In January, the ALSC Intellectual Freedom Committee posted about using picture books to discuss censorship. This is a timely topic, so we wanted to keep the conversation going and resources flowing. Books on book banning invite children to think about what happens when a book disappears from a bookshelf. These titles would be perfect for reading aloud and discussing how each of us has different beliefs and whether our beliefs should infringe on others. If we continue to ban or reject books, our library and classroom shelves may eventually be empty. Same Page by Elly Swartz (2025). Bess and her friend June become sixth grade class president and vice president. They get the PTO to purchase a book vending machine, but when some books are removed from the machine due to a parent’s complaint, Bess and June’s friendship is on the rocks. The parent is June’s mom. Bess doesn´t understand…
Tag: Book challenges
Meet the Office for Intellectual Freedom
It seems like this national wave of material and program challenges is never ending. Facing a challenge can be stressful, and trying to figure out what to do can feel overwhelming. The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is here to help. What is the OIF and what do they do? Eric Stroshane OIF’s Assistant Director for Member Services, was kind enough to share information about OIF so you know who they are, what they do, and when to contact their office. A bit more about Eric: Eric Stroshane worked in public, special, and academic libraries for twenty years prior to signing on with ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. As OIF’s Assistant Director for Member Services, he provides education, advocacy, and confidential support defending the freedom to read. Eric is also responsible for maintaining the Book Résumés website for Unite Against Book Bans (among many other things!). What is a…
Libraries Can and Do Survive Book Challenges: One Year Later
It has been almost one year to the day since my library had a book challenge after a special story time. The theme was Princess and Knight Story Time. Three books were read, one of which was, “Prince and Knight” by Daniel Haack. A prince falls in love with the knight who helps him defeat a dragon to keep his kingdom safe. The story time went off without a hitch, but soon afterward, the library began receiving phone calls about how this book was inappropriate for children. The challenge had been put forth to the library board. Over 100 people attended the board meeting in regard to the book challenge. Nearly 30 people got up to speak to the board, and an overwhelming majority were in support of the book being read during the story time. Support flooded the library, which allowed us to breathe a little easier knowing that…
Support for Intellectual Freedom Challenges
2022 was a record-breaking year for attempts to censor library books. Thanks to organized efforts, many complaints focused on books for youth. While parents have the right to monitor what their own children read, these banning efforts infringe upon the rights of other families. How can we as children’s librarian professionals combat this trend?
Censorship of Book Displays
As we see more and more books being challenged in school and public libraries (indeed, ALA reported a record number of censorship demands in 2022), library staff have to consciously make the decision to not self-censor purchases out of a desire to avoid conflict. As early as 2018, librarian publications began to speak out against the harm self-censorship has on the communities in which librarians serve.
The 2022 Intellectual Freedom Landscape
As 2022 draws to a close, it’s interesting—and important—to consider the impact of last month’s elections on issues of intellectual freedom, particularly on the local level. While this will vary widely from community to community, a good place to stay up to date on these across the country, and other current issues, is ALA’s Intellectual Freedom News, which is updated weekly here. It offers news organized into categories: Some perspectives on intellectual freedom issues being affected by recent elections are presented in yesterday’s New York Times article on the current “Surge in Book Bans.” If you experience a challenge at your organization, please remember to share information about it with the Office of Intellectual Freedom. As ALA says “Reporting censorship and challenges to materials, resources, and services is vital to developing the best resources to defend library resources and to protect against challenges before they happen.” It takes all of…
Advocacy (for yourself and the library) in Difficult Times
In 2021, Amanda Jones was named School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year. A little more than one year later and Ms. Jones is now embroiled in legal actions due to online harassment related to her work in promoting the right to read and diverse library collections. The lead article in the November/December 2022 issue of American Libraries, “When It Happens To You,” is about what to do when you get caught in the middle of a book challenge. It’s all well and good to say “stand up and fight for the right to read”! But that is often easier said than done and, in these divisive times, can be very scary. Read on for some tools we hope will help in this situation.
Books Unite Us, Censorship Divides Us
It’s time to make sure our planning is in place for this year’s Banned Books Week, which begins September 18.