Courtney Ahearn is the librarian at the Annie L. Sargent Elementary School in North Andover, MA
Working in a school library, especially one that serves students who are just learning to navigate the wide world of literature independently, can be difficult all on its own. Throw in the current national climate regarding book challenges and bans, and you’ve got a minefield of issues and potential problems.
The ALA reported in their 2021 State of America’s Libraries Special Report that 44% of the 729 challenges (affecting over 1,000 individual titles) were reported from school libraries (American Library Association, p9). At least a few of those challenges were against books housed in elementary school collections, such as Drama by Raina Telgemeier or Melissa by Alex Gino (Friedman, 2023). While Massachusetts has not seen the kind of widespread bans that other states have enacted, it is important that elementary librarians across our state be aware of what is at stake— and, more importantly, what can be done.
The ALA reported in their 2021 State of America’s Libraries Special Report that 44% of the 729 challenges (affecting over 1,000 individual titles) were reported from school libraries (American Library Association, p9). At least a few of those challenges were against books housed in elementary school collections, such as Drama by Raina Telgemeier or Melissa by Alex Gino (Friedman, 2023). While Massachusetts has not seen the kind of widespread bans that other states have enacted, it is important that elementary librarians across our state be aware of what is at stake— and, more importantly, what can be done.
One of the most effective ways of protecting an elementary school library collection is by having a thorough policy describing the selection process for library materials. In 2021, an article in School Library Research showed that 80% of the schools polled had policies regarding the selection of library materials, but that only “44 percent of those selection policies had specific procedures outlined in the publicly available documents” (Dawkins, p16). Simply having a policy is not enough anymore; rather, that policy should be able to clearly define what materials, such as books and other media housed in the library, will be selected and should be available for any community members to reference and access. Policy accessibility and clarity can make librarians feel confident in their selection of materials, and may also combat the recent trend of school libraries avoiding the purchase of recently challenged or banned books (Pendharkar, 2022). Furthermore, it can allow for a librarian to feel confident in making selections for their school library that are as unbiased as possible. It is possible to remain a neutral selector when a policy demands that books within the library collection.
This selection policy can also be helpful when administrators are questioned by parents about particular books in a school library’s collection. Librarians are familiar with the process by which we choose books but administrators often aren’t. Reading through the professional reviews, consulting with public librarians, and managing student requests is a process far beyond just cobbling together an Amazon wish list, but it is an invisible process. Having a policy means you have back up in writing. In the past, when a parent has had questions about a book that was purchased for my library, I was able to provide the written policy and evidence of the process, like book reviews or student survey data to support the purchase, and it was invaluable.
Part of a robust selection policy for an elementary school library should also include a well-thought-out reconsideration process. It seems to me that many individuals who challenge books are under the impression that a simple complaint submitted to the librarian or the school administration is all that is required to get a book taken off the shelves. The reconsideration process is important: include steps that involve a formal written challenge, that convene a committee, and require research regarding the challenged materials. And be vocal about what it is and how people can get involved. Such transparency works— see Jean Costello’s opinion piece in the Newburyport Daily News from last month, where they write: “Conversations with our public library’s head librarian and teen service librarian have enriched my understanding of topics such as curation and access to our public collections” (2023). Later in the piece, she even reviews the titles herself. This level of community engagement that sides with libraries stands in strong opposition to the negative engagement of challenges.
In my experience, I have had a few instances where parents or other adults in the community expressed concern over a book. Usually, that concern arises from the feeling that the title in question would be “inappropriate” for their own child or student, expressed either in person or via email to library media specialists. And that’s perfectly valid. In fact, often it may be true— kids are interested in books for all sorts of reasons, and a particular title might not meet them where they are. I have lost count of the times I’ve been asked where our Pennywise or Stranger Things books are! However, just because a book is inappropriate for one student, or even one grade level, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place in an elementary school library. Sometimes it’s easy for the community to lump all elementary school students into one category, but there is a vast difference between a student entering first grade and one who’s looking ahead to middle school. Our collections need to be able to have books that reach our students at every developmental level.
We are living in a very interesting era when it comes to books and school library spaces. The current situation in Florida, where teachers are being asked to catalog every single book in their classroom libraries and could potentially face felony charges if an “inappropriate” title makes it into a child’s hands, is an extreme that many of us probably assumed we would not see in our lifetime (Santiago). It’s also easy to assume that because of Massachusetts’s reputation as a bastion of quality education and a blue state, school librarians here would need to worry about it. There are book challenges and inquiries happening all over the country, and several in the Commonwealth. Having a robust, clear, and publicly-available policy regarding book acquisitions and reconsiderations can be one way in which school librarians can ensure continued access to quality literature for their students, and their communities.
This selection policy can also be helpful when administrators are questioned by parents about particular books in a school library’s collection. Librarians are familiar with the process by which we choose books but administrators often aren’t. Reading through the professional reviews, consulting with public librarians, and managing student requests is a process far beyond just cobbling together an Amazon wish list, but it is an invisible process. Having a policy means you have back up in writing. In the past, when a parent has had questions about a book that was purchased for my library, I was able to provide the written policy and evidence of the process, like book reviews or student survey data to support the purchase, and it was invaluable.
Part of a robust selection policy for an elementary school library should also include a well-thought-out reconsideration process. It seems to me that many individuals who challenge books are under the impression that a simple complaint submitted to the librarian or the school administration is all that is required to get a book taken off the shelves. The reconsideration process is important: include steps that involve a formal written challenge, that convene a committee, and require research regarding the challenged materials. And be vocal about what it is and how people can get involved. Such transparency works— see Jean Costello’s opinion piece in the Newburyport Daily News from last month, where they write: “Conversations with our public library’s head librarian and teen service librarian have enriched my understanding of topics such as curation and access to our public collections” (2023). Later in the piece, she even reviews the titles herself. This level of community engagement that sides with libraries stands in strong opposition to the negative engagement of challenges.
In my experience, I have had a few instances where parents or other adults in the community expressed concern over a book. Usually, that concern arises from the feeling that the title in question would be “inappropriate” for their own child or student, expressed either in person or via email to library media specialists. And that’s perfectly valid. In fact, often it may be true— kids are interested in books for all sorts of reasons, and a particular title might not meet them where they are. I have lost count of the times I’ve been asked where our Pennywise or Stranger Things books are! However, just because a book is inappropriate for one student, or even one grade level, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place in an elementary school library. Sometimes it’s easy for the community to lump all elementary school students into one category, but there is a vast difference between a student entering first grade and one who’s looking ahead to middle school. Our collections need to be able to have books that reach our students at every developmental level.
We are living in a very interesting era when it comes to books and school library spaces. The current situation in Florida, where teachers are being asked to catalog every single book in their classroom libraries and could potentially face felony charges if an “inappropriate” title makes it into a child’s hands, is an extreme that many of us probably assumed we would not see in our lifetime (Santiago). It’s also easy to assume that because of Massachusetts’s reputation as a bastion of quality education and a blue state, school librarians here would need to worry about it. There are book challenges and inquiries happening all over the country, and several in the Commonwealth. Having a robust, clear, and publicly-available policy regarding book acquisitions and reconsiderations can be one way in which school librarians can ensure continued access to quality literature for their students, and their communities.
Works Cited
American Library Association. The State of America’s Libraries 2022: A Report from the American Library Association. 2022.
Costello, Jean. “Letter: School Policies about Questionable Books Are Sound.” The Daily News of Newburyport, The Daily News of Newburyport, 26 Jan. 2023, https://www.newburyportnews.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letter-school-policies-about-questionable-books-are-sound/article_d3cd2e52-9d7e-11ed-8870-4b9b9d06b9e4.html
Dawkins, April M., and Emily Eidson.“A Content Analysis of District School Library Selection Policies in the United States.” School Library Research 24. 2021, www.ala.org/aasl/slr/volume24/dawkins-eidson
Friedman, Jonathan, and Nadine Farid Johnson. “Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Ban Books.” PEN America, PEN America, 3 Jan. 2023, https://pen.org/report/banned-usa-growing-movement-to-censor-books-in-schools/
Pendharkar, Eesha. “As Book Bans Escalate, Here's What You Need to Know.” Education Week, Education Week, 3 Oct. 2022, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/as-book-bans-escalate-heres-what-you-need-to-know/2022/09#:~:text=From%20January%20to%20August%202022,which%20targeted%201%2C651%20unique%20titles.
Santiago, Leyla, and Jack Forrest. “Florida School District Begins 'Cataloging' Books to Comply with Desantis-Backed Law | CNN Politics.” CNN, Cable News Network, 26 Jan. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/25/politics/florida-school-library-books-law-desantis/index.html.