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 …
policies
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. …
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 …
Administrator Wants to Avoid Controversy
Q: A parent came and talked to me about a book their child checked out. They are upset it was available in the school library. My administrator thinks it’s better to make the book go away …
Reassuring Teachers Concerned about What I’m Ordering
Q: Some teachers have complained to me that the DVD’s I recently ordered are “too liberal.” They haven’t asked for them to be removed, but I am not sure how to deal with this. I …
LGBTQ Materials in Small Public Library
Q: I work in a small public library. I feel that I should be including books with gay, lesbian and transgender content in our collection, but I’m afraid of the possible repercussions. I’m not certain the …
Educating Library Aides and Teachers
Q: I haven’t done an adequate job preparing my aide and classroom teachers in readers’ advisory during checkout time. How should I start addressing not only this but intellectual freedom issues? What a great question. …
LGBTQ Materials in Elementary Libraries
Q: I live and work in a conservative community. I’m scared to collect books about transgender children or with gay- and lesbian-parents for my elementary school library. I’m afraid at the least the principal will be upset, …
Suspending Borrowing Privileges
Q: What do you think about the practice of prohibiting students from checking out books if they have lost or seriously overdue library materials? My school has a two-strikes-and-you’re out policy, after which students can still …
How Long Does a Banned Book Stay Banned?
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? …