SOLSC '23 Day 29: The scapegoat

 

My professionalism and training are being questioned in the Texas legislature this session.

There is a bill proposing that the acquisitions for school library collections be monitored by a "library advisory council", made up mostly of district parents.  Our book purchases would have to be approved by this council.  School employees can be on the council, but they would not have a vote in any decisions.

There are so many issues with this proposed legislation that I hardly know where to start.

• Parents have always had the right to monitor and direct their own children's reading--but that right does not extend to other people's children.
• I highly doubt that marginalized groups would be fairly represented on these councils--and they are the ones most often represented in books that are being banned.
• School librarians in Texas are educators, first and foremost--the welfare of children and the promotion of literacy are at the heart of what we do.  To suggest otherwise is offensive and demeaning.
• I have a master's degree which includes the study of children's literature.  I keep up with what's current in publication, as well as what the needs are for my campus.  I highly doubt that a council of parents, most of whom I will assume have jobs on top of the demands of parenting, will also take on the task of examining the demographics of each campus, including diversity details (especially LGBTQ), reading book reviews and author interviews.
• Either the authors of this bill intentionally want to narrow the books that become part of our collection (my suspicion, for sure), or they truly are clueless about the number of books we intentionally add to our shelves each year--books chosen because of their award-winning status, statewide reading programs, curricular needs, popularity with students (we do want them reading, right?), and most of all--representation.
• Representation--I hate to break it to these politicians, but we have LGBTQ students in our state.  We have students dealing with depression, poverty, gun violence (ahem), homelessness, racism, learning difficulties, suicidal ideation, immigration and assimilation.  Reading about others, even fictional characters, who are dealing with the same situations--and making their way through those situations--can be affirming and helpful.  Pulling books that contain these subjects will not make those situations go away.

I could keep going, but I have to get ready for work.  You know, the job I was highly trained for, that I've been doing for a decade--supporting teachers and lifting kids (and our society) up through books of windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors.