Beyond One Book: the wider impact of school library censorship

 As part of the recent CILIP Members’ Fest, I was asked to take part in a panel discussion for the Midlands Member Network, speaking about an issue I was working on within my sector – school librarianship. There were several possibilities I could have chosen; the deprofessionalisation of school library staff, the lack of statutory requirements for school libraries or the widespread public misconceptions about the role and impact of school libraries. In the end, I chose to focus on book banning and censorship – an issue that relatively few other library sectors encounter so directly, yet one that is becoming an increasing concern within school libraries.

A couple of weeks later I was delivering training to a group from LIPSEE (Librarians in Prep Schools) on this same topic. The session included a practical, hands-on exercise on writing a Collection Development Policy and establishing a clear procedure for responding to concerns about books. Coincidentally, during the morning an article about book banning in a Manchester school was published by Index on Censorship. This was not news to me; the CILIP School Libraries Group (SLG - of which I am currently Vice Chair and Treasurer) is supporting the librarian involved and we were aware she had chosen to go public – albeit anonymously and without naming the school. 

I’ve delivered similar training before, both via webinars and in-person, and the reactions have been mixed. Some attendees have embraced the process enthusiastically, drafting policies, securing approval and publishing them on their school websites. Others, however, have been more hesitant. I have heard comments such as, ‘this policy isn’t statutory so we don’t need one’ yet many schools maintain policies that are not statutory - homework and uniform polices, for example, - and no one suggests these are unnecessary.  Occasionally there has even been a reluctance to make a policy public with concerns that doing so might give parents ideas about challenging books. Yet, having a policy that requires parents to read the book in question and clearly outline their specific concerns, alongside a transparent process for reviewing challenges, may in fact discourage some from taking the matter further. 

During the training session I read the article aloud and the collective response in the room was one of shock and concern, with a clear recognition that any one of the librarians present could find themselves in a similar position. I suspect that for quite a few of them, writing or updating a collection development policy has now moved significantly higher up their to-do list.

School libraries hold curated collections by necessity; we simply don’t have the budgets, space or  purpose to purchase and retain every book that is published. Nor should we - school libraries are not archives, they contain dynamic, responsive collections that evolve over time with their holdings reflecting the interests of the students, the requirements of the current curriculum and wider trends in genres, authors and formats. At the same time, materials are selected with careful consideration of students’ reading levels, emotional maturity and age. For that reason, you are unlikely to find an A Level Chemistry textbook in a primary school library, just as you would not expect to see a novel by Louise O’Neill on the shelves of a Key Stage 1 reading corner.

Anyone who has been following the wave of book bans in the United States, or who has seen the recent documentary film, The Librarians, will recognise how serious the situation has become. PEN America has tracked 6870 book bans in the 2024-2025 school year alone and has documented nearly 23.000 bans in US schools since 2021, the majority with themes of identity, race and sexuality. While there is currently no official centralised list tracking challenges in the UK, the cases that have been reported follow very similar patterns and it is increasingly clear that such challenges are becoming more frequent. 

At first glance, book challenges may appear to only affect individual titles within individual school libraries – after all, what difference does the removal of one book make in a collection of 12,000 items? In reality, the implications extend beyond a single title and affect students academically, socially and emotionally. They also raise fundamental questions about authority and representation: who decides what’s appropriate for young people to read, and why should the views of a single parent determine what’s available to every student in the school? Those 23,000 book bans – 72% are from organised movements including pressure groups and government entities wanting to exert influence and control over education.

Research consistently shows that choice and representation play a significant role in increasing reading frequency and comprehension. When students see themselves reflected in books they are more likely to read frequently and with greater understanding. Reducing the range of books available therefore risks undermining motivation and engagement with reading altogether. Removing all of a type of book, for example, books featuring LGBTQ+ characters, not only reduces representation but risks breaching the Equality Act 2010. More importantly,  it sends a message to the school community that LGBTQ+ students are somehow unwelcome or invisible, which can contribute to feelings of marginalisation and isolation. The same would be true if books featuring Muslim characters or other minority groups were systematically removed.

Restricting access to books also reduces opportunities for students to encounter diverse perspectives and viewpoints; exposure to different ideas and experiences is a key component of developing empathy, cultural awareness and what we often refer to as cultural capital. Limiting what students can read therefore has broader educational implications; it constrains intellectual freedom, weakens critical thinking and narrows access to information at precisely the stage when young people are learning to engage with the wider world.

The removal of books from school libraries sets a powerful and troubling precedent. It normalises the idea that restricting access to reading material is an acceptable response to discomfort or disagreement, gradually shifting expectations about what constitutes ‘appropriate’ content – a judgement that is, by its very nature, subjective. At the same time, it challenges the professional expertise of librarians, undermining their role as trained specialists in selecting and managing collections. Libraries themselves are reframed in the process: instead of being recognised as valued, safe spaces for exploration and learning, they begin to be seen as sites of controversy, risk or liability.

This narrative shift has wider consequences. It shapes the way decision makers talk about libraries, influences attitudes towards funding, erodes public trust and invites greater scrutiny from those who may not fully understand the purpose and practice of librarianship.

The effects also ripple far beyond the removal of a single title:

• Librarians begin to self-censor their collections for fear of complaints or repercussions

• Teachers become more cautious about the books they share and the discussions they facilitate in the classroom 

• Reading lists and set texts - including those studied for exams - become narrower and less representative

• Authors and illustrators feel pressure to ‘play it safe’ when writing for children and young people

• Publishers may hesitate to commission or promote books they believe are likely to attract challenges or bans

In this way, censorship is not an abstract concept or isolated incident. It reshapes the cultural and educational landscape in which all libraries operate - school, academic and public alike. Each removed book quietly redraws the boundaries of what can be read, discussed and imagined. And if those boundaries continue to shrink, it is not just individual titles that disappear from shelves but the diversity of voices, experiences and ideas that libraries exist to protect.

 

Managing Safe & Inclusive Library Spaces - CILIP Guidelines make sense for school libraries too.

 CILIP recently published “Managing Safe and Inclusive Public Library Services: a practical guide” - aimed primarily at public libraries but with references to good practice for other library services such as schools and prisons, and with key principles based around CILIP’s ethical framework, that could be applied across all library environments. I always like to read these documents with my school librarian hat on to see if they could be useful to the sector.

School and public libraries are very similar – they have a varied collection of resources (both hard copy and digital), offer a range of services aimed at their community’s needs, provide internet access, and run activities and events – but they are also very dissimilar. A school library community has specific demographics that come with specific needs. There is a range of statutory DfE requirements that need to be taken into consideration along with bespoke policies that may be applicable to that particular school. The library space is managed within the school day with booked and ad hoc lessons, and many school librarians are solo workers, undertaking all library tasks usually managed by a team.

It should also be noted that the guidance has been written in the context of the growing suppression of freedom of expression, the increase in online harms and attacks on marginalised communities. Certainly the school library sector is not immune from these so it is important to be prepared for any such incidences and to ensure that the safe and inclusive spaces we provide for all students are not threatened or diminished. As the guidance says “don’t be scared but do be prepared.”

The contents are divided into several sections, some of which are more relevant to school libraries than others, and the document is eminently readable, a nice change from other published official guidelines I’ve read this year! I’ve highlighted the aspects that I think are the most applicable to school libraries but it’s worth reading the whole document if you have time.

·         Freedom of expression for libraries: This section is based on Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and reinforces CILIP’s ethical and professional commitment within the context of book bans and contested spaces, and the duty of librarians to oppose any form of censorship. The recommendation from CILIP is for librarians to resist the removal of titles, explaining the implications of censorship, and to make CILIP aware of any incidences. This can be hard to do within the framework of a school library. The instinctive reaction of many senior school leaders, when faced with challenges from parents, is to keep the peace and remove the offending item. However, I truly believe this is a slippery slope; once you remove a book merely because somebody has objected to it and not assessed the title against your stock selection policy to determine whether the challenge is valid (or even legal), you have little argument against any other book challenges.

·         Key principles: There are 11 key principles; I’m not going to list them as it’s easy enough to read them fully in the guidance. There’s also a very useful checklist to help library staff consider various issues. All the principles are relevant but some may be of more use to school librarians than others:

- Understanding the law and its limits
Although schools have a range of legal policies and procedures they need to implement, it is important that “access to information, events, activities … should not be prohibited unless it has been prohibited by law.” The reality is that school libraries are “in loco parentis” and need to ensure that their collection and any activities are suitable for the age of the students, which can be difficult when you are working with a range from 11 to 18 years. It can also be hard when parents have different perspectives regarding what they think is suitable for their own children. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t avoid books aimed at older students just because we have younger ones in the school. And we certainly should not let one or two parents determine what is suitable for the whole of the student body to read.

- Reflect on your biases
We are all susceptible to personal biases; I think it’s fair to say that my library collection probably had quite a few books that featured dragons and I had to make a conscious effort to seek out and purchase manga for my students as I’m not a fan myself. So we need to be aware of our own preconceptions and possible prejudices to mitigate their impact. A collection diversity audit can help to overcome this as well as a pro-active approach and training in stock selection, and involve your students in the process to create an inclusive environment.

- Develop appropriate policies
As I’ve mentioned, a school library will be subject to a range of policies that will vary from school to school. The DfE has a list though be aware that these may be different for the devolved nations. Libraries should also have their own policies relating to collection development, weeding, dealing with donations and book challenges, use of the library, IT use, etc. However, it’s my experience that the creation and updating of school library policies receives little attention in most schools. This may be partly because people rarely ask for any library policies. They’re not a statutory requirement and, with most school days filled with a never-ending to-do list and a constant stream of student requests, it’s hard to find the time and motivation to sit down and write them. But they should be the guiding values that underpin your collection and services, ideally linked to the school’s mission, development and relevant policies. And when you receive that book challenge and don’t have a policy to direct the challenger to then it’s almost too late to write it.

- Train your staff
It is important that all library staff are aware of school policies in relation to the library. These tend to be on the website for ease of access so consider adding specific library policies as well. Policies change over time; sign up to the relevant DfE newsletters so you’re not reliant on other staff telling you when they have been amended and ensure you maintain your awareness of any changes in the law that impact on schools. Another important aspect is ensuring staff are aware of library policies, particularly those that deal with book challenges. A parent/carer’s first contact may be with a tutor or member of the SMT rather than the librarian and if they’re not aware of your collection development policy, their first reaction may be to say “they’ll get the librarian to take it off the shelf” – not realising the implications around censorship or the legal requirements of the Equality Act’s protected characteristics. If you have a robust policy in place with clear guidelines and procedures, staff (including the librarian) will have the confidence to deal with any such issues.

- Reflect and learn from experience
As anyone who works in a school will tell you, it is a dynamic environment with constant changes and updates. The library is no exception. This means it is essential that librarians maintain their CPD around the aspects covered in this guidance, and regularly review and adjust any policies.

·         The law and its limits: This section considers intellectual freedom and its limitations in UK law, the Equality Act 2010 and hate speech. These are all relevant to school libraries but it should be noted that public libraries also have byelaws to consider. 

·         Management of stock: The management of library stock is a core function that is on-going and active, changing to reflect the demographics, needs and interests of the school community, and encompassing a range of perspectives and viewpoints. It should be underpinned by a robust collection development policy covering all aspects including selection, weeding, disposal and donations, ensuring the collection is developed according to the policy rather than the personal views or interests of staff, suppliers, parents, etc. However, ultimately, it should be the librarian who makes the final decision as to whether to stock a particular resource; they are the person who knows the existing stock and where there are gaps in the collection, they know the school demographics and students’ interests, they know their readers, and they know the curriculum. Schools need to use their librarian’s experience and knowledge when it comes to collection management.
The section talks about involving others. The majority of school librarians connect with their students to ensure any requests and interests are included in the collection – obviously within reason and assessing for cost effectiveness and suitability. Teacher requests are also taken on board although I find many are unaware of new publications that might be useful within their subject and, in the past, I have ordered requested items only to find, when they arrived, that they were teaching rather than library resources. I soon learnt through this experience!
Promotion is also mentioned and the guidance points out that these activities are to “raise awareness, encourage understanding, improve accessibility and increase library usage” (p29) rather than promoting a particular belief or opinion. I recently saw a post on X (aka Twitter) where a US school librarian said they didn’t put up any Christmas decorations as it wasn’t inclusive. If you follow this thinking through then you also wouldn’t have any displays around Diwali, Hanukkah or the Chinese New Year; surely “inclusiveness” doesn’t mean not celebrating anything but rather including “everyone”? So find out what your school demographics are and make sure you feature displays throughout the year that reflect their festivals and celebrations – this way students will feel welcomed in the library.

·         Public internet access and public spaces: These sections aren’t quite so relevant to school libraries. School internet access will be filtered with many websites blocked (I can remember a student undertaking a project on breast cancer who couldn’t even access the major charities from the library computers) and the school will have its own IT use policy/agreement that all students and parents sign. Likewise, the school library is not a public space; even if the school runs community activities, these are likely to occur outside of school hours when students are not present.

·         Events and activities: Both public and school libraries organise and run a wide range of events and activities. In schools these are often linked to in-house, local or national events and most librarians will have an annual programme designed to entice the school community to engage with the library and to promote sections of the collection. This section (p37 – 45) has a list of possible suggestions that school librarians may find useful, along with some guidance around planning, promoting and evaluating activities and events that could easily be adapted for school library use.

·         Managing challenge: The guidance states that “when considering how best to manage challenges to library services, it is always helpful to work with the governing institution – whether that is a local authority, school board or prison governor (p46).” It really is vital that you have the support of your Headteacher and governing body with regards to your Collection Development policy and procedures for dealing with any challenges. Without this support, you are likely to be one small protesting voice, which could feel rather daunting. If you’re not sure how to approach this, why not write a draft policy and discuss it with your line manager, raising the US book banning situation and the increase of such incidences in the UK. Librarians who have spoken to their Heads about this have reported that the Head had no idea and was shocked, immediately getting involved in creating a procedure for any challenges. If you’re not sure where to start I’ve written a blog about creating a Collection Development Policy.

This is an extremely relevant and beneficial document, and the above is a brief overview. It is unlikely your SMT will read it as they will see it as being aimed at public libraries and thus not relevant to the school library so it may be on you, the school librarian, to extract the pertinent points. At the very least, it will provide you with valuable CPD reading to increase your knowledge around managing a safe and inclusive space – and there’s also lots of links to websites for further investigation.

What is a Collection Development Policy and how do you create one?

I was at a recent CPD event with school librarians and the discussion turned to book banning in US schools. It was interesting how many of them had never heard about this but, I guess, if you don’t spend a lot of time on social media then it’s possible the current situation may not have crossed your radar. However, I was also surprised at the number of librarians who didn’t have a collection development policy. There were lots of reasons given for this: they had never felt they needed one; they used to have one but no one looked at it; nobody had asked for one; and, the most common, they didn’t know how to write one or what to include. Hence this blog …

It is understandable that, if you are never asked about your collection development policy and any mention of “maybe we need a collection development policy” is met with blank looks, you are unlikely to spend time writing one when you have a myriad of to-do things on your list.  But a robust policy will guide the strategic development of the library, providing clear guidelines and criteria for the selection of material as well as allowing you to make informed decisions regarding deselection, funding and purchasing. It will align the library goals with those of the school, ensuring resources are diverse, inclusive and of relevance to the school community, support intellectual freedom, reduce bias and censorship, and give you a clear structure to follow in the case of any challenges to resources, taking into account both legal and ethical respects.

So what do you include in your policy? Some considerations:

A clear and concise mission statement: this should reflect the educational values and objectives of the school, and determine the purpose and goals of the library collection. Such as:

“The mission of the school library is to foster a love of reading, inspire intellectual curiosity and engender students to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners. The library supports the academic, social and emotional growth of all students, providing an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and respect for different perspectives with material that allows students to explore a wide range of ideas and voices.”

“The mission of the school library is to provide a welcoming and inclusive space where students can explore, discover and learn. It supports the academic and personal growth of all students by providing a wide range of resources, fostering a love of reading and supporting the development of media and information literacy skills.”

The selection criteria for all resources. This should state that the collection will reflect the school curriculum and interests of the students as well as providing resources for recreational and academic reading, wellbeing and social development that are relevant, accurate, up-to-date and current. It should also say that resources will support cultural diversity and a wide range of ideas, opinions and viewpoints.

Incorporating the Equality Act 2010 into your policy ensures it aligns with the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion – be specific and identify the protected characteristics as not everyone may be aware of what they are; the DfE have produced useful information relating to the Equality Act and schools. You can then say that resources will cover and represent all protected characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 states that a school cannot “discriminate in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service.” It also cannot employ indirect discrimination, for example, by not having any books with LGTBQ+ characters or that mention LGBTQ+ relationships, as this has the effect of putting people with a protected characteristic at a disadvantage with the school is failing to provide equitable access to information. Nor can one group deny the needs of another.

Librarians use their professional judgement and experience when buying resources, taking into account the needs of the school community to ensure that they have a wide range of material for all ages and abilities.  Maintaining this book knowledge requires continual CPD as well as an awareness of resources that are being promoted on social media amongst teens and young people and what may be deemed controversial but this can change with time. The rewriting of Roald Dahl books is evidence of this; my Year 1 grandson told me that his class reader was Matilda but “the old one not the new one” – I’m not sure if he is even aware that they’ve been rewritten but his teacher obviously felt that she needed to emphasise this in case parents questioned which version was being used.

Format of resources held such as hard copy and ebooks, audio and visual resources. These will vary from school to school.

Access to the collection. This section will detail how students and staff can access library materials and, again, will vary in each school. It will depend on how library resources are categorised within the library and the ages of your students. In some libraries, resources are kept within one large collection allowing students to borrow from anywhere in the library whilst others have books in different sections, such as a sixth form collection, senior fiction, Year 9 and above, etc. and restrict borrowing to those groups, with exceptions being made if the student has parental permission. Some schools operate an opt-out rather than opt-in system for this. In other libraries, stickers are used on books to denote more mature content and the Library Management System (LMS) can be used to restrict access to any resource. Regardless of what system you use there will always be anomalies but you may find it useful to include a statement such as “The library will not knowingly hold resources that are felt to be discriminatory or inappropriate but parents should recognise that material with challenging content or adult themes will not be censored or excluded.”

I used to have a senior fiction collection which contained books for older readers, some of which were published as adult books, for example, Stephen King. However, I had two copies of some books - for example, Lord of the Rings – one in the main collection and one in senior fiction, and I also placed my classics in senior fiction as I felt they put off younger and reluctant readers from browsing the shelves but allowed any students to borrow them.    

School librarian, Carol Webb, has created a book plate that she uses in the front of possible problematic classic texts, for example, The Secret Garden, acknowledging content and providing a range of questions for discussion. This is done with the hope of creating awareness and discourse.

Books have no legal age rating; they are simply published as either children’s or adult books. Some of the former may have recommended ages on them but, unlike videos, these are not legal requirements and there are many adult books that would be perfectly suitable for children assuming they had the reading maturity and stamina to get through them. Additionally, parents and carers need to understand that, in a school where students range from 11 – 18 years and share the same library space, there will be resources aimed at older students that may not be suitable for the younger ones. Assessing each book’s suitability can be difficult involving the reading level of the book, the contents, the themes covered and in how much detail, inferences within the text, as well as taking into account the individual student and their maturity and personal circumstances. Those who are part of any school librarian community will know that there are constant discussions about age appropriateness for various titles and, as it’s not possible to read every single book, we need to rely on the knowledge of other professionals in the field. The placement of a book is also not set in stone and many librarians will move books from one section to another.

Collection maintenance. Any collection needs to be evaluated and weeded regularly to ensure it meets the evolving needs of the school community, which do not remain static, as well as societal and cultural changes regarding language and ideas. Students’ interests change, authors wane in popularity, and every year there are new books published and award winners to be read. Genres also go through phases of popularity as those in school libraries during the Twilight films will attest to. The criteria for purchasing items should be applied when you are weeding your collection; is it relevant, accurate, up-to-date and current?

The procedure and criteria for accepting donations needs to align with that of selecting resources. Most school librarians are happy to accept donations; in fact, with some budgets being almost non-existent many rely on these to increase their stock. However, not all donations are suitable – many is the time I’ve been presented with a large box of books, all published over thirty years ago or they’ve been titles that I know will just sit on the shelves and never borrowed. School libraries have limited shelf space and every book needs to earn its place. It is, therefore, important to state that unsuitable donations will be given to charity or recycled.

The procedure for book challenges should be part of the policy. If a parent/carer is unhappy with a book their child has brought home and they feel it is inappropriate or unsuitable for their child they need to know who to contact and what will be done about their concerns. Communication should be open, with everyone able to express their viewpoints and perspective but, whilst individual values and beliefs should be respected, the library has to provide a diverse range of books and one person should not be able to dictate what other students can or cannot read and you may have to explain the Equality Act to them, referencing the school’s policy on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). There are options: often the assurance that their child will not be able to borrow such books in the future is enough to reassure them but you may want to assess the book to determine whether it should be moved to another, restricted, section of the collection or removed. Whatever decision is made should be based on educational and professional judgements not personal bias and the rationale should be given. This process needs to be fair and consistent – even if your favourite book is challenged!

Things to consider:

·         Ensure you are familiar with the Equality Act and how it relates to resources and services in schools.

·         Ensure you, as the librarian, have responsibility for collection development and management but also consider who makes the final decision in the event of any challenges. Will your professional judgement and experience (and that of other school librarians) be taken into account?

·         Ensure you are familiar with the CILIP, CILIP SLG and SLA joint statement on censorship and intellectual freedom in school libraries. Add it to your library handbook and put a link on your library website. The SLG & SLG are running a series of webinars on censorship in May which will be available to members on their websites; these will provide useful CPD on this area.

·         Think carefully about adding trigger warnings. Some books have these already on the back and they can be added to the LMS as keywords or noted in the front of the book. However, it is likely that you will miss some and so students need to be aware that not all trigger warnings may be covered in every book.

·         Decide what your policy is for students who bring in their own books from home that are not suitable for their age group. This has become more of an issue since the popularity of BookTok and most librarians ask them to bring something else to read.

·         Involve stakeholders in creating your policy. This gives them ownership and the multiple sources of input will likely result in a more balanced document. If you can include a member of your SMT, even better! But don’t worry if you don’t get much interest – don’t let this stop you from writing your policy.

·         If you already have a policy, review it and revise, if necessary, to incorporate commitment to an inclusive collection that underpins the school’s commitment to diverse perspectives and intellectual freedom.

·         Put your collection development policy on the school website. This is where other school policies can be found and, likely, will be the first place parents look when wanting to contact the school about an issue.

Remember, writing a collection development policy should not be a long and complicated process; in fact, it should be clear and concise document. It can (should) be revised and updated so it is better to have something rather than redraft and redraft until you feel you have the perfect policy for publication. If you wait until you think it’s perfect, it will never get done (a bit like this blog – I’m sure there are other things I should and could have mentioned)! It’s also easier to engage people if you have a draft for them to work with.

Finally – I’ve occasionally met the attitude “I don’t want to mention book challenges in case it gives people ideas” – a sort of hide your head in the sand approach. However, recently a school librarian said that they mentioned the US situation to their Head who was appalled and immediately got on board with having a collection development policy; forearmed is better than being unprepared.