<div dir="ltr">Hi all,<div>As book challenges continue to rage through our communities, one tactic we (the IFC) have begun to see utilized repeatedly now, is the idea of trying to keep the situation quiet, to attempt to remove materials without it becoming a media frenzy, doing so often without the communities even aware that this is happening.</div><div><br></div><div>The IFC recognizes the need for transparency in these issues, knowing that if the communities WERE aware of these challenges, they would write letters to the Boards and administrators, advocating for the right to read freely.</div><div><br></div><div>With this, the IFC will begin (when appropriate) to share challenge situations more broadly, especially at times where we know a letter writing campaign to boards, administrators, and letters to the media would help support preserving the right to read.</div><div><br></div><div>In that, we are asking for support coming out of Grants Pass School District. In short, Grants Pass had an informal complaint to four books:
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px;font-style:italic">All Boys Aren’t Blue</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px">, </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px;font-style:italic">Flamer</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px">, </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px;font-style:italic">Beyond Magenta,</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px"> and </span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px;font-style:italic">Night of the Living Queers .</span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:docs-Calibri;font-size:15px"> </span> As a result of the situation regarding these four titles, the Library Board is proposing a policy change. <font color="#000000">They are recommending creating a new "library selection committee" that would approve every single book purchased for the coming year.</font><div style=""><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style=""><div style=""><font color="#000000">In the effort of saving you some time, here is the section of the new policy that is highly concerning:</font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000">Library books, media and Supplementary Materials Objectives<br>All selections will be consistent with the following principles which:<br></font></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><font color="#000000">1. Provide materials that enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the</font></div><div><font color="#000000">varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the students served;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">2. Provide materials that stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation,</font></div><div><font color="#000000">aesthetic values and ethical standards;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">3. Provide a background information which will enable students to make intelligent</font></div><div><font color="#000000">judgments in their daily lives;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">4. Provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, so that young citizens may</font></div><div><font color="#000000">develop, under guidance, the practice of analytical reading and critical thinking;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">5. Provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups,</font></div><div><font color="#000000">showing their contributions to our heritage and that<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)"> inform rather than indoctrinate;</span></font></div><div><font color="#000000">6. Place evaluative criteria above personal opinion in the selection of materials of the</font></div><div><font color="#000000">highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the</font></div><div><font color="#000000">library media center;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">7. Maintain a current and usable collection; school personnel will provide continuing</font></div><div><font color="#000000">renewal of the collection and resources, not only by addition of up-to-date materials, but by</font></div><div><font color="#000000">the elimination of materials which no longer meet needs.</font></div></blockquote><div style=""><font color="#000000">Selection Criteria<br>The Librarian Selection Committee shall consider the following criteria in evaluating materials:<br></font></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><font color="#000000">1. Overall need and relation to approved curriculum;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">2. Quality of writing, authenticity, and has literary merit;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">3. Authors demonstrate subject matter authority;</font></div><div><font color="#000000">4.<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)"> Age appropriateness in theme and content;</span></font></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)"><font color="#000000">5. Does not contain graphic violence, sexually explicit, lude, obscene, and erotic language,</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)"><font color="#000000">or display pornographic material, or images, or encourage sexual behavior;</font></span></div><div><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,0)"><font color="#000000">6. Does not contain repetitive vulgar language;</font></span></div><div><font color="#000000">7. Contributes to viewpoint diversity and balance on political, cultural, and intellectual</font></div><div><font color="#000000">topics.</font></div></blockquote><div style=""><div style=""><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000">We know they are going to turn to these points to no longer purchase library materials by or about LGBTQ folks. </font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000">At this point, we need to gather the masses and help let the Grants Pass School Board and administrators know that the library community (and Grants Pass community) do not stand for this policy and ask them to vote against its implementation.</font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000"><br></font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000">If you have time and would be willing, we would love to encourage letters to the following:</font></div><div style=""><font color="#000000">Superintendent Todd Sweeney: </font><a href="mailto:tsweeney@grantspass.k12.or.us">tsweeney@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">Grants Pass School Board: </div><div style=""> - Dustin Smith: <a href="mailto:dsmith@grantspass.k12.or.us">dsmith@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Chad Dybdahl: <a href="mailto:cdybdahl@grantspass.k12.or.us">cdybdahl@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Gary Richardson: <a href="mailto:glrichardson@grantspass.k12.or.us">glrichardson@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Debbie Brownell: <a href="mailto:dbrownell@grantspass.k12.or.us">dbrownell@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Cassie Wilkins: <a href="mailto:cwilkins@grantspass.k12.or.us">cwilkins@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Nathan Seable: <a href="mailto:nseable@grantspass.k12.or.us">nseable@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">- Joseph Schmidt: <a href="mailto:jschmidt@grantspass.k12.or.us">jschmidt@grantspass.k12.or.us</a></div><div style="">Grants Pass Daily Courier - letters to the editor: <a href="mailto:newsdept@thedailycourier.com" style="color:rgb(51,51,204);text-decoration-line:none;font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12px;background-color:rgb(205,216,231)">newsdept@thedailycourier.com</a></div><div style=""><br></div></div></div><div>Thank you all for your advocacy - and know we will try and share these situations more transparently (where appropriate) in the future.</div><div><br></div><div>Emily and the IFC</div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Chair - <a href="mailto:ifc.chair@olaweb.org" target="_blank">ifc.chair@olaweb.org</a><div>Intellectual Freedom Committee <a href="https://www.olaweb.org/if-home" target="_blank">https://www.olaweb.org/if-home</a></div><div>Oregon Library Association <a href="https://www.olaweb.org/" target="_blank">https://www.olaweb.org/</a></div><div><br></div><div><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif">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. </span><br></div></div></div></div></div>