[Libs-Or] IFC support for school and public libraries

[Emily O'Neal]

Hi all,

The Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee would like to take a moment to acknowledge the current Intellectual Freedom challenges many libraries are facing, both locally and nationwide.  In an effort to support the libraries across Oregon, the IFC will be sharing more frequent resources and updates over the coming months via libs-or.  Our hope is through these more frequent updates, libraries feel more proactively prepared should they experience a challenge against intellectual freedom, and know that support exists if needed.  Below, is a letter describing the current environment of challenges, as well as some suggested next steps for your libraries to be prepared, should a similar even occur locally.



Please let the IFC know if we can help in any way.  Our committee email address is ifc.members at olaweb.org<mailto:ifc.members at olaweb.org> or you can reach the co-Chairs (Perry Stokes and Emily O'Neal) at ifc.chair at olaweb.org<mailto:ifc.chair at olaweb.org>.



Thank you all for your work and dedication to upholding the intellectual freedom rights of library users across Oregon!

We are here to support you as needed!



Best,

Emily O'Neal and Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee



OPEN LETTER TO LIBRARIES:

Hi all,



You have seen the American Library Association's August statement on safeguarding intellectual freedom and social justice<https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2021/08/ala-executive-board-releases-statement-reinforces-commitment-safeguarding>. While school libraries and classroom curricula have seen the greatest uptick in challenges, public libraries are also seeing challenges, often of the same titles. Some of the challenges are coming from organized campaigns by lawmakers and political groups. As reported by Time Magazine<https://time.com/6117685/book-bans-school-libraries/>, "We're seeing an unprecedented volume of challenges," says Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Executive Director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. "I've worked for ALA for 20 years, and I can't recall a time when we had multiple challenges coming in on a daily basis."



Most of the challenged or banned books either mention LGBTQIA+ people or deal with race and racism. Others address human rights or sex education. Reading Toni Morrison's "Beloved<https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/27/us/politics/beloved-toni-morrison-virginia.html>" in schools even became an issue in the Virginia governor's race.



The situation in Texas is getting a lot of attention -- see Texas lawmaker investigates books in libraries and classrooms.<https://www.kxxv.com/news/local-news/texas-lawmaker-investigates-books-in-schools-experts-outline-existing-review-process> Book Riot analyzes the list here<https://bookriot.com/texas-book-ban-list/>. It includes popular titles such as "It's Perfectly Normal," "New Kid," "I am Jazz!" and "All American Boys." It's possible that more libraries in Oregon will face challenges related to books on these lists, which are shared on social media and in the news.



Read more about what's happening <https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=27281>





So what can we do right now, to be ready? Some ideas:





*         Brief your governing bodies on the current trends and your library's preparation for challenges. Ensure that your advisory board and other pertinent figures (city manager, city council, etc.) are not taken by surprise should a challenge arise. Some thoughts for a meeting:

o    Mention that organized groups are targeting libraries and schools across the country.

o    Avoid singling out specific books (don't say "Our library has (title here) and that title has been challenged elsewhere").

o    Perhaps say instead, "Virtually every library has books that are on the Texas list, as well as many of the books challenged elsewhere."

o    Share your selection and reconsideration policies - or lack thereof.

o    Share information about state intellectual freedom standards and public libraries' obligations.



*         Review your selection and reconsideration policies immediately. Ensure that you have a set procedure for making a decision about a challenged title; the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom has an excellent sample procedure here<https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/selectionpolicytoolkit/formalreconsideration>. Additionally, it is valuable to ensure that your reconsideration policy also includes library displays and programs.



*         If you need to revise or adopt policies, this is a great time to ask - the current trends will help underscore the importance of solid policies. This is Driftwood Public Library's request for reconsideration policy<https://driftwoodlib.org/pdf/policy_request_for_reconsideration_of_materials.pdf>. Deschutes Public Library also has an excellent policy<https://www.deschuteslibrary.org/about/adminrules/1.3.1%20Reconsideration%20of%20Library%20Materials.pdf>; the requirement that a challenge must be signed by a county resident and cannot be signed by a group or organization seems like a useful detail to incorporate.



*         Train library staff on how to handle a book challenge. It could be as simple as "refer any questions to the Library Director", or more detailed training/role play on how to listen calmly, ask open-ended questions, and never to promise any specific action, such as removing a book. Most concerns do not move forward to a formal challenge.



*         Contact the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee<mailto:ifc.chair at olaweb.org> if you need support, and report challenges to library materials, programs, displays etc. to the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse on this form<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/oifc/report>.





More Resources:



*         "Prepare for future challenges" from the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse (OIFC)<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/oifc/prepare>

*         "From Challenge to Recharge: Preparing Your Library Board to Uphold Intellectual Freedom" from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom blog<https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/?p=26248>.




Emily O'Neal (541) 617-7061  emilyo at deschuteslibrary.org<mailto:emilyo at deschuteslibrary.org>

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