Library Bans

Library Bans in Southeastern PA

Various groups have attempted to ban books in libraries across southeastern PA. From , to , to the situation has gotten heated in recent years.

Education Law Center Resources

The  (ELC) provides resources for many issues on educational rights in PA. If your school is attempting to restrict access to books, the ELC may be a good first stop for resources. In particular, review their

Case Law

The American Library Association (ALA) maintains a .

Presenting to School Boards

Review the ELC's School Board, Its Power, and How to Advocate fact sheet for an overview.

Each school board in PA has its own rules for presentation of public concerns. Notably, the school board typically does not respond to these concerns. Most school boards limit access to public comment to tax payers in their districts. Time to comment is also strictly limited, usually to 2-3 minutes. Each school board maintains a website with its agenda and rules.

You can find the principles of leadership that the school boards should adhere to at the

  • PSBA is a membership organization, not a regulatory body or state agency. PSBA is not in a position to assist with citizen inquiries.

There are rules for removing a school board member, if desired. See .

From Pa WINS: School Board Policy which provides language to help advocates speak about library policy: :

 

Recommended

Concerning
Excerpts of books do not automatically discount a book from inclusion in the collection. Rather, the decision is made based on whether the book is of literary value, and suitability for the intended audience is determined by consulting reviews by professional literary critics for children’s and young adult literature.  Any specific definitions about content that is beyond the legal definition of profanity that should not be included when selecting material for the school library is a red flag, i.e., definitions of excessive profanity, violence, sexually explicit, potential controversy. 
Resource materials shall include reference books, supplementary titles, multimedia materials, maps, library books, software and instructional material and should include print and nonprint media A definition that is vague or can be interpreted in multiple ways.
 

Organizing for Direct Action

Protests can bring attention to the issue when school boards feel entitled to ignore public concerns. It is important to protest safely. Guidelines for your rights can be found at 

There are at least 198 types of non-violent direct actions.

If you are willing to go a step further, then consult Amnesty International's Toolkit for Civil Disobedience.

Teacher and Librarian Rights

American Federation of Teachers' (AFT's) .

Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools (PA WInS) is a coalition that PSLA helped to establish. Particularly for PA School Librarian support, Pa WInS has an award-winning Intellectual Freedom Helpline and Task Group  and email contact to report censorship/ask for help pslaintellectualfreedom@gmail.com.

Book Banning Resources 

Other Resources

For resources and suggestions for combating censorship:
  • The coalition. This group is facilitated by the Educators' Institute for Human Rights (EIHR).