[aisle] [External] Elementary Censorship Question?

Wed Mar 8 14:48:50 CST 2023

I had a book challenge this year -- the parents demanding that the book be
removed from the district. It was an Alvin Schwartz Scary Stories book for
K-3 readers.  We have a district protocol for requesting a book be removed
from the district.  Could be a library book, textbook, etc.

My step was to email the parents and acknowledge what they were saying.
Diffuse the situation just by listening. I then forwarded the emails to my
administrators and superintendent.  I then forwarded the reconsideration of
materials form to the parents and asked them to complete and return it to
our director of curriculum.

We never heard from them again.  This has happened in other schools I've
been in. The parents are angry, they need to be heard, and the when I work
to actually remove the book has to happen, they don't follow up.

I hope this is the case for you.  Good luck with this challenge!  And don't
forget the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom is there to help, too!

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Happily Ever After,
Karrie Fisher
District Librarian
[image: reading]
Winkelman School * 1919 Landwehr Road * Glenview, IL  60026
847-729-5650

Field Middle School * 2055 Landwehr Road * Northbrook, IL 60062
847--272-6884

On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 2:20 PM Eti Berland via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> Colleen,
>
> I'm so sorry you're going through this challenge. I want to echo the
> support and resources everyone is sharing and express that we're here to
> support you during this challenge.
>
> The AISLE Monarch resource <https://aisled.org/monarch/>s created by the
> committee include some of the tools you'll need to respond to this
> challenge including awards and full-length reviews. It's available on the
> Monarch page on the AISLE website and also a direct link here:
> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XoP0YJkehWzQJWpJUtF_6zHQIXPUXZ8y
> <https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XoP0YJkehWzQJWpJUtF_6zHQIXPUXZ8y>
>
> Thank you, Tara, for sharing school librarian Martha Hickson's libguide!
> It's an invaluable resource. Martha also created an Advocacy Alliance
> Brainstorming Tool to help prepare/deal with challenges. What individuals
> or groups will be concerned about or affected by removal or restriction of
> the book? These are potential allies who can help you advocate for
> students’ right to read. You can make a copy of your own here:
> https://tinyurl.com/AdvocacyAllianceBrainstorming
> (This could also include organizations like the Intellectual Freedom
> Resource Center, Every Library, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, your
> local educators' union, fellow educators, etc. especially if there are
> people who can be there in support for any public meetings that arise.)
>
> I also want to add the Graphic Novels and Comics Roundtable's Addressing
> Challenges Toolkit
> <https://www.ala.org/rt/gncrt/preparing-and-addressing-challenges-comics-library-committee>
> as a resource, which breaks down questions for before, during, and after
> challenges. Comics and picture books are overrepresented in challenges due
> to their visual content - and misunderstanding of these storytelling
> formats.
>
> Thank you for all you do to support young people! Please let us know if
> there's anything we can do to help you.
>
> -Eti
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 1:15 PM Weber, Kristina via AISLE <
> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>
>> Colleen,
>> I'm so sorry you're going through this. AISLE has an Intellectual Freedom
>> Resource Center -
>> https://sites.google.com/aisled.org/intellectual-freedom/ with a ton of
>> helpful resources and information, including links to ALA OIF's reporting
>> form.
>>
>> Please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. You can get me
>> here or through my AISLE email, intellfreedom at aisled.org .
>>
>> If anyone on the listserv has title-specific resources for PRIDE, that
>> would be really helpful- a book resume of sorts- that we can add to the
>> title-specific resources on the IFRC.
>>
>> Kristina
>>
>> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 12:27 PM Weinberger, Colleen via AISLE <
>> aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello!
>>>
>>> I have a question about the 2022 Monarch book *PRIDE: The Story of
>>> Harvey Milk and the Rainbow flag.*  Did any of you experience parents
>>> filing a complaint about this book at your public elementary school
>>> library?  If so how was it dealt with?  My principal has a parent currently
>>> filing an official complaint about this book and wants it removed
>>> immediately.  I believe a committee will be convened soon to discuss it.  I
>>> want to be prepared for this upcoming meeting.  So if any of you have any
>>> experience to share regarding this book or another elementary school book,
>>> please share!
>>>
>>> This is my fourth year as an elementary librarian and it is my FIRST
>>> challenged book.
>>>
>>> Thank you so much for your time.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Colleen
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Colleen Weinberger
>>> Teacher Librarian
>>> Email:cweinberger at wcusd200.org
>>>
>>> Dean Street Elementary
>>> 600 Dean Street
>>> Woodstock, IL 60098
>>> 815-337-7844
>>>
>>> Prairiewood Elementary
>>> 3215 Hercules Road
>>> Woodstock, IL 60098
>>> 815-337-5300
>>>
>>> Westwood Elementary
>>> 14124 W. South Street
>>> Woodstock, IL 60098
>>> 815-337-8173
>>>
>>>
>>> *Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of
>>> generations and nations   *~ Henry David Thoreau
>>>
>>>
>>> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> --
>> [image: photo]
>>
>> *Kristina Weber, Ph.D. (she/her)*
>> Library Information Specialist, Hampshire High School
>> Intellectual Freedom Chair, Association of Illinois School Library
>> Educators
>>
>> 847.792.3 <847.792.3583>583  | kristina.weber at d300.org
>> 1600 Big Timber Road, Hampshire, IL 60140
>> <http://twitter.com/kristina_weber>
>> <http://www.instagram.com/whippurlibrary/>
>>
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>
> MAILMAN_MIMEDEFANG
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