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 …
School Libraries
Religious-Themed Fiction in Public School Libraries
Q: Are there any concerns to consider or have there been any challenges related to bringing religious-themed fiction books into a public school library? “Religious-themed” fiction that is published with the intent of promoting specific …
Requests to “Level” the Collection
Q: I’m feeling pressure to “level” the collection at my K-5 school so teachers can easily direct their students to books at their reading level. I feel strongly that this goes against what I believe …
Should I Contact Author of a Challenged Book
Q: Recently, we had a challenge to a book, and a colleague suggested that I contact the author. I ended up running out of time and never did it, and the outcome was fine (the book …
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 …
Principles v. Budget or Job Security
Q: What if your principal has made clear your budget is tied to not getting any complaints about library materials? I’m all for selection instead of censorship, but should you stand on principle if it means …
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 …
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 …