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 …
Policies and Procedures
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? …
Covering Words or Images (Expurgation)
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, …
Am I Required to Prohibit a Child from Checking Out a Book if Parent Requests It?
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 …
What Should I Do about Students Upset By a Condom Ad in a Magazine?
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 …
How Much Weight Should I Give Individual Scenes/Elements When Selecting Novels for the Curriculum?
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 …
What If My Administrator Says to Remove Book?
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 …
Library Doesn’t Have Policy on Gifts to Collection
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 …
Could I Lose my Job Because of a Challenge?
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 …
How Can I Avoid Selecting “Wrong” or Controversial Books?
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. …