[aisle] [External] Elementary Censorship Question?

Wed Mar 8 21:05:09 CST 2023

Thank you so much for sharing your experience successfully handling a book
challenge, Karrie! These stories definitely need to be shared often to show
how we can de-escalate these concerns and often listening can help resolve
the issue.

I wanted to add an excellent resource to help gather more de-escalation
tools to practice and use during these conversations. This CARLI
webinar, De-Esclation:
A Crucial Tool in Libraries for Promoting Intellectual Freedom
<https://www.carli.illinois.edu/professional-development-alliance>, was a
really informative conversation. (You can find the recording by scrolling
down the webinar list.) Preparation is the key to de-escalation. I
especially recommend watching the section with School of Information
Studies at Dominican University professor Janice Del Negro offering
guidance about how to de-esclate challenges (from about 44 minutes until
about an hour and six minutes.) I hope it helps.

-Eti

On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 2:49 PM Karrie Fisher via AISLE <
aisle at list.railslibraries.info> wrote:

> 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!
>
> Search The Card Catalog
> <https://district31.follettdestiny.com/common/servlet/logout.do?tm=>
>
> 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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