School and public libraries have been, for many years, the frontlines of numerous censorship battles. The very concept of a library—a place where ideas may be exchanged freely and openly—makes it certain that they will be the setting of many censorship disputes.

In schools, books are sometimes challenged for their use in the classroom, but they are more often challenged for their very existence on the library shelves. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, has warned that "local school boards may not remove books from library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to ’prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion or other matters of opinion.’" Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 872 (1982). And the Firth Circuit has stated that unlike the classroom, the school library has "a special role as a place where students may freely and voluntarily explore diverse topics." Campbell v. St. Tammany Parish School Board, 64 F.3d 190 (1995). School boards, however, may still remove materials from the library so long as they can cite strong pedagogical reasons for doing so. It is on this exception that many school boards, feeling pressure from certain parents and community members, base their decisions to ban materials from the library.

If community pressures are difficult to withstand, the threat of losing government funding is a nearly impossible onstacle. Such is the case with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, a federal law passed in 2000 and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003, which mandates filters in all schools and libraries that receive federal financial assistance through the E-rate or "universal service" program, or through the Library Services and Technology Act. This amounts to about 60% of the nation’s libraries and public schools. More recently, libraries in Oklahoma have been threatened with losing their state funding if they fail to comply with a non-binding resolution passed by the state legislature that requires them to move children’s books with homosexual themes to the adult areas of libraries.

» May 1, 2007 - Father seeks $20k in damages for lesbian book in library Earl Adams wants $20,000 from his city of Bentonville, Ark, after his sons found a book on lesbian sex on a public library bookshelf. He is also requesting that the library director be fired, saying that finding the books “greatly disturbed” his two teenage sons.

City attorney Camille Thompson dismissed the claim and stated that his request for money "made me question his motivation." The library’s board voted to remove the book from circulation, and replace it with one that takes a more clinical approach. Adams is now threatening “legal action and protests from the Christian community.” See NCAC's Joint letter to Bentonville Mayor and Library Director About Removal of The Whole Lesbian Sex Book

 

» March 16, 2007- Interview with Susan Patron Several weeks ago, the Newbery Award-winning novel The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron became the subject of a dispute among authors and librarians across the country over its use of the word “scrotum.” Following a report in the New York Times, the story of Patron’s challenged book became national news, and many school librarians have hesitated to purchase the book for their school collections. We asked her about the controversy over her novel, and librarians’ role in defending the First Amendment.

» March 16, 2007- Mandarin High School Principal Challenges Vegan Virgin Valentine in School Library A book available in the Mandarin High School library has a family questioning the books literary value in a public school setting. The book is called, Vegan Virgin Valentine and was written by Carolyn Mackler. The author describes the book as a racy tale of two 17 year-olds trying to find themselves. Anne Ferrell is concerned parent who found the book of marginal value saying, "They use the f-word everywhere else. That's unacceptable."

See NCAC's Joint letter to Mandarin High School Principal about Challenges to Vegan Virgin Valentine in School Library

» March 16, 2007- Lucky by Eddie de Oliveira challenged in Jacksonville A local mother questions the value of Lucky by Eddie de Oliveira, a book her 6th grader niece was assigned to read. Melinda Hicks says she has several problems with the book. "There are profanities such as the 'F' word." Hicks also has an issue with the back cover of the book which describes "the experiences of a teenager attracted to both boys and girls who is trying to find where he fits in."

See NCAC's Joint letter to Duval County Superintendent about Objections to Books in Jacksonville school Libraries

» March 8, 2007- Free Speech Groups Welcome Decisions Clearing Challenged Books The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship today welcomed decisions by federal, state and local prosecutors upholding the right of students in Howell, MI, to read Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five, and Augusten Burroughs’ Running with Scissors. U.S. Attorney Stephen J. Murphy announced that there is no merit in the complaints made by the Livingston Organization for Values in Education (“LOVE”) that the books are obscene. Murphy, who had referred the books to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a decision, declared that neither “[t]he material submitted nor its inclusion as part of the school’s required English curriculum constitutes a violation of federal law.”

Related: Free Speech Groups Condemn FBI Investigation of Literary Works

» February 25, 2007- Newbery Award-Winning Novel Stirs Controversy A dispute has emerged in recent weeks among authors and librarians across the country over the use of the word "scrotum" in the Newbery Award-winning novel The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron.

Related: Interview with Newbery Award-Winning Author, Susan Patron

» October 6, 2006- NCAC Defends Graphic Novels Craig Thompson's Blankets and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home have been removed from the Marshall Public Library, after the graphic novels were challenged by a member of the community who claims they contain "pornographic" images and are inappropriate for the library. Removing the books because of sexual content not only entirely fails to consider the indisputable value of books as a whole, but also ignores the library's obligation to serve all kinds of readers. The National Coalition Against Censorship and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund writes to Anita Wright, President of the Marshall Public Library, to protect the rights of all readers to read and think freely, demonstrate respect for the First Amendment and its importance to a pluralistic democratic society.

Related: Graphic Novels: Suggestions for Librarians

» May 11, 2006- An Open Letter from Children's Book Author Patricia Polacco Polacco alleges that the cancellation of her schedule appeared at a conference of the International Reading Association is based on her criticism of the No Child Left Behind program — and that it amounts to censorship.

» April 21, 2006- Harry Potter Challenged in Georgia Harry Potter continues to face challenges in public school systems. Most often, this challenges are brought by conservative Christian parents who are concerned that the book contains "witchcraft", i.e., wizards and witches, magic, and sorcery.

»Spring 2006- "Bookslut" Presents Writings on Challenged Young Adult Literature Chris Zammarelli, writing on the literary criticism blog "Bookslut," presents a collection of articles about controversial titles, saying: "If I do my job right, I'll be creating a great reference guide of titles for kids to check out if they want to read something that will piss off their parents."

» April 20, 2006- Acclaimed Japanese Art Book Pulled from Libraries
"Manga: Sixty Years Of Japanese Comics," by Paul Gravett, was removed from several libraries in San Bernardino, CA by the County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Bill Postmus. The book was ordered off the shelves after a complaint from Cynthia Jones, whose 16 year old son had borrowed the book from the library. The work is a history of Manga comics, and includes discussion of adult comics that depict sex and violence. The library had originally responded to Ms. Jones' complaint by saying that it was the parents' responsibility to determine what is appropriate for their child and kept the book on the shelves, until Bill Postmus had the work removed.

» July 12, 2005 - Parent Asks Fayetteville Schools to Purge Libraries of All "Vile and Gratuitous" Materials A parent in Fayetteville, Arkansas, who succeeded in getting the school to ban three sex ed books from school libraries, then asked the school to conduct a district-wide audit to purge the libraries of all materials that contain "vile and gratuitous sexual premises." The parent claimed that she found 70 such books after conducting her own audit.

» Summer 2005- Congressmen Vote to Exempt Libraries and Bookstores from USAPatriot Act Searches
The House of Representatives voted to exempt library and bookstores from searches allowed under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. The Freedom to Read Act, introduced by Rep. Bernie Sanders (VT), cuts funding for such searches by amending the House Appropriations Bill. The vote of 238 to 187 shows growing legislative support to protect Americans' right to privacy, and the effectiveness of the Campaign for Reader Privacy. This is a significant victory, but the battle will continue as Congress considers renewal of the sunset provisions in the Patriot Act.

» June 24, 2005 - Sexual Passage Causes Abrupt Ban of Kent Haruf’s “Plainsong”Seniors at Sierra Vista High School in Las Vegas, Nevada must have been confused when their English teacher took away books they were still reading: Kent Haruf's acclaimed novel, Plainsong. At issue was a brief sexual passage. Without submitting challenges to the novel to a review committee, the assistant principal ordered teacher Gerald McGee to "collect all the books, box them up and put them away immediately."

» Summer 2005 - Judy Blume's Forever Continues to Shock Adults Forever, Judy Blume's 30-year old novel, beloved by teens, still shocks some adults. In Pasadena, Texas a parent's complaint resulted in the book's removal from all school libraries. And in northern California, a 6th grader was charged with sexual harassment for bringing her copy of Forever to school to lend to a friend. The matter was dropped when the NCAC intervened.

» May 16, 2005 - Oklahoma Legislature Places Restrictions on LGBT-themed BookThe Oklahoma legislature instructed libraries to restrict access to children's books with homosexual themes by shelving them in adult areas of the library. See the Letter from NCAC, NCTE, ABFFE. AAP, and PEN American Center to Fayetteville Public Schools Superintendent

Related: Library funds threatened

 

» February 16, 2005 - Athletic Shorts Banned in Michigan School The word "nigger" in Chris Cutcher's Athletic Shorts was considered controversial enough in one Grand Rapids, Michigan school to result in suspension of the teacher who assigned it and removal of the book from the classrooms and libraries. (insert anchor: Grand Rapids athletic shorts)
Related: » NCAC Letter to Grand Rapids Superintendent

 

» Fall 2004- Teacher Fired for Assigning The Diary of Anne FrankAt Fowler High School in Fowler, CO, first-year teacher Sara McCleary was not rehired because she assigned to ninth-grade English students The Diary of Anne Frank. After a parent objected to a sexual reference, the School Board terminated her contract and removed the book from classrooms, leaving a single copy in the library.

» January 2004- ALA's Top Five Most Challenged Books in 2003According to the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, the top three challenged books in 2003 were Phyllis Naylor's Alice series, for sexual content, offensive language and age inappropriateness; the Harry Potter series, for wizardry and magic; and Of Mice and Men, for offensive language.

» US v. American Library Association June 23, 2003
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the filtering provisions in the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), a federal law that requires libraries and schools to install filters on their Internet computers to retain federal funding and discounts for computers and computer access.
Related: » ALA Denounces Ruling on CIPA » Court Errs on Upholding Library Web Filters » Big Brother Meets Catch-22 An article by Joan E. Bertin on the Children's Internet Protection Act. » What To Do About the Children's Internet Protection Act

 

»Summer 2003- Harry Potter Returns to Cedarville School District LibrariesHarry Potter books are back in full circulation at the Cedarville School District libraries, thanks to an order from a federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas. Responding to a complaint from a parent who called the books "evil" for their depictions of wizardry, three school board members had voted to require parental permission for children to read the books claiming that they prompt children to "disobey authority and push occult messages." Judge Jim Hendren ruled: "Regardless of the personal distaste with which these individuals regard 'witchcraft,' it is not properly within their power and authority as members of defendant's school board to prevent the students at Cedarville from reading about it....[T]he conclusion is inevitable that defendant removed the books from its library shelves for reasons not authorized by the Constitution."

» August 9, 2002 - Iowa Library Keeps Ban on Teen Advice Book Board members of a public library in Dyersville, Iowa voted to keep Sari Says, by Sari Locker, off its shelves, citing it as inappropriate material for their library. The book provides teens with advice on a variety of subjects, and one chapter deals with sex.
Related:» NCAC Letter to Dysersville Paper About Removal of Sari Says

» NCAC Letter to Dyersville Public Library About Removal of Sari Says

» September 29, 2002- Banned Books Event Attracts Readers and Writers Author Sari Locker joined NCAC at its booth in New York City at New York Is Book Country on September 29, 2002 signing her recent book, Sari Says: The Real Dirt on Everything from Sex to Schools.

Summer 2002 - Novel Inspired by Murder of Gay Man Banned in South Carolina School Libraries
In South Carolina, The Drowning of Stephan Jones, by Bette Greene, was pulled from the libraries of Horry County's middle and high schools at the behest of a lone objector. The superintendent of schools banned the book after a resident who had once been expelled from school for writing a profane poem, objected to the noteworthy novel for its "vulgarity and profanity."

» January 23, 2002 - Judy Blume's Forever Returned to Illinois Middle School Library A school board in Elgin, Illinois voted to return Judy Blume's Forever to the shelves of the district's middle school libraries. The book was banned in 1999 after a librarian requested its removal.
Related:» NCAC Letter to Elgin Superintendent Requesting Reinstatement of Forever » NCAC Applauds Return of Forever to Elgin Libraries

 

» December 20, 2001- ACLU Takes Action After Acclaimed Novel Sophie's Choice Is Removed From School LibraryIn California, the highly acclaimed novel, Sophie's Choice, by William Styron was removed from La Mirada High School library by the principal, after a parent's complaint about isolated sexual references. As NCAC often observes, it is fine literature that is most frequently censored: Sophie's Choice has won the prestigious National Book Award. NCAC and other groups are urging school officials to honor students' First Amendment rights by returning the book to the library shelves.

Also See: 'Sophie's Choice' Has Been Returned To La Mirada High School Library

 

» July 13, 2001 - Judge Orders Gay Pride Exhibit Reinstalled at Anchorage, Alaska Library District Judge James K. Singleton ordered Anchorage, Alaska, to reinstall a gay pride exhibit at Z.J. Loussac Library after ruling that the city's library policy was too vague.

» November 10, 2000 - Restrictions Placed on Harry Potter in Texas School District The Santa Fe Independent School District in Texas imposed restrictions on Harry Potter books, requiring parental permission before allowing a student to borrow the books from school libraries.

Fall 2000 - LGBT Books Withstand Challenges in Texas
A federal court confirmed that library books may not be moved/removed from a Wichita Falls, Texas library by a petition of 300, as the city council had legislated. The books, Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate, had been reinstated last fall when the policy was temporarily enjoined

Summer 2000 - Lancaster, Mass. School Board Keeps The Chocolate War in Schools
The school board voted unanimously to keep Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War after protests from some eighth-grade parents. The highly-acclaimed, widely taught book is frequently challenged for its realistic description of bullying, of dehumanizing institutions, and for language and sexual references. "I feel like I have done something right," Cormier says. "There wouldn't be all these concerns about an ineffective book." His comment echoes experience. It is mostly good literature that is challenged.

» May 2000 - Harry Potter Back on Shelves in Michigan School District The superintendent of a school district in Zeeland, Michigan agreed to put the Harry Potter series back in the elementary and middle school libraries and to permit student to borrow them without restritions. (insert anchor: Zeeland Harry Potter)
Related:» Free Expression Network Letter to Zeeland Superintendent

 

Spring 2000 - Michiganders Say No To Internet Filters
A ballot issue in Holland, Michigan to require the public library to filter all computers or lose city funding was roundly defeated. The initiative was financed by the American Family Association and the Family Research Council which hoped to spark a national movement to censor library and school computers to prevent minors from accessing materials that are "obscene, sexually explicit, or harmful."

» February 2000 - Public Library in Michigan Pressured to Install Internet Filters
The American Family Association (AFA) urged a public library in Midland, Michigan to install internet filters on its computers. The library already has filters on its computers in the children's areas, but the AFA is pushing for filters to be installed on computers in the adult section as well as supervised access on the unfiltered computers. (insert anchor: Midland, Michigan Library)

» January 2000 - Native Son Retained on Colorado High School Reading List
A school board in Littleton, Colorado voted to retain Native Son on the high school reading list. It was challenged because of sexual scenes, violence and racial language.

Winter 1999 - Washington State Public Library's Filters Ristricts Webistes, Even For Adults
The Tacoma, Washington Public Library uses filters that strip images from "restricted" websites, leaving only text, even for adults, and requires all users to register. The library tracked entries into "restricted" sites and says that 19% are by minors. This raises troubling questions about censorship, the criteria used to decide which sites to restrict, and privacy rights of library patrons. Now some in Yakima cite Tacoma as a model.

Spring 1999 - Restrictions Placed On Reading Rolling Stone in Wisconsin H.S. Library
Students who want to read Rolling Stone magazine in a high school library in Wales, Wisconsin, must prove they are 18 or have parental permission. The superintendent overruled a committee's recommendation, after a school board member called it "pornographic."

» Winter 1998 - Court Bars Internet Filters in Loudoun County Library Public libraries in Loudoun County, Virginia, may not block sexually explicit material on the Internet, ruled a federal district judge in a decision that is expected to influence library policies elsewhere (Mainstream Loudoun v. Board of Trustees).

» February 13, 1998 - Magazines Banned from Long Island Middle School Library for Containing Sex Ed Info Three magazines were removed from the Hauppauge Middle School Library upon the urging of a local religious figure who urged parishioners to object to the publications because they contain "information that goes against what we believe is the truth about sex as Catholic Christians."
Related: » NCAC's Letter to Hauppauge School Superintendent » Teen Magazines Too Racy?

 

Spring 1996 - Federal Judge Rules Book Banning Violated First Amendment
A federal judge ruled that the Olathe, Kansas school system had violated students' and parents' First Amendment rights when it ordered that all copies of the book Annie on My Mind be removed from high school library shelves. The book is the story of Annie and Liza, who meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, fall in love and consequently struggle with declaring their homosexuality to family and friends.

December 1995 - Religious Right Organization Pushing for Libraries to Adopt its Agenda
Family Friendly Libraries, a religious right group, is organizing a nationwide campaign to pressure librarians and boards of trustees to repudiate the "infamous" Library Bill of Rights, the strongly anti-censorship policy statement of the American Library Association. They are urging local communities to adopt their charter in its place.

» NCAC's Book Censorship Toolkit: A resource guide for dealing with book challenges in schools.

» NCAC Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Internet Access in Schools The NCAC's statement regarding Senator John McCain's legislative proposal to limit students' access to "indecent" material on the Internet.
Related: » NCAC Letter to Key Senators Regarding Efforts to Restrict Internet Access

» Not In Front of the Children, by Marjorie Heins This book studies censorship that has been based on the assumption that minors must be protected from controversial or provocative art, information and ideas.
Related: » Not In Front of the Children Wins American Library Association Award » Author Marjorie Heins Responds to Critics » Youth Respond to Not In Front of the Children

» Censorship's Tools Du Jour: V-Chips, TV Ratings, PICS, and Internet Filters A Background Paper, March 1998

» Censors and Schools: The Battle Over Children's Literature A panel discussion, hosted by the NCAC on Sept. 28, 2000, on censorship of children's literature.

» NCAC Defends Books in Trouble A status report of books being challenged or banned.

» Censorship In Our Schools and Libraries A primer on how to prepare for a censorship dispute before it arises.

» NCAC Counters Censorship In Our Schools and Libraries Information on the NCAC program that helps educators, librarians, parents, and "ordinary" citizens fight efforts to censor materials in schools and libraries.

» Resisting Homphobic Attacks on Education and the Arts A report on homophobic attacks on education and the arts and how to resist them.
Related:» Homophobic Attacks on Schools and Libraries » Homophobic Attacks on Artistic Expression

» Don't Cave In to the Book Banners NCAC Executive Director Joan Bertin writes in Newsday about the never-ending battle between those who claim to protect children from harm and the books those children want to read.

» The Cyber-Library: Legal and Policy Issues Facing Public Libraries in the High-Tech Era The traditional roles of public libraries and librarians are under new scrutiny as computers and the Internet challenge familiar notions of community and defy common assumptions about what, how, where and with whom we learn and communicate.