School Library Journal article about one school librarian's experience has sample policies and tips that the librarian wished she had known. Please note that the policies are for school libraries. What's It Like to Be the Target of A Book Banning Effort?
SLJ also has an entire section of their website dedicated to censorship news: https://www.slj.com/section/censorship?&page_number=2
Moms for Liberty- Social Emotional Learning
Book Removals May Have Violated Students’ Rights, Education Department Says (New York Times, May 22, 2023): Click here to access
Miller Test: The Miller Test is the primary legal test for determining whether expression constitutes obscenity. It is named after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Miller v. California (1973).
Why is this important? The common question on materials reconsideration forms, "Have you read this work in its entirety" relates to the Miller Test. The words "taken as a whole" directly relate to this specific question.
The U.S. Supreme Court established the test that judges and juries use to determine whether matter is obscene in three major cases: Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, 24-25 (1973); Smith v. United States, 431 U.S. 291, 300-02, 309 (1977); and Pope v. Illinois, 481 U.S. 497, 500-01 (1987)The three-pronged Miller test is as follows:
Red Wine and Blue: Book Ban Busters
Defense of Democracy: Advocating for inclusive public education
Book Résumés from Unite Against Book Bans
Book Résumés help teachers, librarians, parents, and community members defend books from censorship. They detail each title’s significance and educational value and are easy to share with administrators, book review committees, elected officials, and board members.
Report Challenged Library Materials in NYS
From NYLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee
Book Censorship Database by Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson: The EveryLibrary Institute and EveryLibrary are partnering with Dr. Tasslyn Magnusson, an independent researcher focused on the networks, organizations, and individual actors who are leading book banning and book challenge efforts in our nation's school libraries and public libraries.
ALA Resource Guide for Library Safety and Preparedness: "The past months have seen threats directed to public and school libraries and library workers, including the forced temporary closure of five public library systems due to bomb and shooting threats. With the safety of our members being our utmost priority, PLA and ALA have compiled a range of resources and knowledge to help library workers and patrons stay safe and prepared. We will add to these resources on a rolling basis."
Every Library: Has advocacy and book challenge resources
Merritt Fund: Devoted to the support, maintenance, medical care, and welfare of librarians who, in the Trustees’ opinion, are:
Denied employment rights or discriminated against on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, religion, age, disability, or place of national origin; or
Denied employment rights because of defense of intellectual freedom; that is, threatened with loss of employment or discharged because of their stand for the cause of intellectual freedom, including promotion of freedom of the press, freedom of speech, the freedom of librarians to select items for their collections from all the world’s written and recorded information, and defense of privacy rights.
United Against Book Bans (ALA): Includes took kit and talking points about book challenges
Book Riot Check Your Shelf Newsletter: Includes list of book challenge news from around the country (must be subscribed, but I can forward to anyone who wants to look before subscribing)
PEN America on Book Bans: includes statistics on the topics of books being banned, target age group of materials, groups pushing for bans, and more.
Article: Censorship of NY State Librarians: https://bookriot.com/book-censorship-news-march-11-2022/?fbclid=IwAR1MYACvJTEo_YxXSvwHfkaJuEp9wgQCVmav7B3MLaDSh1Y1FQX8z6brJgc
NYS Department of Education Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative.
ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom: https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/oif. Report your challenge and receive guidance. Speak with Deborah Caldwell-Stone, Joyce McIntosh, or Eric Stroshane.
ALA Challenge Reporting: https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund: http://cbldf.org/
United Against Book Bans: https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/ Speak with Betsy Gomez for additional help and guidance.
Become a Book Sanctuary: https://www.booksanctuary.org/
2022 Book Ban Data (ALA): https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/book-ban-data
Letter to Legislators (includes template) (Book Riot): https://bookriot.com/template-to-write-legislators-about-book-bans/
School Library Journal article about one school librarian's experience has sample policies and tips that the librarian wished she had known. Please note that the policies are for school libraries. What's It Like to Be the Target of A Book Banning Effort?
ALA Templates for Request for Reconsideration forms. Make sure your form describes who is/isn’t eligible to submit it; what fields or questions on the form must be completed in order for it to be reviewed; a description of the internal evaluation process; time frame for a decision to be made. Make sure your library attorney reviews/approves the form.
ALSC Tooklit for Program Challenges:
Includes program proposal forms and sample policies.