Q: Do I send school policies and reviews of a book to a complainant, or just to the review committee? And how do I make sure the Review Committee understands its role? Those are great questions. …
school libraries
Preparing in Advance for a Complaint
Q: Are there some standard practices I should follow in order to be prepared for a book complaint? It’s great you’re thinking ahead regarding how to be prepared. Some people never face formal challenges in their …
How Can I Make Sure Selection Decisions Protect Children
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 …
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. …
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 …
Balanced Collection
Q: I’m not sure what to do when I’m considering selecting a book that is clearly about something controversial. What does having a balanced collection mean? Do I need to always provide a book with …
Small Press Books
Q: How can I support the inclusion of small press books in the school library and curriculum when there are not professional reviews? We are making an effort to purchase more diverse materials, but the …