Q: I am graduating with my library degree soon. The many challenges around the country over the past few years have come up in my classes. I feel great about other aspects of librarianship, but …
School Libraries
Preparing for a Complaint
Q: I read your advice on preparing in advance to respond to a concern or complaint. It all makes sense but I feel like I should be doing more, given everything that’s been happening over …
Restrictions on Books and Access to Materials in the School Library
Q: I’ve seen several news stories recently in which districts have “restricted” some titles and students must get permission to check them out, and/or parents have the option of prohibiting their children from checking anything …
Want to Avoid Self-Censorship
Q: With the threat of a challenges feeling constant, I’m finding it hard not to second-guess myself with selection decisions. The fear of a complaint, or of an administrator questioning my choices, is making it …
Request for Additional Selection Criteria
Q: Our selection criteria require we look at professional reviews, recommended lists, and other sources to select materials recommended for the ages/grades we serve in my high school library, with the goal of building a …
Policy and Procedure Best Practices in School Libraries
Q: Our school district recently went through a book challenge in the library and questions came up about ways we might strengthen our policies and procedures to make them clearer. We’re going to be reviewing, …
The Importance of Considering Content in Context
Q: I’m struggling with how to explain why words or a scene or images in a book taken out of context should not be used to discount the book as a whole. Can you offer …
Holding Administrators and School Boards Accountable
Q: I’m feeling disheartened and disturbed by what is happening when it comes to LGBTQ and other materials in schools that some people think of as “controversial.” I’ve heard of administrators deviating from policy, going so …
Questions about Diverse Materials
Q: I am getting questions that aren’t necessarily about specific books, but rather why we have so many diverse books, including books about/addressing race and racism, and LGBTQ materials, in our school library. Our community …
Talking about Intellectual Freedom with Community
Q: How can I talk with members of the community about the importance of intellectual freedom? That’s a great question. Intellectual freedom is foundational to the work we do in libraries and so talking about …