[CASL-L] Restricting Book Checkouts for Age Appropriateness

[Ava Biffer]

I will respectfully disagree for my school.  My school covers grades four through eight, a very unusual grade configuration.  The 8th grade has books in the Holocaust collection that are graphic and extremely intense: I do not let 4th graders check them out.  Many 8th graders read The Book Thief.  Shall I check that out to 4th graders?  Speak?  Wintergirls?  Inventing Elliot?  The Chocolate War?  There are too many examples to list.


There are books that are perfectly appropriate for 13 or 14 year old students that are not appropriate for 8 or 9 year old students.  If a parent argues to the principal that his/her child should be allowed to take out a book, he will discuss it with the parent and make the decision.


Wondering about the Wimpy Kid books is one thing; the books above are quite another.




Ava M. Biffer
Library Media Specialist
Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School
Moodus, CT 06469
Voice: 860.873.5081 x129
Email: ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org<mailto:ava.biffer at easthaddamschools.org>
"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."  John Dewey
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one." Neil Gaiman
________________________________
From: CASL-L <casl-l-bounces+abiffer=easthaddamschools.org at mylist.net> on behalf of Emily Boisvert <ebov at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2019 5:00 PM
To: Casl List Serv
Subject: [CASL-L] Restricting Book Checkouts for Age Appropriateness

Good afternoon, everyone!

I'd love the collective minds of the CASL listserv to provide some perspective on this issue......my understanding is that CASL follows the intellectual property policies of ALA/AASL since the School Library Bill of Rights and censorship links are on the advocacy page. I ask because there are some colleagues in my district that are debating the issue of "policing" student checkouts for age appropriateness (Wimpy Kid for first grade is the example) and they say that we operate 'in loco parentis' and can make decisions in lieu of parents about student book choices. My philosophy has always been for freedom of choice and everything I've learned and read professionally guides me in that direction since I was under the understanding that we are guided by the ALA/AASL policies. I did read in a few sources that 'in loco parentis' may apply to the LMS role, depending on state law. Are you aware of what that means for us in CT? Thanks so much, I'd like to bring concrete and accurate information to my PLC on this.


Emily Boisvert
Melissa Jones Elementary
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