Q: I struggle with how to uphold intellectual freedom but still protect the students within specific age-groups at the school where I work. How much is too much when it comes to content? Where do I …
Struggle with Materials That Don’t Align with Personal Beliefs
Q: I struggle with selecting materials for our school library that are not compatible with my personal beliefs. I realize that the ALA Code of Ethics VII states that we “must distinguish between our personal …
Director Suggests Moving Children’s Book to Adult Collection
Q: The director of the public library where I work has been saying informally that he thinks picture books with gay/lesbian/transgender characters belong in the adult section of the library. Because he hasn’t told me I …
Is a Selection Policy that Outlines “Acceptable” and “Unacceptable” Topics Promoting Censorship?
Q: My administrator wants to revise the policy for library selection and classroom reading choices in the middle school where I am a library media specialist. He is suggesting that we come up with very …
Does a Classroom Library Have the Same Standards as a School Library?
Q: Does a classroom library have the same standards as the school library? A first grade teacher came to me on Friday because a parent wants her to remove a book from the classroom collection. …
Observations on Publishing in 2019
As books came into the library, and as we read throughout the year, we made note of several big-picture observations that struck us.
A Portrait in Poems: The Storied Life of Gertrude Stein & Alice B. Toklas
A pitch-perfect picture book about Gertrude Stein’s life in Paris focuses on her art collection, her writing, her famous Salon, and her relationship with Alice B. Toklas.
District Has No Selection/ Reconsideration Policy
Q: My district does not have a materials selection policy. Therefore, there are no official selection criteria, nor is there a process for reconsideration of challenged materials. What steps can I take to remedy this …
Cultural Inaccuracies in Books and Intellectual Freedom
Q: I’m unsure how to balance positive professional reviews with criticism elsewhere that points out stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies. It seems important to pay attention to those concerns, but also important not to limit access …
CCBC Featured in UW-Madison Alumni Magazine
The CCBC is the subject of a feature story in the Spring 2020 edition of On Wisconsin, the UW-Madison alumni magazine.