Kelly,

You may also be interested in attending the complimentary webinar on March 22nd from the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom that AASL is sponsoring. You do not need to be a member to register.  

This is the second of two 90 minute webinars focused on school libraries.  Use this link to register bit.ly/OIFaasl

Addressing Challenges in America’s School Libraries: Part 2

Freedom to Read's General Counsel Theresa Chmara will provide a review of minors’ rights under the First Amendment. She will also provide examples of how the courts have addressed challenges to materials in schools, including definitions for terms such as obscenity, which frequently is used as the basis for materials challenges. Then Mariela Siegert, a professor at Dominican University and a school librarian, will share the best practices that she uses to prepare students for challenges.

Theresa Chmara is an attorney in Washington, DC. She also is the General Counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation. She is the author of Privacy and Confidentiality Issues: A Guide for Libraries and their Lawyers (ALA 2009). She has been a First Amendment lawyer for over thirty years and is a frequent speaker on intellectual freedom issues in libraries. She is a contributing author for the Intellectual Freedom Manual, published by the Office of Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. She also served as an instructor for the Lawyers for Libraries training seminars and is an instructor for the American Library Association First Amendment and Library Services eCourse.

Mariela Siegert (she/her) is a School Librarian at North High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, and an adjunct professor at Dominican University in River Forest, IL for the SOIS & MAYL program, where she teaches one class on Technology in the Library and another on Graphics/Comics. She is also a reader for YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens committee, serves as editor for the No Flying No Tights website, and is also a board member for the Rebecca Caudill, which is an Illinois state book award. Mariela has also presented locally and nationally on a variety of subjects, including but not limited to Graphics/Comics.


Sylvia

Sylvia Knight Norton
Executive Director
American Association of School Librarians,
a division of the American Library Association
225 N Michigan Ave. Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601-7757
OFFICE   312-280-4388 | TOLL FREE   800-545-2433 x4388
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-----Original Message-----
From: Maine Libraries Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Kelley Fraser
Sent: Friday, March 10, 2023 12:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MELIBS-L] policy review: censorship

My Maine Librarians,
I need help.
I was just sent this proposed change to my selection policy from my school board. My thoughts are all over the place and I thought that you all would love to help me get my ducks in a row.
What is your advice for 1. stopping such a proposal, 2. dealing with the fallout if such a change does happen?
Thank you!

Avoiding Inappropriate Material
The Board recognizes there exists a vast array of materials with rich educational content. It is the district's objective to choose material that provides such rich educational content appropriate to students in the district over material that may provide similar content but with elements that are inappropriate or unnecessary for minors in a school setting.
Sexualized content that falls short of material prohibited by criminal laws is nonetheless generally inappropriate and/or unnecessary for minors in school.
Parents/Guardians have a
wide range of options outside of the district's library system to introduce their child to sexualized content they deem appropriate for their child's age. As such, the district will prioritize inclusion of quality materials suitable for educational goals and worthwhile for the limited amount of time available to students that do not contain sexualized content.
Elementary School Libraries
No materials in elementary libraries shall contain:
• visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts, • explicit or implied written descriptions of sexual acts, or • visual depictions of nudity or implied nudity.
Middle School Libraries
No materials in middle school libraries shall contain:
• visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts, • explicit written descriptions of sexual acts, or • visual depictions of nudity-not including materials with diagrams about anatomy for science, or content relating to classical works of art.
In selecting library materials for middle school students, the selectors shall seek to prioritize the selection of materials that do not contain other sexualized content, such as implied written descriptions of sexual acts or implied nudity.

High School Libraries
No materials in high school libraries shall contain:
• visual or visually implied depictions of sexual acts or simulations of such acts, or • explicit written descriptions of sexual acts.
In selecting library materials for high school students, the selectors shall seek to prioritize the selection of materials that do not contain other sexualized content, such as implied written descriptions of sexual acts or visual depictions of nudity.

--
Kelley Fraser, MLIS, MEd
284 Walkers Mills Road
Bethel, ME 04217
(207)824-2136
[log in to unmask]
(pronouns: she, her, hers)

"Be kind whenever possible. It's always possible." The Dalai Lama