I have an ugly truth to share: there are materials in my collection that I dislike. I work in a large multi-branch public library system with centralized selection, so I have not been involved with the purchase of any of these materials. My lack of love for some of these items comes from a variety of reasons: poor writing quality, a didactic message, being super commercial. Many are innocuous fluff and aren’t hurting anyone by being available but I still see them as junk food. For the most part, these are books I probably wouldn’t put on display because they are so popular and easy to find alr ..read more

Juvenile detention centers play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and development of young offenders. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is the importance of providing access to books and other reading materials for these young people. Research conducted by criminal justice scholars emphasizes the need for a correctional system that focuses on rehabilitation rather than just punishment. Read more: The Vital Role of Literature for Juvenile Offenders According to a study conducted in juvenile detention centers, the implementation of programs that promote reading and provide access ..read more

Sadly, it was not surprising in late August when USA Today ran a headline calling librarians the “perfect target” for those who would ban books from schools.  Librarians are often the purchasers of materials and the people to suggest and connect students with books of interest.  Of course, they—we—would be under attack from those who would limit access to information of which censors do not approve.  This New York Times article from July was equally disturbing, detailing how (mostly school) librarians have been called out by name, described as “grooming” children, and how many h ..read more

Censorship is a hot topic right now and a genuine concern for libraries everywhere. To my knowledge, my community hasn’t yet had any formal challenges. Still, I like to be prepared. So, I nervously and dutifully tuned into “Prepare Your Library for Today’s Censorship Battles.” As if the topic itself weren’t enough, the presenters were ALA staffers: Deborah Caldwell-Stone and Kristin Pekoll from ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) and Megan Murray Cusick of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office. “This is not an accident. What we’re seeing today reflects planning,” noted Caldwell-Stone ..read more

Children’s publishing often reflects what’s happening in the world children live in.  The COVID-19 pandemic.  Gun violence.  And now book banning.  I’m on the wait list for a picture book about banned books.  According to the publisher’s description, The Great Banned Books Bake-Sale, written by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan, stars Egyptian immigrant Kanzi, who is upset when a collection of books about immigrants and children of color disappears from her school library’s shelf.  Before this happened, she felt welcomed in her new school; now she f ..read more

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. Hopefully, your library has strong selection policies that you can point to when a book is challenged and that is used to guide purchases in your organization.  However, self-censors ..read more

The Roald Dahl Story Company, recently purchased by Netflix, has agreed to change the wording in 17 of Roald Dahl’s written works, after suggestions by consultants from Inclusive Minds, an organization that aims to represent a diverse society through books that foster “inclusivity, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children’s literature.” [Article here.] Dahl authored the 17 works during the civil rights movement and throughout the following two decades. The changes would eliminate anything written about body weight, mental health, gender, and race. “Roald Dahl” by Queenie & t ..read more

Intellectual Freedom and the freedom to read children’s and young adult literature is a hot button topic and has been a hot button topic for the last few years since the pandemic.  Books, specifically books with LGBTQI+ characters and books centered around racial issues, are being used for political clout and to whip up the ire of conservatives throughout the United States.  Groups are systematically organizing and fueling the fire to remove books from library shelves across the country–both public and private school libraries.  Missouri schools are no exception.  On August ..read more

When doing outreach for grade school children my favorite books to book talk often come from a genre that is frequently challenged: Horror! It’s a delight to discuss scary stories because these conversations reveal how children are their own best selectors and even censors when they are given the ability to choose what they read.  I learned early on as a first grader that horror books were not my jam. In a moment of bravery/foolishness I gave Night of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine a whirl. When Slappy the cursed dummy made his appearance it was nope at first sight. The book was hastil ..read more

I started my #ALAAC2022 experience with the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table’s (#GNCRT) Friday Forum which focused on Comics Challenges. Taking place from 11-3, there were three unique panels comprised of creators, publishers, and librarians. The first panel (which, full disclosure, I also moderated) was about challenges among award-winning books. The second panel focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion in comics. The forum ended with a panel about concrete tips on how to address comics challenges. The GNCRT recently created a committee to help address challenges to comics and graphic ..read more