Dealing with Challenges to Books and Other Library Materials
Below are links to assist those involved in challenges to books and other library materials. For assistance with actual and possible challenges to books, Internet access, magazines, and other library materials, you also may contact Erin Byrne, Office for Intellectual Freedom, 800-545-2433, ext. 4221, or OIF, Office for Intellectual Freedom, 800-545-2433, ext. 4223.
“Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.”—Article 3, Library Bill of Rights
“Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas.”—Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A
Links to Assist Those Involved in Challenges to Books and Other Library Materials
Checklist & Ideas for Library Staff Working with Community Leaders
Conducting a Challenge Hearing
Coping with Challenges: Kids and Libraries
Coping with Challenges: Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
Dealing with Challenges to Graphic Novels
Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials Podcast
Dealing with Concerns about Library Resources
Developing a Confidentiality Policy
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Tool Kit
Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy
Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy (PDF File)
Libraries & the Internet Toolkit
Libraries & the Internet Toolkit (PDF File)
Workbook for Selection Policy Writing (to assist school library media specialists)
See also Challenged Materials and Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program (Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights)
Links to non-ALA sites have been provided because these sites may have information of interest. Neither the American Library Association nor the Office for Intellectual Freedom necessarily endorses the views expressed or the facts presented on these sites; and furthermore, ALA and OIF do not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised or available on these sites.
Related Files
Guidelines and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy (PDF File)
Libraries & the Internet Toolkit (PDF File)
Related Links
National Council of Teachers of English
Challenged Materials
Adobe Acrobat Reader
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Checklist & Ideas for Library Staff Working with Community Leaders
This checklist includes ideas and suggestions for library staff and administration to get involved in their local community and develop relationships and coalitions with local government and groups.
Conducting a Challenge Hearing
Challenges to materials only occasionally reach the stage of a full-blown administrative hearing; often they are resolved at an earlier step in the challenge resolution process. When a hearing is necessary, however, certain important do’s and don’ts should be observed. A number of battles have been lost because the challenge hearing has been poorly organized. Even though procedures have been followed to the letter up to this point, the handling of the challenge hearing may be the weak link in the process.
Coping with Challenges: Kids and Libraries
Kids and curiosity go together. Children and teenagers have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that usually pleases but sometimes overwhelms their parents. Fortunately, there are libraries and librarians to help answer these unending questions, send kids on wondrous adventures and provide them with the resources they need to learn and grow. And parents can relax knowing it is a friendly place for all families. With so much available, how can you help your family make the best use of the library? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions, along with suggestions for helping children become lifelong learners and library users.
Coping with Challenges: Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
Libraries are often challenged by individuals and groups concerned about the availability of a wide variety of library materials to everyone. Addressing these challenges requires a balance of carefully crafted library policy, knowledge and understanding of intellectual freedom principles, and sensitivity to community needs and concerns. It also requires effective communication. This tip sheet has been prepared by the American Library Association (ALA) to help you plan for and deal with such challenges. It can help you educate library staff and trustees, inform the public and work with the media. Some tips are specific to a type of library or service, while others are for general use.
Dealing with Concerns about Library Resources
As with any public service, libraries receive complaints and expressions of concern. One of the librarian’s responsibilities is to handle these complaints in a respectful and fair manner. The complaints that librarians often worry about most are those dealing with library resources or free access policies. The key to successfully handling these complaints is to be sure the library staff and the governing authorities are all knowledgeable about the complaint procedures and their implementation.
Developing a Confidentiality Policy
Recent years have seen an increase in the number and frequency of challenges to the confidentiality of library records across the United States, and a new dimension has been added to confidentiality concerns. Throughout the 1980s, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) received queries from individual librarians who had been pressured by the FBI or local law enforcement agencies for information about library users, or who were afraid of being held liable for a patron’s acts after providing information on such topics as bomb construction, weapons, or satanism. Some of these librarians were tempted to maintain special files on patrons who seemed “suspicious” or who made “unusual” requests. These queries revealed a lack of confidence in confidentiality procedures or a misunderstanding of the important links among confidentiality, intellectual freedom, and librarians’ professional and legal obligations to uphold the privacy rights of patrons.
Workbook for Selection Policy Writing
Every school system should have a comprehensive policy on the selection of instructional materials. It should relate to and include all materials. A comprehensive policy on the selection of instructional materials will enable school professionals to rationally explain the school program to the community. And, most important in a crisis, when there are complaints about social studies texts, human development materials in the media center, or fiction in the English class, the use of the "objectionable" item can be explained more easily. A good policy on the selection of instructional materials will be relevant to your particular system and include basic sections on objectives, responsibility, criteria, procedures for selection, reconsideration of materials, and policies on controversial materials.
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