April Dawkins (editor) - Intellectual Freedom Issues in School Libraries

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM ISSUES IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES

April M. Dawkins, Editor

Copyright 2021 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Dawkins, April M., editor.

Title: Intellectual freedom issues in school libraries / April M. Dawkins, editor.

Description: Santa Barbara, California : Libraries Unlimited, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020014984 (print) | LCCN 2020014985 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440872365 (paperback) | ISBN 9781440872372 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: School librariesCensorshipUnited States. | School librariesUnited StatesAdministration. | Intellectual freedomUnited States. | Freedom of informationUnited States.

Classification: LCC Z675.S3 I447 2020 (print) | LCC Z675.S3 (ebook) | DDC 025.1/9780973dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020014984

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020014985

ISBN: 978-1-4408-7236-5 (paperback)

978-1-4408-7237-2 (ebook)

25 24 23 22 211 2 3 4 5

This book is also available as an eBook.

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The information provided in this book does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this book should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained hereinand your interpretation of itis applicable or appropriate to your particular situation.

Contents

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Christine Eldred

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Elizabeth Burns

Helen R. Adams

Chad Heck

Helen R. Adams

Maria Cahill

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Sara E. Wolf

Helen R. Adams

April M. Dawkins

April M. Dawkins

Kristin Zeluff

Helen R. Adams

Kathryn K. Brown

Judi Moreillon

Judi Moreillon

Judi Moreillon

Dee Ann Venuto

Rebecca Hill

April M. Dawkins

Sabrina Carnesi

Gail K. Dickinson

Gail K. Dickinson

Helen R. Adams

Judi Moreillon

Helen R. Adams

Patricia Franklin and Claire Gatrell Stephens

Helen R. Adams

Monica Cabarcas

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Helen R. Adams

Chad Heck

Annalisa Keuler

Ernie Cox

Stephanie Kurtts, Nicole Dobbins, and Natsuko Takemae

Heather Moorefield-Lang

Heather Moorefield-Lang

Kimberly Gangwish

Helen R. Adams

Lucy Santos Green and Michelle Maniaci Folk

Mary Frances Zilonis and Chris Swerling

Mary Frances Zilonis and Chris Swerling

Mary Frances Zilonis and Chris Swerling

Jamie Campbell Naidoo

April M. Dawkins

Judi Moreillon

Introduction

Intellectual freedom is a basic tenet of the library profession. However, as school librarians, we are often challenged to defend the rights of our students, sometimes even defending those rights with other adults in our own school buildings. My first true experience with censorship actually occurred early in my career as a high school librarian. I had just completed a display of new arrivals in the library when a member of the faculty wandered in during his planning period. I excitedly encouraged him to explore all of the new books that had just been added to the collection. After several minutes of perusing the new books, he brought one of them to me with the question, Why on earth would you include this book in the library? I was taken aback. I was totally unprepared for the question. The book was Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Luckily, I recovered quickly and was able to have a conversation with this teacher about why teenagers should have access to books that might not reflect his own personal beliefs. While he did not leave that day in agreement with me, I believe that our conversation was a pivotal moment in my own belief in the importance of protecting the rights of students to read.

When hearing the phrase intellectual freedom, many often equate the phrase only with censorship and the banning of books. However, intellectual freedom has a much broader application in the school library world. The rights associated with intellectual freedom include not only the right to read, but also the right to free and equitable access to technology, the right to privacy in intellectual and personal pursuits, the right to access diverse content that reflects not just our own identities but provides insights into those different from ourselves. As school librarians, we are called upon to remove as many barriers to access to information as we possibly can.

As the editor of this book, I have selected articles from School Library Connection , and its predecessors, School Library Monthly and Library Media Connection , which highlight intellectual freedom issues that are faced by school librarians as they seek to protect the rights of students and guarantee them equal and free access to information. Each of the seven parts of this book addresses a different aspect of the intellectual freedom issues that arise in school libraries. While the book can be read from beginning to end, I hope that you will be able to pull information from the book as you find it useful in defending the intellectual freedom rights of your students. Each chapter has been reviewed, edited, and updated with the most recent information available.

of this book sets the stage for the remainder of the volume.

, Intellectual Freedom Advocacy and the Right to Read, examines the many ways school librarians can advocate for student access to the library and their right to read. Several articles in this section explore leadership and advocacy. Particularly helpful are articles about how to advocate with specific stakeholder groups including teachers, principals, and parents. Additionally, this section provides an introduction to Banned Books Week and a terrific section on advocating for intellectual freedom throughout the school year. Several articles also examine barriers to the right to read including labeling books with reading levels and the use of computerized reading programs such as Accelerated Reader.

School librarians can use , Policies and Procedures, to develop or revise their selection and reconsideration policies as well as explore how other circulation policies may restrict access to information. The articles in this section provide practical tips on developing selection policies as well as acceptable use policies for computer and Internet usage. Additionally, articles explore relevant laws that impact the access of students such as the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Two of my own articles appear in this section providing tips for developing selection policies and reconsideration policies. Articles on circulation policies, overdues and fines, and providing access in juvenile detention centers provide information on current issues and trends in intellectual freedom news.