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 …
school libraries
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. …
Defusing a Confrontational Situation
Q: Can you provide some tips on how to defuse a confrontational situation with someone who has a concern about materials in a library or classroom? First, take a deep breath. Extend a hand to …
Where Can I Find Out about Banned Books Week?
Q: I’m a high school librarian. My principal just asked me to talk about Banned Books week at our next high school faculty meeting. Where can I get information on such short notice? The Banned Books …
Am I Censoring if I Return a Book I Ordered after Seeing It?
Q: I ordered a book for my school library and when I received it and saw it firsthand, I determined that the content was too mature for our book collection, so I didn’t add it. …
Same Books Keep Disappearing
Q: At my small, K-8 school, copies of certain books keep disappearing off of the shelves. It always seems to be the same titles, such as “Go Ask Alice” and “Smack” by Melvin Burgess (books …
How Can I Designate Books Appropriate for Older Readers in My K-8 Library?
Q: I’m responsible for a K-8 library. Some of the books are simply too mature for elementary school-age children. I’m labeling these books “Y.A.” I know “labeling” is wrong, but how else can I designate which …