by Chad Heck, January 2021

Book or material challenges are not fun. Intellectual freedom is not only an essential piece of library ethics, it is also a value that most librarians internalize. Intellectual freedom is so intertwined with our professional values that a materials challenge feels like an attack on libraries themselves. It feels personal. Perhaps the hardest part of dealing with a challenge is separating personal feelings about the challenge from the process. It is likely personal to the challenger too, and confronting emotion with emotion will escalate the situation further. The best way to deal with a challenge is to come prepared and follow the process.

Having a process is essential. A clearly defined collection development policy that has been approved and adopted by the highest level of policy-making authority for a school, usually a school board, is best practice. That policy should include a process for a materials challenge. Make sure that it includes any type of material, not just books. A few years ago, a special interest group began challenging databases at schools across the country. When faced with the accusation that their school is peddling pornography, many administrators are quick to remove access as a knee jerk reaction. If a challenge policy is in place that is inclusive of electronic materials, it would require that the policy be followed rather than removing materials at the whim of a single administrator.

Strong relationships with a building administrator can impact the outcome of a challenge process. It is best to be proactive. Having conversations about intellectual freedom before a challenge happens is ideal. Many administrators may not even know that a challenge policy exists. If the school does not have a policy, the librarian can inform the administrator of the importance of having one and involve themselves in its creation. It is also important to discuss with administration about other elements of collection development such as the selection of materials that may be controversial. The most frequently challenged materials include materials that address sexuality. Having a representative collection aligns with best practices and that includes identities and experiences from all of the school and community population.

Teach about intellectual freedom. When doing book talks, do not shy away from books containing controversy. In fact, doing so may be a form of censorship. Censorship occurs when the access of books is lessened because of its content. Choosing not to book talk books because of controversial content makes them less accessible than the other books that are promoted. When book talking, talk about the importance of having books that represent a variety of perspectives and how it is okay to read books from different viewpoints. As esteemed librarian Mary Jo Godwin said, "[a] truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone."

Should a challenge occur, stay calm. Most of the time, a challenger just wants to be heard and is not interested in committing to following the removal process. Emphasize with the challenger that they have the right to their opinions. Go over the process with them. More often than not, a challenge ends at this stage. If they escalate to administration or initiate the process, this is where it is important to have already laid the groundwork with administrators.

While going through the process is rare, there are special interest groups from both sides of the political spectrum that challenge materials. It is important that librarians argue not about the content, but rather the importance of representing different perspectives and viewpoints. Many times, the words "inappropriate" or "appropriate" are used in the challenge conversation, but what is appropriate for one student may be inappropriate for another. Books are selected because of their alignment to curriculum, representation, and interest and reading levels. Librarians should not be the determiner of what is appropriate for a patron to read. That is a matter between the family and its members. Coming armed with reviews and other testimonials is the best way to come prepared to advocate for retaining the materials in the collection.

While the duty of the librarian is always to fight against censorship, sometimes materials are removed. That is the least likely outcome, but it does happen. No matter what happens, always report challenges to state and national professional library associations. Keeping data on challenged materials is important in the continued fight for intellectual freedom. The library community is prepared to play the long game in ensuring that the citizens in our democracy have free access to materials.