State Superintendent Dr. Eric McKee sent a memo to Alabama’s local school superintendents last week urging them to ensure libraries have book review policies in place. This happened after only one book was challenged and removed from the school library in 2022.
“Every local school board should have an approved, written policy that guides the selection, deselection, and review of library resources,” McKee said. “This policy should be periodically reviewed and amended and communicated to all school administrators and school library staff.”
While public libraries have been at the center of debates over appropriate books for children, Alabama’s school libraries remain largely uncontroversial.
“School libraries are not public libraries and serve specific target audiences, including primarily youth patrons,” McKee said in an Oct. 6 memo. “These nuances in school libraries allow educators to ensure that the materials available are age and developmentally appropriate and that parents understand the mission and role of the school library and its collections. That becomes even more important.”
“There needs to be a simple process for handling complaints and reviewing appeals, and it needs to be clearly defined and communicated in policy and applicable to everyone,” McKee said. Stated. He added that if a book is challenged or someone wants to keep it, there should be an appeals process with the local school board.
During Thursday’s State Board of Education work session, Dr. McKee addressed the memo and said he had “discussed with superintendents the importance of implementing a challenge policy.”
Republican Belinda McCray, who represents District 7, spoke during the meeting and said she spoke with elementary school librarians in the district who had received samples of potentially inappropriate books from book companies. Librarians had to change the way they handled books.
“Now, before we publish, we sit down and read every book to determine if this is acceptable in this community,” the librarian told McRae.
Dr. McKee was not available for additional comment at the time of publication.
Education reporter Trish Crain contributed to this article.