

I’m very grateful that my district where I teach has very specific library guidelines. Books cannot be challenged based on gender or sexual identity only. Books cannot be removed based on a single passage or paragraph, it must be removed or retained on the content of the entire book. Challenges may only come from parents, employees, or those that reside in the community and they must read the material in its entirety, and then they are excluded from the committee that makes the final decision to retain or remove the book. Once challenged the book cannot be challenged again for 5 years, and only one challenge can happen at a time. Of course, I feel my district would bend very quickly at any state or federal pressure, but at least for now the libraries are left to those who have degrees in library science and hold teaching licenses.
Surprises have an end. Secrets are forever. A surprise is a secret for now, but I can tell you later. Secrets are things I can never tell, which can be dangerous.