[Libs-Or] IFC Statement Commending McMinnville School District for Materials Retention

[Intellectual Freedom Committee]

Hello OLA community,
Today, the IFC published a Statement Commending McMinnville School District
for Materials Retention.  Each month the OIFC publishes a "Tuesday Topic"
but for this month (on a Wednesday) it seemed more important to highlight
this statement and findings.  Therefore, please see the attached and below
copied statement:

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the IFC!

Best,
IFC




Statement from the Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom
Committee

RE: McMinnville School District’s denial of appeal regarding challenged
books

The Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC)
applauds the recent decision by the McMinnville School Board to retain
seven challenged titles in their high school library.

The school board voted during their October 14th meeting to deny the appeal
of the district’s earlier decision to retain the challenged books. The
district is commended for having good policy in place for managing requests
for the reconsideration of library materials. The district is especially
commended for following their documented policy from start to finish,
culminating in the board’s denial of the appeal. As a result of this
decision, the following books remain on the library shelves:

   -

   Looking for Alaska by John Green;
   -

   Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews Nolun;
   -

   Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin; and
   -

   Glass; Smoke; Perfect; and Tricks, all by Ellen Hopkins


Most importantly, the district sent a strong message defending the
constitutional rights of their students and their parents or guardians to
make their own choices about reading materials, and not to impose those
choices on other students.

Not every book is right for every student, but every student deserves the
right to freely read what is right for them. The IFC is grateful the
McMinnville School Board understands and defends this fundamental right,
and calls on school districts throughout Oregon to follow their excellent
example.

The Oregon Library Association (OLA) is a professional organization of
Oregon library workers and includes the Oregon Intellectual Freedom
Committee. The IFC provides expertise and support for intellectual freedom
issues on behalf of the Oregon Library Association and is the professional
committee with the charges to support intellectual freedom and to respond
to censorship. The OLA in combination with the IFC supports Oregon school
and public libraries in managing challenges to materials within their
library collections.


-- 
Chair - ifc.chair at olaweb.org
Intellectual Freedom Committee https://www.olaweb.org/if-home
Oregon Library Association https://www.olaweb.org/

Disclaimer: all information provided by the IFC is intended for
informational purposes only.  This is not to be considered legal advice.
Should you need legal advice, we recommend contacting a practicing attorney
in your jurisdiction.
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