H.B. 71, signed this summer by the state’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, requires all public K-12 and state-funded university classrooms to display a poster-sized, state-approved version of the Ten Commandments with “large, easily readable font.”
The law was met with backlash from opponents who say it violates First Amendment rights and pressures students into religious observance.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil rights groups brought the lawsuit on behalf of nine “multi-faith families” with students enrolled in Louisiana public schools.
...
While this is a win for opponents of the law, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said the fight is far from over.
“We strongly disagree with the courts decision and will immediately appeal, as HB 71’s implementation deadline is approaching on January 1, 2025,” wrote Murrill in a statement released Tuesday. “This decision only binds five of Louisiana’s many school boards. This is far from over.”
The law would bind East Baton Rouge Parish, Livingston Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Orleans Parish, and Vernon Parish School Board.
Odoms said she anticipates an appeal from the defendants and a continued legal battle that could potentially reach the US Supreme Court.
“I don’t know what the United States Supreme Court will do, but I do know that we will live in a different world if this case is taken up by the court and overturned,” Odoms said.
Odoms said that overturning the Establishment Clause would set a very dangerous precedent.
“It is a gateway to allowing the government to be able to make decisions about private aspects of people’s lives,” said Odoms, “If the first amendment doesn’t protect people’s right to choose a certain religion you could see state sanctioned religions across the country.”
Odoms cited that the United States was founded on the separation between church and state, which prevents the government from being able to harass, coerce, or incarcerate people based on their religious beliefs.
And now the usual bad newsArkansas
This is a biased pro-book blog story so I'll copy and paste the facts only
Conway School Board returns to book banning
https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/20...
Jimmie Cavin told the board he would challenge two books that he believes have inappropriate s---al content. One is the popular “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” a novel by Jesse Andrews. The other is “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Pérez. Both have been frequently targeted by conservatives over supposedly s--ually explicit content.
Cavin said he has no children or grandchildren in the school district,...
Cavin said he would formally challenge the books under a process outlined by the state, which would then allow the board to take action as it did two years ago. That’s when the board voted to remove two books with LGBTQ themes from school library shelves.
Cavin first opted for a more public venue to present his concerns, thereby giving board president Dr. David Naylor Jr. and new board member Thomas Kennedy a forum in which to voice their wish to purge such books from the school library system.
Cavin said one of the books had been in the junior high school library since 2012.
Referring to books he considers inappropriate for libraries, Naylor said, “This is not only a state issue. It’s a national issue. … I am absolutely against these books. ”
“I will not sweep this under the rug. I will aggressively attack this,” Naylor said. He said he will do whatever is needed to clean up the school libraries.
TexasWasting taxpayer money on issues that don't exit in Corpus Christi
https://www.caller.com/story/news/loc...
Corpus Christi city officials are considering a new library card option for parents of minors that would require they be present when their child checks out library materials.
The proposal — which could cost as much as $10,000 in equipment — was announced Tuesday in a Library Board meeting that, like many before, saw dispute in public comment over who is ultimately responsible for monitoring the content minors check out, and where in the library certain books are located.
Among the most hotly contended points in recent months has been the role of the city’s staff — arguments focusing on whether librarians have a duty to supervise minors or block those younger than 18 from borrowing certain books.
Current policy states that parents are responsible for keeping tabs on the content of the books their children check out of the library.
Although parental permission is required for the issuance of a library card to a minor, the cardholder may borrow any book from the libraries’ collections without parents signing off on each individual book.
Parents can sign up to be notified via email of the books that have been borrowed.
Under the new proposal, parents or legal guardians could opt for the child or teenager to have a “parent/guardian must be present” card instead of only the currently available youth library card, which permits the cardholder to borrow any of the library’s offerings.
Parents of minors who have that card would be required to be present at the circulation desk and show identification when the minor cardholder is checking out materials, without exception, according to a presentation made by Library Director Laura Garcia before the Library Board on Tuesday.
Pursuing that option would require a “custom enhancement” of the library’s software in order to have a “circulation alert and block self-checkout use,” a PowerPoint slide shows.
The cost range is estimated between $5,000 and $10,000, according to the slide.
The City Council’s approval of a budget in September saw cuts to the library’s hours and staffing.
The system enhancement may be an item that would go to the council as a funding request in the next fiscal year, according to the presentation.
Although the next fiscal year begins in October, budget discussions often launch as early as spring.
Should funding become available, it would take about six months to implement the new system, the staff’s presentation showed.
City officials are also considering a new, separate section for teens, Garcia said. The existing young adult section, however, would remain, she added.
...
The distinction between a young adult section and a teen section had not been determined as of Tuesday.
...
Splitting out the sections, should officials ultimately pursue that, doesn’t mean there won’t be literary content that some will find personally objectionable, Garcia told the Library Board.
“We will continue to put material in the library system that we feel needs to be in our system,” she said. “There are so many different views … but that is our job — and that’s what we will be doing while also considering our children in our community.”
The combination of proposals in consideration was met with support by Vice Chairwoman Carrie Moore, who has raised concerns in the past about some of the content in the young adult section.
“We will go help fundraise that money so it’s not in the city’s budget,” she said, “because we know the city doesn’t want to spend money — which I appreciate.”
A reminder that this stuff is not new from Time magazine.(I found "bad book" stories from the 1950s actually.)
The Woman Whose Crusade Gave Today’s Book-Banning Moms a Blueprint
https://time.com/7095938/book-bans-no...
New law targets drag story hourSadly it's true that people are not plugged in and don't see it happening. Apparently people are more tuned in to false stories and advertising on social media than actual news!
‘These issues are not going away’: Alabama anti-censorship group urges action in library culture war
https://www.al.com/news/2024/11/these...
Opponents of Alabama’s efforts to censor books at public libraries, criminalize librarians or remove library board members need to get organized and be unafraid of attending library board and city council meetings and speaking out to lawmakers, according to speakers at a town hall meeting Tuesday aimed at pushing back at policies curtailing operations at public libraries.
...
The urgent call comes as the anti-censorship non-profit group, Read Freely Alabama, is preparing strategies to combat legislation in the spring that could equate libraries with adult bookstores when it comes to enforcing obscenity laws.
Under HB4, the same obscenity laws that apply to stores that sell XXX-rated content would extend to public and K-12 libraries and would require librarians to remove material if it’s challenged by anyone who views a book to be obscene or harmful to minors.
The legislation also applies to activities within the library that exposes a minor to someone who is “dressed in s--ually revealing, exaggerated, or provocative clothing or costumes,” or who is stripping and engaged in lewd dancing. The bill, if adopted, would criminalize Drag Queen Story Hour events that have taken placed before in Alabama.
Angie Hayden, co-founder of Read Freely Alabama and a Prattville woman where the culture war over libraries is now part of a federal lawsuit, called HB4 a “terrifying bill” that is pushed by “extremists” who are not being pushed back against by the public.
“Most people are not plugged in and don’t see It happening,” Hayden said during the one-hour town hall meeting at the Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship. Approximately 75 people were in attendance.
“That’s why gatherings like this are important,” she said. “Most people are not aware of what is happening. These extremists, if we don’t show up, we are handing everything over to them. The thing about extremists is they are dedicated whereas the more reasonable majority is falling short as we are not as dedicated, loud, and consistent. That is where we need to be better.”
She added, “I think we are afraid to be loud. If you’re in room with one of (the pro-book censors), you won’t look like one of the irrational ones.”
Alabama is one of 17 states attempting to change obscenity laws to include librarians, educators and museums, according to the EveryLibrary Institute. Only one state – Arkansas – has approved legislation that could lead to the criminalization of librarians.
That law led to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 18 plaintiffs challenging the new law as a violation to the First and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution because it consisted as “a content-based restriction on speech that is not narrowly tailored, is overly broad, and is vaguely worded.”
Hayden said she believes the lawsuit, or others, will likely lead to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“It’s probably inevitable,” she said. “I don’t think they will stop. We are stubborn ladies here as well. We are not going to stop.”
TennesseeRutherford County faces heated debate over book bans in school as 150 more titles are pulled from library shelves
The book bans were initiated by board member Caleb Tidwell, who flagged the titles as s--ually explicit under school board policy and state obscenity laws.
https://www.wsmv.com/2024/11/14/ruthe...
Since February, the Rutherford County Board of Education has banned 35 books, including well-known young adult novels such as Wicked, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Beloved by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. These books were available in high school libraries, though none were part of the district’s curriculum.
The book bans were initiated by board member Caleb Tidwell, who flagged the titles as s--ually explicit under school board policy and state obscenity laws.
During a September board meeting, people supporting the book bans, many from Tidwell’s church, attended and spoke out saying the s---ally explicit content is harmful to minors.
“Yes, we are trying to ban books that have p----graphic material in them,” one supporter said during public comments.
But not all board members agree. Butch Vaughn, a retired principal was just recently elected to the board. He grew up in Rutherford County, sent his children to public school here and has voiced concern over what he calls “political grandstanding.”
“I look at it like a battle between good and evil sometimes, and I am always going to be on the side of good,” said Vaughn. “It’s like they’re just really creating dust, and I don’t think this needs to be an issue that divides us and keeps us from focusing on what’s really important.”
Vaughn, who attends the same church as Tidwell, worries about the consequences of the board’s actions and says he believes it’s a small vocal minority pushing to ban books.
“It’s created so much bitterness, division,” Vaughn said. “If you look at the number of times [the banned books] were checked out over the last years, it is just so minute. I mean, it’s like they’re just really creating dust in a lot of situations.”
Stan Vaught, another new board member and longtime community resident, shares Vaughn’s concerns, and fears the book bans are a slipper slope.
“It almost reminds me of 1930s Germany just a little bit, where if we pull them out of our libraries, where are we going to pull them out of next?” Vaught said. “I can’t tell other parents how to raise their children, and I’m not going to, it’s not my job.”
Over the summer, lawmakers revised state law, broadening the definition of obscenity, and expanding the types of materials now prohibited in school libraries.
Beginning in August, school districts across Tennessee struggled to interpret the law and implement its new requirements.
Despite the legal confusion that ensued during its own board meetings, Rutherford County still moved forward and banned six more books under the law, after Tidwell challenged them as “s---ally explicit.”
“The law can and will be challenged, and I’m certain it will not survive,” said Ken Paulson, Director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University. “And the reason, for that is that it takes existing Supreme Court Rules and adds new things.’
Paulson says when it comes to library materials, changes to the law are so broad that any book containing depictions of s--ual conduct or excessive violence is now prohibited in Tennessee.
“Never in the history of America has the Supreme Court or any federal court concluded that a book was obscene because it had excessive violence,” Paulson said. “And the books banned in Rutherford County are not p--n. And the notion that they are somehow written to capture the same audience as something like Hustler magazine is nonsense.”
Both Vaughn and Vaught worry that the district is headed down the road to a federal lawsuit which could cost the school district hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend.
“I don’t want my tax dollars, nor yours, nor anybody else’s, to go to defend a frivolous lawsuit when we can avoid it,” said Vaught.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is reportedly considering legal action against the board, and earlier this fall the board voted to seek a legal opinion letter from the State Attorney General on how to move forward under the new law.
But instead of waiting for that guidance, Tidwell, proposed the removal of ten additional titles, and then on Monday fellow board member Frances Rosales flagged another 150 titles under the obscenity law.
WSMV4 Investigates has confirmed that Director of Schools James had the new list of books removed from school libraries on Tuesday, those titles including the novels Catch-22 and A Clockwork Orange.
Vaught says he wished the board could get back to other business and return to a time when parents were making decisions about the books their kids read.
“We’ve hired experts to run these libraries. My personal belief is we should yield to them. If a parent doesn’t like a book, don’t let the kid check it out.”
...
The school board will now have 60 days to review the books removed and decided whether they should return to library shelves or be permanently banned.
Florida. No surprise here.https://www.theledger.com/story/news/...
Polk County Public Schools removed six books after challenges in past year
"Tricks" by Ellen Hopkins was among six books removed from Polk County Public Schools libraries after challenges in the past year.
Polk County Public Schools removed six book titles from libraries and classrooms in the last academic year, according to an annual report from the Florida Department of Education.
The six titles deemed incompatible with state law are “Adjustment Day,” by Chuck Palahniuk; “Empire of Storms,” by Sarah Maas; “Half of a Yellow Sun,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; “Nineteen Minutes,” by Jodi Picoult; “Storm and Fury,” by Jennifer Armentrout; and “Tricks,” by Ellen Hopkins.
Under Florida law, school districts must review books after receiving objections over their content from citizens. Challenges to the six titles all came from Robert Goodman, executive director of Citizens Defending Freedom, a conservative political group that formed in Polk County in 2021.
Local schools received the challenges in the spring, and school committees met to review the titles based on district criteria and state statutes, district spokesperson Kyle Kennedy said.
“School committees voted to remove these following titles after reading books in their entirety, determining they did not align with current requirements,” Kennedy said by email.
The titles were only available in high schools, Kennedy said. The decision to remove them applies to all school and classroom libraries in the district.
“The Polk County School Board and district review committee were not involved in the process, as the books were removed at the school level,” Kennedy said. “Should a school committee vote to retain a book, the complainant can appeal the decision to the district appeal committee. Based on the district review committee’s finding, the superintendent makes the recommendation to the school board.”
Polk County Public Schools is still reviewing other titles that were challenged in the last academic year, Kennedy said. The total number was not available Thursday.
In 2022, the district adopted a policy for responding to challenges of books, including instructional texts, library books and assigned reading. The policy set timelines for the handling of citizen petitions, with reviews carried out by hearing officers appointed by the board, and described a process for appealing decisions.
Citizens Defending Freedom compiled a list of books in Polk County schools that it considers in violation of state guidelines. The list, published in April, can be found www.counties.citizensdefendingfreedom....
Palahniuk’s “Adjustment Day,” published in 2018, is a dystopian tale of a future United States devolving into separate regions. “Empire of Storms,” from 2016, is part of a fantasy series detailing wars between rival kingdoms.
“Half of a Yellow Sun,” a 2006 novel from a Nigerian-American author, is a fictional chronicle of the Biafran War of the late 1960s. Picoult’s “Nineteen Minutes,” from 2007, explores a fictional school shooting.
“Storm and Fury,” a 2019 novel, is a fantasy-romance about a teenage girl capable of communicating with ghosts and spirits. ”Tricks,” from 2009, is a young adult verse novel involving five teenagers who fall into prostitution.
"Tricks" and "Nineteen Minutes" were among 16 books challenged in late 2021 by Citizens Defending Freedom. The school district formed advisory panels that reviewed the books. On one of the panels, 15 people voted to keep “Tricks” in high school libraries, one voted to also allow it in middle schools, one voted to remove it from all libraries and no one said it should be placed in all PCPS libraries. On another panel, 14 members voted to keep “Nineteen Minutes” on high school library shelves. One person voted to remove it from all media centers.
After the school district returned all the books to library shelves, Citizens Defending Freedom threatened a lawsuit. In August 2022, Goodman began filing police reports about the books with several local police agencies. None took action.
...
Citizens Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit in March accusing Polk County Public Schools of violating state law in its handling of book challenges.
The district filed a motion to have the suit dismissed, but Circuit Judge Michael McDaniel denied the motion in August. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 3.
Also in FloridaIndian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie counties
https://cbs12.com/news/local/list-the...
In Palm Beach County, there is just one book that school administrators don’t want to see on their library shelves. And, that restriction applies to just one grade level.
Meanwhile, in Indian River County, the number of books that were pulled ran into the triple-digits across all grade levels.
For example, the lone book kept from Palm Beach County students only applies to seventh graders and is an entry in the popular Princess Diaries collection, a series that made it to the silver screen in a film starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.
“The Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink,” by Meg Cabot, is described by its publishers as telling the story of Mia, who had just made it to her junior year of high school, finding out that her boyfriend is heading to Japan for a year and trying to get him to stay.
Martin County’s tally included 21 titles, mostly of the removals targeted at high school students.
However, the 18 books that were removed from that county’s high school libraries was nearly matched in Indian River County by just one author. Bestselling author Jodi Picoult has 16 books that are not allowed at Indian River County libraries, according to the FDOE list.
In all, the state agency found 131 books were pulled by Indian River County school administrators over the past academic year. Among those were classics including Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” and Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eyes.”
Like Palm Beach County’s lone entry, the county also had some pop culture titles that became household names thanks to hit series. High schoolers will not be allowed to check out “Gossip Girl: A Novel,” the book that inspired the long running teen drama. “The Handmaid’s Tale” was blocked for high schoolers as well as 6-8th grade students.
Okeechobee and St. Lucie County had no books listed on the FDOE list.
MichiganBellaire library board debates removal of LGBTQ-themed book
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/be...
The Bellaire Public Library board held a crowded public hearing Friday morning as they heard a request to remove a book with LGBTQ themes from its shelves.
The book in question is volume five of “Heartstopper.”
Those who submitted the request claimed they didn’t mean to advocate banning the book, but instead want all s---ally explicit material made inaccessible to children.
“I think that homosexual relationships between teenage boys is not the norm in our culture. I’d ask you, would you put in the library a similar graphic novel about a boy and a girl who are engaged in a s--ual relationship presented as a positive thing and a norm?” Antrim County Resident Lee Whipple said. “I think most parents wouldn’t want that.”
It is commonly understood that the young adult genre features allusions, innuendos, references to or discussions of intimacy and relationships without having graphic depiction,” Antrim County Resident Ivy said. “This is realistic because the young adult range, often considered to be mid-late teens to early and mid-twenties, is the time when someone begins to engage with relationships and other aspects of life that the Heartstopper series tackles, such a bullying, mental health struggles and discovering oneself.”
Board President Mary Edens said a smaller committee will discuss the specific request.
Michigan againStatewide legislation to address book challenges while protecting First Amendment
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/st...
new law has been proposed in Lansing that would make a statewide uniform set of rules while at the same time protecting the First Amendment constitutional rights of readers.
“The First Amendment is a fundamental right to educate ourselves, to learn about history, to support our interests, and to see windows into worlds that we might not have access to."
And for readers like Traverse Area District Library Director Michelle Howard, those windows into worlds can often be accessed by turning pages. Books are knowledge to her, so all the books here are pretty important.
"I think that pursuit of knowledge is just so fundamental to our American society that librarians take it really seriously when someone asks to remove a book,” Michelle said.
While it doesn't happen often here, that someone asks that something they find offensive, problematic, or immoral gets pulled from the shelves, it's becoming more common across the state.
Michigan has 397 public library systems and each of them has a policy and procedure for handling those challenges.
"[In Traverse City] a person fills out the paperwork that attests that they've read the whole book or watched the whole movie, and then they have to explain what they feel is the reason it should be removed,” Michelle said.
... Every public library [has] its own procedures, different rules, policies and processes at different locations created issues.
"The best course of action for us was to draft some statewide legislation,” Deborah said.
This may be that best course of action: Two bills proposed in Lansing that would create a standard statewide process for challenging a book's presence in your local library.
"By incorporating that and coming up with some standardized library policy, we're able to one, protect a citizen's right to receive and express diverse opinions and ideas without censorship,” Deborah said. “And two, to maybe put to rest some of the baseless challenges that we're seeing."
The legislation would require a complainant to have read the book, file paperwork explaining their concerns, and they have to live near the library where they are making the request.
The decision would still be made locally, just as they are now at the Traverse City Library.
If passed into law, little would change with their procedures.
But another potential, and perhaps more substantial change statewide, is that these would protect books from being banned for the same reason that people can't be discriminated against.
“Religion, race, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, familial status or marital status,” Deborah said.
Libraries say they are open to concerns being expressed about books, and often consider whether a title is in the right section.
They say they are sensitive to the community they serve, but at the same time, stress that not every book may be of interest or importance to everyone. But it might be to someone.
"I think there's this idea that if a library has a book that it endorses that line of thinking. And so when you talk about having a wide range of materials, it doesn't mean that the library endorses the ideas in that book, but it does mean that someone wants to read about it,” Michelle said. “Sometimes people would like to read things that they disagree with and so We provide that opportunity to explore ideas safely in a format that is been vetted edited and then they can come to their own conclusions."
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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Wait..."
And the Biblical prostitutes do not really exist either.
Oh and yes, in the Old Testament, girls were married off and sent off as slaves to patriarchs like Jacob, lol.