<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><span id="m_1651771072397532355gmail-docs-internal-guid-8167e699-7fff-db5b-1880-4a0f6e8a3212"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">News To Use: Strong School Libraries, Part 1: Book Challenges</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">June 4, 2022</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://www.olaweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=199#NewstoUse" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">News to Use</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> is a series of messages from the Oregon Library Association’s Library Development and Legislation Committee (LDLC) about policy and advocacy topics of interest to the Oregon library community.</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Over the next few months, we will be providing information about the condition of Oregon’s school libraries and suggesting advocacy activities for members of the broader Oregon library community. This first installment tackles the issue of book challenges. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What’s Happening?  </span></p>Schools across the country are facing unprecedented numbers of challenges to books that draw attention to the voices of underrepresented groups, including those that explore LGBTQ+ and students of color experiences.  Research by PEN America has found that 41 percent of books banned in the US in the last nine months have featured protagonists of color, while 31 percent included LGBTQ+ topics or LGBTQ+ characters, with 7 percent of this latter figure featuring trans characters and topics. Campaigns funded by national groups are encouraging local parents to draw attention to specific books deemed “pornographic” or “controversial” and ask for their removal from school libraries.</span><div><span><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Schools without teacher librarians or certified school library staff are particularly vulnerable to book challenges. Seeking to avoid controversy, some school administrators may remove books without </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">sufficient knowledge of standard policies for book selection and reconsideration processes.  </span></p><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><div><span><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></span></div>In Oregon, </span><a href="https://libslide.org/data-tools/custom-search/?saved=25bp" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">75% of school districts are without professionally trained / licensed librarians</span></a><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.  </span><br><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:347px;height:277px"><img alt="Map showing which Oregon school districts have Librarian FTE in 2020-21" title="Map of Oregon School Districts" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Mlbn0nb3rfgHudnHznKTIoc3E18hi_cfY4mWbHhJ4v2onnnFSGEqd-lYN2rKn858UZMMVeC44JrnjpDMV2yLPb6MSJ4yZrXZWYhMLUVgJlIKCPDoN_0NKHcJvOttSc1B1Wn4vwEkQSMIVxopQ" width="347" height="277" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(</span><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:9pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Green indicates school districts with librarian FTE, 2020-21. Dark gray areas indicate no data available. Source: </span><a href="https://libslide.org/data-tools/custom-search/?saved=25bp" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">SLIDE Study</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">)</span><br></p><div><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Also, Oregon is among the </span><a href="https://www.slj.com/story/school-libraries-2021-advocacy-is-necessary-part-of-the-job-for-school-librarians" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">10 states with the greatest losses of teacher librarians</span></a><span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;background-color:transparent;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> in the last decade. </span><span><br></span></div><br><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:383px;height:264px"><img alt="Map of states that lost the most librarians from 2009-10 to 2018-19" title="States that lost the most librarians from 2009-10 to 2018-19" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7aZIm8QnZkrxH6j63i7dCtvpzjRyiNGjBqv6MQFMZjluqAhd1cMC9oMgbKZjGT7u0w7pUPwIl8a_atpZGt8bBbU_BBi2ONAH0qumuzAg3a4ii0ZXBGqZs5AKgB0ruVPiPBqdWCnfy_6ATzrTQ" width="383" height="264" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px"></span><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">(Source:</span><a href="https://www.slj.com/story/school-libraries-2021-advocacy-is-necessary-part-of-the-job-for-school-librarians" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-style:italic;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> School Libraries 2021: Advocacy is a Necessary Part of the Job for School Librarians, School Library Journal, November 2021.</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> )</span><br></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Why Should You Care?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">While it is important to address parental concerns, removing books from school library collections without following adequate reconsideration procedures can lead to inhibited access for students who really benefit from reading books that reflect their lived experiences. As emphasized in the </span><a href="https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/iftoolkit/home" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Oregon Intellectual Freedom Committee’s Toolkit</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, the key for any library when facing book challenges is preparation. It is important to have policies in place that help guide the selection of materials for the library collection, including a procedure to follow when a complaint is filed. The presence of teacher librarians helps assure strong school district policies are already in place and established procedures are followed. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">What can I do? </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Ask questions about your local school district’s policies related to library book selection and reconsideration. Are they on the district’s website? Have they been updated in the last 5 years? If not, talk to administrators, parent groups, and teachers about how certified school library staff can help create strong library collections and policies to help mitigate the impact of book challenges. </span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Seek out the library staff at your local school or school district and give them your support. </span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Find out if there are professionally trained, licensed librarians in their school libraries.</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> Ask them if they have experience with book challenges and if they have the resources and support they need to address them. Help them connect to resources, such as those included in the </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vScSwXNzxbdcCpwoJ69Swih2EFWwudvSYhYF2ZVbeF2BdoK2W6tmhGQaY-xziw0i0BFfzm3LmmJJ7I5/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Intellectual Freedom 101 webinar</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> provided by the State Library and the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL).</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Want to learn more or get more involved? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k6GdjBgHy33SBNWhT_dj3b_q6Nm19mb-" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Guidance to School Districts: Addressing Challenged Materials in K-12 Education</span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (Oregon Department of Education)</span><br></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/school-libraries/" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">School Libraries Are Essential</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">  and </span><a href="https://ilovelibraries.org/school-libraries/you-can-be-an-advocate/" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Advocate for School Libraries</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (ALA’s I Love Libraries campaign)</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://journals3.library.oregonstate.edu/olaq/article/view/vol26_iss2_5/6501" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">State of School Libraries in Oregon: Challenges and Successes</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (article by Jen Maurer, </span><a href="https://journals3.library.oregonstate.edu/olaq/issue/view/vol26_iss2" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">OLA Quarterly, Vol. 26 No. 2 (2020</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">))</span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://sites.google.com/OASL.olaweb.org/oasladvocacytoolkit/#h.p_hPUFsK1RPU6l" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">OASL’s Advocacy Toolkit</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> is a fantastic place to learn more about how to advocate for strong school libraries. If you would like to get involved, please reach out to members of the OASL Advocacy Committee at </span><a href="mailto:oasl-advocacy@googlegroups.com" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">oasl-advocacy@googlegroups.com</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> .</span></p></span><br><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Arlene Weible</div><div>Oregon Library Association President, 2021-2022<br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="mailto:olapresident@olaweb.org" target="_blank">olapresident@olaweb.org</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Arlene Weible</div><div>Oregon Library Association President, 2021-2022<br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="mailto:olapresident@olaweb.org" target="_blank">olapresident@olaweb.org</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>