Preparing for Materials Challenges in Your School Library By Becky Calzada and Carolyn Foote WHAT IS THE CURRENT REALITY? Headlines out of Texas this fall have been alarming. Any glance at recent hashtags (#CultureWars, #CRTinSchools, #HistoryWars, #AntiTrans, #FReadom, etc.) shows library materials are being challenged at an unprecedented rate around the country. New legislation—SB 3 relating to civics training programs for certain public school social studies teachers and principals, parental access to certain learning management systems, and certain curriculum in public schools, including certain instructional requirements and prohibitions—that
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became law in Texas in December 2021 impacts library collections and professional development for school staff directly. But lest we think this is new, censorship efforts recur cyclically. DOES HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF? It’s important to understand the cyclical nature of these challenges in order to be prepared and to understand the fight for students’ rights to read is an ongoing marathon for library professionals. The language in the recently passed legislation is very vague which leaves it wide open to interpretation and puts school libraries in very challenging positions. How do librarians or teachers
avoid materials on race that might cause guilt or shame or avoid the content covered in the 1619 project? While legislators might not have intended the impact that it will have, parents and some legislators may (and are) using it to challenge or call into question a wide array of materials, as is evidenced by Representative Matt Krause’s list of more than 800 books that he released in October 2021. WHAT AREAS OF LIBRARIANSHIP ARE IMPACTED? These challenges impact everything from collection development and programs to displays and events. While
