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  2. What IF ... Forum

What IF … Forum

How Long Does a Banned Book Stay Banned?

Posted on November 10, 2007

Q: When a book is removed from the collection during the reconsideration process, how long do banned resources remain banished? Your question addresses two separate situations: 1) What happens to the material during the reconsideration process? …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Classrooms/Curriculum, Materials Concerns/Challenges, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries

Covering Words or Images (Expurgation)

Posted on November 6, 2007

Q: My principal and I had a great discussion about what to do when a book is challenged but when I mentioned that a parent might be upset if a book contains a swear word, …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Censorship and Self-Censorship, Classrooms/Curriculum, Policies and Procedures, Public Libraries, School Libraries

Am I Required to Prohibit a Child from Checking Out a Book if Parent Requests It?

Posted on October 26, 2007

Q: What if a parent requests that their child not be permitted to check out a particular book and then the child brings that book to the desk to check out? Do I let them …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Communication and Advocacy, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries

Principles v. Budget or Job Security

Posted on November 8, 2006

Q: What if your principal has made clear your budget is tied to not getting any complaints about library materials? I’m all for selection instead of censorship, but should you stand on principle if it means …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Censorship and Self-Censorship, Collection Development, School Libraries

What Should I Do about Students Upset By a Condom Ad in a Magazine?

Posted on October 27, 2006

Q: I am a librarian in a small, rural school district in a conservative community. We have two school libraries: one is K-5 and the other is 6-12. In the high school library some eighth …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Communication and Advocacy, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries

How Much Weight Should I Give Individual Scenes/Elements When Selecting Novels for the Curriculum?

Posted on September 27, 2006

Q: I’m a middle school teacher working as part of a group to select novels for the curriculum. Some of us are struggling with books we love that are strong overall but that have individual scenes …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Classrooms/Curriculum, Communication and Advocacy, Policies and Procedures

What If My Administrator Says to Remove Book?

Posted on March 4, 2006

Q: I’m studying to be a school librarian. I’m concerned about what I should do if my administrator tells me to remove a book because it is stirring up controversy and we have a policy …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Communication and Advocacy, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries

Library Doesn’t Have Policy on Gifts to Collection

Posted on December 12, 2005

Q: I’ve seen the issue of gifts to a library mentioned in a couple of the responses in this forum, and you’ve indicated that it’s important to follow whatever a library’s policy says about accepting gifts …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Policies and Procedures, Public Libraries, School Libraries

Could I Lose my Job Because of a Challenge?

Posted on November 29, 2005

Q: I’m studying to become a school librarian. In one of my classes, we’ve been learning about materials selection, challenges, and the Library Bill of Rights. Is it possible that I could lose my job someday …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Communication and Advocacy, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries

How Can I Avoid Selecting “Wrong” or Controversial Books?

Posted on November 29, 2005

Q: I’m worried about selecting the “wrong” book for my school library–one that someone might find controversial and result in a challenge. How can I avoid doing this? We know that challenges are scary to contemplate. …

Posted in What IF ... ForumTagged Collection Development, Policies and Procedures, School Libraries
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