From Greta.BERGQUIST at slo.oregon.gov  Fri Mar  6 12:17:10 2026
From: Greta.BERGQUIST at slo.oregon.gov (BERGQUIST Greta * SLO)
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2026 20:17:10 +0000
Subject: [kids-lib] Friday, March 6th Shoutout
Message-ID: <PH0PR09MB8506040E60FBC2BB9B52882AD97AA@PH0PR09MB8506.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>

Hi folks,

Whew! We made it to Friday in the first week of March! The daffodils have made an appearance and are cheerfully reminding us spring is SO CLOSE. Other good things around the state this week include:


  *   Astoria hosted a march to honor suffragette Abigail Scott Duniway: https://discoverourcoast.com/2026/03/01/march-forth-with-a-formidable-equal-rights-pioneer/.<https://discoverourcoast.com/2026/03/01/march-forth-with-a-formidable-equal-rights-pioneer/> Have a
  *   Ione is hosting a puzzle-palooza: https://www.facebook.com/ionepubliclibrary/posts/pfbid02VamhNVD2ipS7rYJC6bM6sp5LWV3i4awpb9ihBjUpZhoW2FkqvgRffSpyZbx5hEcTl.<https://www.facebook.com/ionepubliclibrary/posts/pfbid02VamhNVD2ipS7rYJC6bM6sp5LWV3i4awpb9ihBjUpZhoW2FkqvgRffSpyZbx5hEcTl>
  *   McMinnville is offering teens financial literacy support: https://www.facebook.com/mcmlibrary/posts/pfbid031VaJ6LTBYtbccdHXmhQ4FnvzsDc3YHthEAUbw7L6XcNYFHzQS4ePVLYcFqc6ssTkl.<https://www.facebook.com/mcmlibrary/posts/pfbid031VaJ6LTBYtbccdHXmhQ4FnvzsDc3YHthEAUbw7L6XcNYFHzQS4ePVLYcFqc6ssTkl>
  *   Salem is hosting a "Know Your Rights" presentation in Spanish: https://www.facebook.com/spl.oregon/posts/pfbid032zqLPW8DAA75C3SoTrM9yf8BETDMvCWtK7SN2PZSBgfQQ57127Hfjb498LTXzi9Kl.<https://www.facebook.com/spl.oregon/posts/pfbid032zqLPW8DAA75C3SoTrM9yf8BETDMvCWtK7SN2PZSBgfQQ57127Hfjb498LTXzi9Kl>
  *   Wilsonville offers kids some sensory support options while visiting the library: https://www.facebook.com/WilsonvilleLibrary/posts/pfbid02cStyvvY2YCn7rT5QKG96wMpvs7jGPKAtmbsEyJuz3gH1hRhGAWunPPMENr9RaH1l.<https://www.facebook.com/WilsonvilleLibrary/posts/pfbid02cStyvvY2YCn7rT5QKG96wMpvs7jGPKAtmbsEyJuz3gH1hRhGAWunPPMENr9RaH1l>

Have a great weekend!

Best,
Greta

Greta Bergquist, MLIS, MAT (she/her/hers)
Youth Services Consultant
State Library of Oregon
greta.bergquist at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:greta.bergquist at slo.oregon.gov>  | 971-375-3549
www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>

[Title: State Library of Oregon]

[https://res.cdn.office.net/assets/bookwithme/misc/CalendarPerson20px.png]<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/1c6ecfda2cf847cbb61fed6237b880f6 at slo.oregon.gov?anonymous&ep=signature>
Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/1c6ecfda2cf847cbb61fed6237b880f6 at slo.oregon.gov?anonymous&ep=signature>



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From Jennifer.MAURER at slo.oregon.gov  Fri Mar  6 13:49:05 2026
From: Jennifer.MAURER at slo.oregon.gov (MAURER Jennifer * SLO)
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2026 21:49:05 +0000
Subject: [kids-lib] Reminder - Call for IF Champion Nominations Due 3/12
In-Reply-To: <CALuDJve_OTW+wAwwkB6SiQ_y4b842WD0-Bca8AfJD5SMOxD5EQ@mail.gmail.com>
References: <CALuDJve_OTW+wAwwkB6SiQ_y4b842WD0-Bca8AfJD5SMOxD5EQ@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <CO6PR09MB73689BA8C5F5B0C8A5A14053CF7AA@CO6PR09MB7368.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>

Please pardon the cross-posting. Hi, folks. Here's a chance to honor someone you respect for their role in defending intellectual freedom in or for Oregon. Details are below. - Best, Jen (Jen Maurer, School Library Consultant, State Library of Oregon, jennifer.maurer at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:jennifer.maurer at slo.oregon.gov> & IFC member)

From: Libs-Or <libs-or-bounces at omls.oregon.gov> On Behalf Of Intellectual Freedom Committee via Libs-Or
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2026 1:44 PM
To: libs-or at omls.oregon.gov
Subject: [Libs-Or] Reminder - Call for IF Champion Nominations Due 3/12

Reminder - the deadline for Intellectual Freedom Champion nominations is Thursday, March 12th!

Do you know a defender of intellectual freedom? Nominate them for the Intellectual Freedom Champion of the Year Award!

You may submit your nomination via this Google Form<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHaqLsQ0JLk-MeNreFRigkzIjxcL46Go1OLAxnwdSXjr5uRw/viewform>, or you can use the attached application.

Nominations are open through Thursday, March 12th.

The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Oregon Library Association offers the OLA Intellectual Freedom Champion of the Year Award in recognition of the contribution made by an individual, group of individuals, or an organization or institution that has actively promoted or defended intellectual freedom in Oregon. The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Oregon Library Association administers the Award and presents it at the Annual Awards Banquet held at the OLA Annual Conference.

The OLA Intellectual Freedom Champion of the Year Award recognizes truly outstanding effort in promoting the principles of intellectual freedom.  The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Oregon Library Association (http://www.olaweb.org/if-home) administers the award and presents it at the awards banquet held at the OLA Annual Conference.

Qualifications for recipients:

  *   Nominations are limited to individuals or institutions whose efforts benefited Oregon, or who were residents of Oregon at the time when they promoted intellectual freedom in an outstanding way. Nominees do not have to be OLA members.
  *   Nominations may be made for activities ongoing or completed in the previous five years.
  *   Persons who have won the award during the past five (5) years are ineligible.
  *   Current voting members of the OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) are ineligible.

Nomination process:

  *   Nominations will be solicited using the OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee's website, OLA Hotline Newsletter, OASL Newsletter, and Libs-OR and OASL listservs.
  *   Nominations will be accepted through a nomination form.  The form will be available by request from the Intellectual Freedom Committee and will also be available on the IFC webpage.
  *   Each nomination should be documented with a narrative statement and any news releases, supporting letters, published articles and other documentation that supports the nomination.
  *   One copy of the completed nomination form and supporting materials shall be submitted to the IFC by two (2) months prior to the OLA annual meeting.

Criteria used in selecting a winner:

  *   Developed an innovative information program relating to intellectual freedom issues;
  *   Upheld intellectual freedom principles in the face of challenge;
  *   Actively promoted intellectual freedom principles in his/her sphere; and/or
  *   Exemplified the spirit of intellectual freedom.

Nominations are currently OPEN<https://forms.gle/Ra3dUjNiYRKiTrmm6>.  Please submit nominee information via this Google Form<https://forms.gle/Ra3dUjNiYRKiTrmm6> no later than Mar 12, 2026.

For more information, please contact the chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee. Current chair(s) are listed on the About the Intellectual Freedom Committee<http://www.olaweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=523:intellectual-freedom-about-us&catid=20:site-content> page.

--
Chair - ifc.chair at olaweb.org<mailto: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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From Jennifer.MAURER at slo.oregon.gov  Tue Mar 10 14:09:23 2026
From: Jennifer.MAURER at slo.oregon.gov (MAURER Jennifer * SLO)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:09:23 +0000
Subject: [kids-lib] IFC Tuesday Topics: Senate Bill 1098, Guidance,
 and Instructional Materials Policies
In-Reply-To: <CO6PR09MB7368A533521AA8D44AF730DFCF46A@CO6PR09MB7368.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
References: <CO6PR09MB7368A533521AA8D44AF730DFCF46A@CO6PR09MB7368.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <CO6PR09MB73689F4B3FA0871166EFC560CF46A@CO6PR09MB7368.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>

Please pardon the cross-posting.
[cid:image004.png at 01DCB097.7E0ACEA0]Hi Folks,
In this Tuesday Topic from the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC), you'll learn about Senate Bill 1098 and new publications that provide guidance about its requirements. The primary audience is school library staff, but I know that staff in all library types were interested in the bill. The PDF version of the topic is attached and will be available on the IFC website<https://www.olaweb.org/if-resources> soon.
Best,
Jen


Senate Bill 1098, Guidance, and Instructional Materials Policies
Tuesday Topics: March 2026

Welcome to Tuesday Topics, a monthly series covering topics with intellectual freedom implications for libraries of all types. Each message is prepared by a member of OLA's Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) or a guest writer. Questions can be directed to the author of the topic or to the IFC.

Senate Bill 1098
Senate Bill 1098<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/SB1098>, also referred to as the Freedom to Read Act, reinforces that it is illegal to discriminate against protected classes as it relates to materials used in Oregon public schools. It became law in the summer of 2025 and is codified in Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 337<https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors337.html>.277 and 337.280 (school and classroom library materials), ORS 337.260 (textbooks and instructional materials), and ORS 336<https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors336.html>.082(3) (curriculum and program materials). Protected classes are listed in ORS 659<https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors659.html>.850 as race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age, or disability.

Below are SB1098 requirements to be aware of in relation to school and classroom library materials:

  *   Any person responsible for the selection or retention of classroom and school library materials may not prohibit the selection or retention of those materials on the basis that the materials include a perspective, study or story of, or are created by a person or group belonging to a protected class.
  *   Any person who is not responsible for the selection of classroom and school library materials may not remove the materials, except as part of a reconsideration process.
  *   When classroom and school library materials are challenged, the following must happen:
     *   The challenger must submit a formal written request for reconsideration. The request can only be submitted by a parent or guardian of a student of the school or by an employee of the school.
     *   The school district must do the following in response to a formal written request for reconsideration:
        *   Ensure the materials remain in circulation throughout the reconsideration process.
        *   Form a reconsideration committee at the school or district level to review the request, following district policy or procedure.
        *   Ensure the following requirements are met if the reconsideration committee decides to remove materials:

           *   Ensure the removal is not occurring because the materials include a perspective, study or story of, or are created by a person or group belonging to a protected class.

           *   Provide a public written explanation for the removal, which must happen before materials are removed.

Guidance about Senate Bill 1098 and Book Challenges
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) is responsible for overseeing and providing technical assistance about Senate Bill 1098. To help districts better understand their new responsibilities, ODE published an FAQ<https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/civilrights/Documents/SB%201098%20FAQs.pdf> that addresses everything from general definitions to specific scenarios such as how religious materials factor into the new law. It also explains how to report a district that violates the law and consequences for such violations. If you have questions for ODE, Tina Roberts<mailto:tina.roberts at ode.oregon.gov> is a first point of contact because her responsibilities as the Language Arts Education Specialist include answering questions about school library compliance.

Also, ODE and the State Library recently updated the document, Addressing Challenged Materials in K-12 Education: Guidance to School Districts<https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/ELA/Documents/Challenged_Materials_SB_1098_Update.pdf>. It covers SB1098 in both a new section about the bill and within the "Recommendations for Addressing Challenged Materials" section. Another major change is that policy recommendations were moved from the "District-Level Administrators" section to the "Guiding Principles" section. Plus, the new version clarifies that teacher-selected material is an example of supplemental material rather than being its own category.

In addition, Senate Bill 1098 is referenced in sections about schools<https://slo.oregon.gov/iftoolkit/school> and laws<https://slo.oregon.gov/iftoolkit/laws> on the Intellectual Freedom Toolkit and on the State Library's intellectual freedom<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries/Pages/School-IF.aspx> and administrative rules<https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries/Pages/School-OARs.aspx> webpages for school library staff. Individuals updating policies might also find the American Library Association's Selection & Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, & Academic Libraries<https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/selectionpolicytoolkit> helpful.

Instructional Materials Policy and Administrative Regulations (ARs)
As shared in a November 2024 Tuesday Topic<https://www.olaweb.org/assets/IntellectualFreedom/IF_Resources/OLA_IFC_Tue_Topic_2024-11_OSBA%20Instructional_Materials_Policy_Update.pdf>, the IFC and Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL) collaborated with the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) to update OSBA's sample instructional materials policy and related administrative regulations. More recently, OSBA updated those documents to incorporate SB1098 requirements.

Here are some of the major changes, as they relate to school and classroom library materials:

  *   Added language about not being able to prohibit the selection, retention, or removal of materials on the basis that the materials include a perspective, study or story of, or are created by a person or group belonging to a protected class.
  *   Added references to sections of Senate Bill 1098 and relevant Oregon Revised Statutes.
  *   Changed "school library materials and classroom library materials" to "library materials made available in classroom and school libraries" and updated the definitions of those terms to align with ORS 337.277.
  *   Removed students and district residents from the list of those eligible to request the reconsideration of materials.
  *   Added "and shall not be removed" to this: "Use of the material identified in the request for reconsideration will not be suspended and shall not be removed during the reconsideration process."
  *   Added "An item approved for removal shall not be removed until a written explanation for removal from the committee is made available to the public (if the committee recommended removal)."
  *   Added "or retention" to this: "The person responsible for the selection or retention of the material in question..."
  *   Added "Only requests for reconsideration from a staff member responsible for the selection or retention of the material, a staff member of the school or a parent or guardian of a student of the school will be considered."
  *   Revised some of the process for reporting and appealing decisions about the reconsideration of materials.

Another important update from OSBA includes how to retrieve copies of the instructional materials policy and ARs. Previously, OSBA allowed school library staff to contact them directly to request copies. However, now anyone who wants access to the documents must make the request through traditional district channels. Also, remember that a district must be a member of OSBA to access the documents, though most are, and a district may already have copies on hand.

Next Steps and Conclusion
School library staff and others who have a vested interest - it's important to be proactive concerning SB1098. Please consider doing the following, if you haven't already:

  *   Become familiar with the language and requirements of Senate Bill 1098 and the related Oregon Revised Statutes.
  *   Help administrators, classroom teachers, and library staff become familiar with SB1098.
  *   Encourage relevant staff and the school board to update the district's instructional materials policy (IIA) and related administrative regulations to reflect SB1098 requirements.

Thanks for taking time to understand Senate Bill 1098 and to educate others about it! And, a final encouragement - please reach out to the IFC<https://www.olaweb.org/contact-ifc> for support if you are experiencing an intellectual freedom issue, such as a book challenge. Another option for school library staff is to contact any of these members directly: Marie Felgentrager<mailto:intellectualfreedom at oasl.olaweb.org> (OASL Intellectual Freedom Representative), Tamara Ottum<mailto:tamara.ottum at slo.oregon.gov> (Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse, State Library of Oregon), or Jen Maurer<mailto:jennifer.maurer at slo.oregon.gov> (School Library Consultant, State Library of Oregon).

Jen Maurer, MLS (she/her)
School Library Consultant, State Library of Oregon
jennifer.maurer at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:jennifer.maurer at slo.oregon.gov> | 971-375-3540 | https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries

[Logo with this text: State Library of Oregon, Library Support and Development Services]
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From Greta.BERGQUIST at slo.oregon.gov  Tue Mar 10 14:14:12 2026
From: Greta.BERGQUIST at slo.oregon.gov (BERGQUIST Greta * SLO)
Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:14:12 +0000
Subject: [kids-lib] Summer Reading Meetup Wednesday March 11th 12:15
In-Reply-To: <PH0PR09MB8506A1906F1DB430D29939B1D963A@PH0PR09MB8506.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
References: <PH0PR09MB850616301BBAC669EB4C0393D98EA@PH0PR09MB8506.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
 <PH0PR09MB8506A1906F1DB430D29939B1D963A@PH0PR09MB8506.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: <PH0PR09MB85065671D956ACE16ED64E5BD946A@PH0PR09MB8506.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>

Hi folks,

Come chat about all things summer tomorrow! We'll meet from 12:15-1:15 (That gives you time to grab your lunch and hop on with it, please feel free to eat during this meeting) All library staff are welcome.

Zoom link here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88028051043

We're hoping to discuss:

  *   Working with community partners, including schools
  *   How all staff can have a GOOD TIME while implementing summer reading programs
  *   And more! Bring any topics coming up for you to get ideas and feedback from the group

You can find more links and good stuff in the OYAN/CSD Summer Reading 2026 Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O8SW4V3HJmTYS-k767oCVxKFuHZIhiL6?usp=sharing\ and we'll continue meeting on the 2nd Wednesday of the month for summer reading. (Links in folder.)

If you need help accessing the Resource Guide or have any other summer questions, please let me know!


Best,
Greta

Greta Bergquist, MLIS, MAT (she/her/hers)
Youth Services Consultant
State Library of Oregon
greta.bergquist at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:greta.bergquist at slo.oregon.gov>  | 971-375-3549
www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>

[Title: State Library of Oregon]

[https://res.cdn.office.net/assets/bookwithme/misc/CalendarPerson20px.png]<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/1c6ecfda2cf847cbb61fed6237b880f6 at slo.oregon.gov?anonymous&ep=signature>
Book time to meet with me<https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/1c6ecfda2cf847cbb61fed6237b880f6 at slo.oregon.gov?anonymous&ep=signature>




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