Augusta County School Board approves revised library book policy

VERONA — Daniel Carter stood before the Augusta County School Board last week and thanked the members for reviewing the library policy.

"Another thank you I'd like to give is protecting our children, my grandchildren," Carter said. "Our culture should be protecting them, but it's not."

He went on tell the board that sex education should be taught by parents, not schools, and explicit books shouldn't be in school libraries.

In recent months at least four books have been brought before the school division with concerns they contained sexually explicit language, including themes of sexual abuse. The policy on selecting, and reviewing, books in school libraries has been considered the past few months by the school board.

Tasslyn Magnusson, a researcher who works with EveryLibrary and PEN America, told The News Leader in January that removing books from school libraries could exacerbate an already growing mental health crisis among youth.

"Often books provide a means to know that you're not alone, that you're not the only one experiencing some of these struggles," Magnusson said. "Whether it's from domestic violence in your home to sexual assault to even having an LGBTQ identity.

The revised policy, after being tabled in March, was approved 6-1 by the school board at the April 4 meeting. The only no vote was from North River representative Sharon Griffin, who had issues with some of the resources used for the selection criteria, including the American Library Association.

A lot of the new policy includes the addition of clarifying language, including adding classroom libraries as part of the selection process for books. The school division said that was already being done in practice but wasn't in the policy.

The policy now also includes a reference to Virginia Code that deals with sexually explicit content in instructional materials.

Parents can also now receive, on an opt-in basis, notification of what their children checkout from the library. That information will be included in fall registration for the 2024-25 school year.

The process to challenge books, which is what happened with the four books mentioned earlier, didn't change but the roles on the committees that consider the challenges were clarified. The challenge process begins with the building principal and classroom teacher or school librarian and escalates from there. During the process the principal may restrict access to the book for up to 30 days during the review process.

The form that a parent fills out to challenge a book hasn't been changed, per Sarah Melton, assistant superintendent for instruction. There was some feeling among board members, who had talked with parents, that the form was too long.

"We do feel that if we're going to be looking at potentially removing a book from circulation for all students at a school or the entire division that there should be some weight behind and some thought and intentionality behind the process," Melton told the board at the March meeting.

She said the form asks for specific reasons for challenging books to help prevent people from just providing a list of titles. It provides a frame of reference to the the committee. Melton said its only a two-page form.

One of Griffin's main objections to the policy was a reference to acting in accordance with applicable principles set forth in the American Library Association's (ALA) bill of rights.

"The ALA is no longer interested in protecting children," Griffin said.

Melton explained that the ALA is simply one of many resources to help librarians in selecting books. Those librarians aren't bound by anything the ALA says, but it is a leading professional organization that can offer guidance.

The ALA said it "affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services."

It's bill of rights listed on the organization's website includes:

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

• Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

• Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

• A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

• Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

• All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

"I sure hope our teachers have not bought in to this library bill of rights, because that bill of rights removes any idea of age appropriateness," Griffin said. "I sure hope we don't have a single librarian who thinks they ALA is right in removing any notion of age appropriateness."

Griffin moved that any reference to the library bill of rights be removed from the policy. That motion failed 5-2 with only Griffin and Mike Lawson voting in favor.

Griffin also objected to several publications in the policy that helped guide librarians in selecting books. Among those publications she objected to were School Library Journal, Horn Book, Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly and the American Library Association.

"Because none of those publications has much concern about protecting children from pornography," Griffin said.

That motion failed 4-3, with Griffin, Lawson and Tim Simmons voting in favor.

The reference to the library bill of rights and the four publications to which Griffin objected remain in the policy that was passed at the meeting.

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— Patrick Hite is The News Leader's education reporter. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Augusta County School Board approves revised library book policy