We will share our experience, our updated collection development and challenged book policies.
There has been an uptick in book challenges nationwide and the Troy School District has been in the thick of it. We plan to share our experiences and our updated policies so that other librarians can be ready if/when the challenges come their way.
ALA's stance on the library's responsibility to house books that support all people is very clear. The current challenges to library materials are very much targeted toward removing the stories of characters who are POC, or who are LGBTQIA+, or who are from different cultural backgrounds, or who deviate from what is traditionally seen as “the norm”, or that show our history from a non-white perspective. It is important that we maintain collections that allow students to read books that serve as "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors" (Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop).
Teacher librarian at Boulan Park and Smith Middle Schools in Troy, MI. Our shared middle school media website is www.troymiddleschoolmediacenter.weebly.com.