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Episode Description:
Julie and Jan interview Craig Coleman about selecting and maintaining school library collections. They discuss district selection and reconsideration policies, the collection life cycle, collaborating with teachers and library media committees, and practical steps front office staff should follow when concerns arise.
The episode walks through realistic scenarios and offers clear communication strategies and escalation paths so librarians can confidently manage purchases, respond to concerns, and maintain high quality book collections.
NOTLARI GÖSTER 🔗
TRANSKRİPT 🔗
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I'm Julie Saunders. I'm Jan Wilson. Julie and I both have experience as school
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librarians, and we've worked together as district library leaders.
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In each episode, we'll dive into our profession with interviews and meaningful content to inspire you.
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The ideas and opinions shared by any host, guest, or listener are their own
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and do not represent those of any respective school district.
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Welcome to Library Exchange.
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This episode is sponsored by Mackin. For over 40 years, Mackin has provided
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pre-K through 12th grade libraries and classrooms with access to over 4 million
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printed and digital fiction and nonfiction titles.
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The 26-time multi-award winning digital content management system MackinVIA,
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along with Divisions Mackin Library,
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Mackin Classroom, Mackin Maker, Mackin Learning, and the brand-new whole-school
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resource management system, MackinVision,
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helped to create a truly unique and robust educational resource company that
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schools and educators have relied on year after year.
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For more information, visit mackin.com today.
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Hi, everyone. So, Julie, before we get into the introduction,
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I need to get something out of the way. Okay.
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So our podcast software has new features and it would be very unprofessional
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of me to use some of them out of the blue during the recording,
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but take a listen to i think i know where this is going take a listen to this julian crack okay.
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Yes okay okay hold on.
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Like it? Kind of, yes. I kind of like it. Yes. Anyway, I got it out of my system.
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Okay, good. All right. I promise not to use them during the interview unless
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I say something profound or something funny.
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And we know that's probably not going to happen, Craig, because Julie talks
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over me most of the time. Back to you, Julie. Go ahead, Julie.
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So, school librarians, we know it is summer, but the timing of this episode
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is intentional so that you can begin preparing for the upcoming school year.
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Consider this episode your reminder of how important it is to be familiar with
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your selection policy and be confident navigating conversations with students,
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teachers, parents, and the school community.
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To help us do just that, let's welcome Craig Coleman.
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He's a former middle school science teacher who spent a decade as a library media specialist.
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Craig is in his 12th year as the coordinator of library media services for Clayton
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County Schools. That's a lot of C's.
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Welcome to Library Exchange, Craig.
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Thank you so much, Jan and Julia, for having me.
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So, Craig, to begin, where is Clayton County in Georgia?
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So, Clayton County is just south of Atlanta. If you've flown into the Atlanta
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airport, you've been in Clayton County. That's at the very north part of the county.
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And the county is known as the birthplace of the idea for Gone with the Wind.
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We have a Road to Terror museum and you can tour the area to see what inspired that story.
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I just learned something new. Thank you for that. Sure. So, okay,
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we're ready to dive in. So, Craig, what key things should every librarian understand
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about selecting books for their library?
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And then to follow up, why is it important for librarians to be familiar with
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their district's selection policy and the procedure for concerns and reconsiderations?
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So keep in mind that we have policies in place to guide our work,
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but also to provide actions that we can take to keep the cycle going.
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We are trained as librarians to go through the selection cycle to develop our collection.
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So we start with selecting the books and buying the books. Eventually,
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we're circulating them, checking them out, checking them in.
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Eventually, we're going to weed the books, discard the books that are no longer
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adding value to our collection. And then we start the cycle over again.
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And our selection policy, in our case, is at the district level,
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and that guides the librarians on their purchases to make sure they're buying
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things that are appropriate for their students, but also support the curriculum
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and support the needs of the instruction.
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And we also have a reconsideration policy, which is at the district level,
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and it guides what happens at the school level, how it gets to the district
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level if it needs to, and so on.
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And those policies are required by our state.
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So, we basically have taken the state's policy and adapted it for what we need at our local level.
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So, in each district, the policy may vary, but the overall intent is to have
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a selection policy and a reconsideration policy in case they need to be used.
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And it's not necessarily just libraries. We also have policies for our textbooks
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as well and our other instructional resources. And that's separate from my work,
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but it parallels it in terms of the way our reconsiderations work.
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Wow, great description. I think that's very thorough. Thank you.
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Sure. So let's start with the beginning of the school year. How can librarians
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be proactive about policies and procedures related to their library collection? Sure.
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So it depends to me on whether you're new to your district or your school,
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or if you've been there for a while.
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If you're brand new to a school, I would recommend looking at their selection
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policy and their reconsideration policy, along with looking at your collection once you've done that.
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Because you're inheriting a collection from a previous librarian or more than
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a few librarians, and you need to be aware of what's inside that collection.
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So think about the grade bands that you're serving. Think about the school community
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that you're serving and kind of have an eye for those things about what is in
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the collection and what is adding value to the collection and what may not be
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adding value to the collection.
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And don't go in, you know, the first day tearing books off the shelf.
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You don't want to be known as that person.
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But definitely have an eye for what you would select for your library if you
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were starting from scratch.
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If you're an experienced librarian and you're not familiar with the selection
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policy and reconsideration policy, then obviously look into those and make sure you understand them.
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The reconsideration policy in our case is very lengthy and it starts at the
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school level, but then advances to the district level if there's a disagreement and so on.
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It's really critical to look at that beginning part because that's your role
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as the school librarian is if someone comes to you with a challenge,
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what is the first step? Or if they call the front office with a challenge, what is the first step?
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So I'd just like to add that, probably reiterating, too, that when you're reviewing
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all of these policies for your own knowledge, that it's also important to communicate
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with your staff annually,
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on what the procedures are, especially if you're the contact person for the
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instructional materials policy, because often the librarians handle that as well.
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So communication is also, I think, an important addition to being well-versed yourself.
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Sometimes, you know, staff members, besides parents or administrators,
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they just want to understand the process behind how a librarian selects books for the library.
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So what do you think are the important points that librarians should be able
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to clearly articulate when they're asked that question?
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In my case, what I did was I leaned heavily on my school-level media committee.
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I educated them on how the process worked, and I provided them a glimpse into
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the behind-the-scenes of it.
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But I also was very open with the teachers about asking them,
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what do you want to see in the library?
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And even involving them, in some cases, on helping me create the list.
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So by involving the staff in the process and getting their, you know,
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whether it's a survey or a suggestion box, or actually allowing them to help
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create an order, that allows them to see the transparency of it.
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Because even though we're the ones tasked with selection, that doesn't mean
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we're the only ones involved in it.
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We need to listen to the others around us and cater to those needs.
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And we are the guiding force behind what they are selecting.
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So if they're doing a sensitive topic in social studies and they select some
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books maybe that are not appropriate for the age, then we can steer them towards
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another resource that may be more appropriate for the age.
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You know, and I think, too, sharing that selection criteria,
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because often the teachers are not aware that there's actually criteria.
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And then being able to share the review sources that you're familiar with and
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that you use is helpful so they understand that you actually have a process with credible reviews.
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You're not just going to Amazon to order books based on a feeling or based on
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recommendations, but you're actually searching through and using the guidance of reviews.
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In our district, we recommend a book list and school library journal,
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but there are other plenty of other credible review sources that can be used
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if the librarian sees there's a better match for your community if there's other
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types of reviews you can use.
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One of the things that's very useful to me is that the vendors have the reviews built in.
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So in some cases, if I have a teacher heavily involved in book selection,
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I may have them set up a free account on that vendor's website and show them
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how to look at the book reviews, how to filter the results, so they can help
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build along with reading what critics say about the books.
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Great suggestion. Yes, I was just going to add that sometimes it's just that
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aha moment for the adults in the building to learn that there is a process,
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you know, to selecting books.
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It's not one big brown box of books coming for the entire year that we select them.
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My favorite question from the middle school students was, have you read all these books?
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And my immediate answer is, yes, of course I have. But I gave them the real
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answer. I said, well, you know, I read the summaries. I read the critics reviews.
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I read information about the books to see if it's the right fit.
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But I can't possibly read 10,000 books.
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But I love that question from the kids. It's a great question.
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So, if a district has a board-approved selection policy and administrators,
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front office staff, and teachers are familiar with the policy,
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should librarians be concerned about purchasing books that meet the selection criteria?
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I don't think so. The way I tell my librarians is I tell them,
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only get the books that you think meet the selection criteria.
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And if you feel like that it is going to be controversial or something that's
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a little bit divisive, then make sure that it's something you can defend.
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If you can't defend the book, if you're not willing to defend the book, don't have the book.
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They can go to the public library. They can buy it themselves.
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There are other sources for the books.
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So if you don't feel comfortable having that book in your collection because
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you don't feel comfortable defending it, don't have the book.
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You're not required to have every book on the planet. And things change, too.
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You may select a book one year, and within a few years, you decide maybe this
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isn't the best choice, and you send it up to the next level up,
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you know, from the middle school to the high school or something like that.
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And certainly having that dialogue where librarians are equipped with saying
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that all books in this library were selected based on the district selection
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criteria with the guidance of a committee composed of parents and teachers.
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That's one of those things that is a 30-second commercial for how you actually
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do things, and it's often you have to educate the administrators and district-level
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leaders and other people in the community that you are supporting the selection
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criteria and following the policies. Very true.
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Okay, so Craig, we're going to do a few scenarios, like a what-if scenario,
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to maybe help our listeners a little bit more.
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Because responding to concerns about books is something a lot of librarians
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feel uncertain about because you get caught off guard. You know,
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you're put on the spot sometimes.
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So let's talk through some of these scenarios to make our listeners feel more
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prepared. Are you ready? Okay.
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So, scenario one, a parent shows up to the school carrying books that they object
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to and would like to speak with a librarian immediately.
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How should the front office staff respond in this situation?
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So, it's very important your front office staff knows what to do in these scenarios
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because they are the front line. They're the ones who are going to be getting
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the phone call or having the parent show up in the front office.
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And if the parent just says, I need to speak to the librarian,
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and they send them straight to you, now they're in front of you.
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So if the front office is aware of what the reconsideration policy is,
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then they're able to guide the parents. So, for example, in my district,
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the first step of our policy is that they conference with the principal to discuss their concerns.
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The principal helps them decide, is this a reconsideration request that they
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fill out a form for, or is this just a concern they want to pass along?
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If they come straight to the librarian, there's a potential that the librarian
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is going to steer them back to the principal if it is a reconsideration request.
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Because in our policy, the librarian doesn't decide if that moves forward or
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not, the principal does.
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So let's say in this scenario that the parent has shown up in the library and
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has the books with the librarian.
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My first thought is, you know, these books were obviously checked out by their
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child. They're bringing them back to me.
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It's difficult to say how deep you want to explore what the issue is.
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In many cases in my district, the parent will simply say, I just don't want
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my child reading these books.
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Or they'll say, I don't want my child reading scary books because they're having nightmares.
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Those sort of things we can address by having a note pop up in our circulation
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system to say what their parents are asking for.
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If it's a challenge to, I don't think this should be in your library,
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that's where in our policy, you steer them to the principal for a conference
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and the principal meets with them one-on-one to determine the path forward from there.
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Great. And, you know, I think it's also very important to avoid any conversations
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that happen when people are emotional.
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So training your front office staff to say, thank you for letting us know someone
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from the school will get back to you and let that parent know that they've dropped
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off the concern and that they passed it on and now they can wait for a response.
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I think most of the time, reasonable parents just want to be heard.
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And usually after an administrator listens to their concerns,
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in our history, the parents generally do not want to take any action.
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They just want someone at the school to hear them.
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And, you know, you have to remember that parents have a right to have an opinion
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about materials their children are exposed to. They all have that right.
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And I think the secret is meeting them in a place where they feel that the needs
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of their child are being met.
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And it is interesting sometimes to see what the concern is. because you can't assume the concern.
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It really depends on the family.
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It depends on their belief system and those sort of things. So you can't jump
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to conclusions or just guess why they're objecting to a particular book.
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I was going to add, if you talk to your front office staff, your receptionist,
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normally they wouldn't send a parent to a classroom at whatever time of the
00:15:36.635 --> 00:15:39.723
day a parent shows up. So I always ask them,
00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:44.917
Can you take a name and get information from me instead of the parent walking
00:15:44.917 --> 00:15:48.910
into my library and I'm completely unprepared? So it's just like another classroom.
00:15:49.316 --> 00:15:52.507
And we may be in the middle of a lesson. You know, now you have a parent standing
00:15:52.507 --> 00:15:55.937
in the corner fuming while you're in the middle of teaching 30 students.
00:15:55.937 --> 00:15:58.088
So it's a very good point.
00:15:58.668 --> 00:16:03.297
So we have another scenario. A staff member emails the librarian saying,
00:16:03.297 --> 00:16:06.537
are you aware that this book has a gun and curse words in it?
00:16:06.908 --> 00:16:10.177
A student shared that they felt uncomfortable with the gun and curse words and
00:16:10.177 --> 00:16:14.387
I wanted to be sure that you were aware of the content I read a few pages involving
00:16:14.387 --> 00:16:16.938
violence and shooting. I am concerned about this book.
00:16:17.705 --> 00:16:21.403
What tips do you have for responding to the staff member about the library book?
00:16:21.792 --> 00:16:25.185
So my first question, just for clarity, is what grade level or what grade band
00:16:25.185 --> 00:16:26.807
are we talking about with this scenario?
00:16:27.202 --> 00:16:30.714
So why don't we say middle school? Okay, so if it's a middle school,
00:16:31.184 --> 00:16:34.923
then I would definitely want to know, you know, which book it is, which student it is.
00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:40.182
I would want to know some more about the particular circumstance.
00:16:40.501 --> 00:16:43.445
So, for instance, I've had students come to the library before and show me the
00:16:43.445 --> 00:16:47.075
book and say, I really don't like this book. and when I start getting into it,
00:16:47.075 --> 00:16:49.040
I find out what are they objecting to.
00:16:49.493 --> 00:16:56.291
In this case, it sounds like the teacher has raised concerns that she once brought into the open.
00:16:56.686 --> 00:17:00.735
So that may be something where the administrator meets with the teacher to find
00:17:00.735 --> 00:17:03.977
out the concerns, to kind of pursue what direction to go in.
00:17:04.580 --> 00:17:09.865
If it was something in my library that I decided, you know, essentially that
00:17:09.865 --> 00:17:15.580
I agree with the staff member, I may decide that that book is no longer a good book for our library.
00:17:15.777 --> 00:17:18.715
I've had that happen before where I had a series of books, and the first book
00:17:18.715 --> 00:17:22.235
was perfectly fine, and the second book had a lot of language in it that I would
00:17:22.235 --> 00:17:23.591
never have selected on its own.
00:17:24.142 --> 00:17:26.719
But because it was part of a series and it was bought together,
00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:30.638
that didn't come up to our attention until we had the books in hand.
00:17:31.149 --> 00:17:33.945
You can't read every single book for your library, but it is very,
00:17:33.945 --> 00:17:38.735
very important you look at the critics' reviews, look at those grade-level recommendations
00:17:38.735 --> 00:17:42.305
and age recommendations that the different sources like Booklist and School
00:17:42.305 --> 00:17:43.450
library journal provide.
00:17:43.949 --> 00:17:48.915
And you'll find that there are certain ones that you lean towards because you'll
00:17:48.915 --> 00:17:53.355
get a book and say, you know what, that particular journal is the one I typically
00:17:53.355 --> 00:17:54.839
match up with my thinking.
00:17:55.443 --> 00:17:58.315
And remember, your building also has a wide range of students.
00:17:58.315 --> 00:18:03.923
You might have eighth graders down to sixth graders. So that age band is quite diverse.
00:18:04.050 --> 00:18:08.265
So I always looked at it as I want it to be something that anybody in the building
00:18:08.265 --> 00:18:12.755
could approach, not just for eighth graders. I never had that special section
00:18:12.755 --> 00:18:13.948
just for the eighth graders.
00:18:14.412 --> 00:18:18.220
But I might group my books in a section called Teen to steer them in that direction,
00:18:18.685 --> 00:18:22.283
so that my sixth graders are not necessarily heading over their first thing.
00:18:23.417 --> 00:18:27.501
So I know one thing that we would give advice if this happens in a district
00:18:27.501 --> 00:18:31.061
that we've worked in is to make sure that the teacher, again,
00:18:31.061 --> 00:18:34.071
remembers that there is district selection criteria.
00:18:34.391 --> 00:18:38.391
And it was most likely selected based on that guidance of the committee comprised
00:18:38.391 --> 00:18:40.077
of parents and teachers. I always start with that.
00:18:40.466 --> 00:18:44.721
Also, not putting any of that in an email, making sure you're having a face-to-face conversation.
00:18:45.064 --> 00:18:48.559
And if they want more information, you know, meet and talk more about it.
00:18:48.953 --> 00:18:52.321
But I think the ultimate thing is if the teacher continues to push and it's
00:18:52.321 --> 00:18:55.451
something you do believe meets the selection criteria and it's not something
00:18:55.451 --> 00:18:59.851
that needs to be reconsidered, explaining in our district, you must be a parent
00:18:59.851 --> 00:19:02.351
of the child who has current access to the information.
00:19:02.351 --> 00:19:05.949
So even though you appreciate their concerns that they have brought to you,
00:19:06.385 --> 00:19:09.276
then no formal appeal would be available in our district.
00:19:10.060 --> 00:19:13.301
And that is something that's important to look at in the reconsideration policy
00:19:13.301 --> 00:19:17.270
is who can bring a challenge? Because if it can be anybody on the planet,
00:19:17.734 --> 00:19:23.452
then you may encounter people that are just pursuing a list of books in any district they can.
00:19:23.748 --> 00:19:29.112
We have adjusted our policy in recent years so that it is a stakeholder concern.
00:19:29.606 --> 00:19:34.641
So if a parent of a child at that school has a concern, then that is really
00:19:34.641 --> 00:19:38.267
the direction of the reconsideration. So that sounds like it matches what you've experienced as well.
00:19:39.006 --> 00:19:42.675
That's an important piece for sure. Okay, last one, Craig.
00:19:43.291 --> 00:19:48.341
A librarian learns that a random community member is calling schools to ask
00:19:48.341 --> 00:19:51.650
whether specific titles are available in their library.
00:19:52.108 --> 00:19:55.748
How would you recommend librarians respond to this phone call?
00:19:56.733 --> 00:20:00.535
So my first thought is, our catalogs are public.
00:20:01.005 --> 00:20:03.577
I mean, you can go in our catalog and look up any book you want to.
00:20:03.931 --> 00:20:07.299
However, if they have a concern about a book in the library,
00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:10.531
it's a matter of, are you a parent of a student at the school where the material is found?
00:20:11.106 --> 00:20:14.739
And if they're not, then the reconsideration process really doesn't come into
00:20:14.739 --> 00:20:17.695
play. They're welcome to voice their concerns publicly.
00:20:18.154 --> 00:20:23.319
But in terms of our procedure, there's not really an avenue for them to directly
00:20:23.319 --> 00:20:25.385
pursue those reconsiderations.
00:20:26.223 --> 00:20:30.019
Exactly. That's our approach as well. And we've trained the librarians that
00:20:30.019 --> 00:20:33.639
when somebody does call, the first question is, are you a parent of a child
00:20:33.639 --> 00:20:35.813
who has access to this material at our school?
00:20:36.138 --> 00:20:40.364
And if the answer is no, then I'm afraid I'm unable to answer your questions at this time.
00:20:40.544 --> 00:20:44.393
Our catalogs and the last two catalogs with AssessIt and MacInVision,
00:20:44.776 --> 00:20:46.401
they are not publicly accessible.
00:20:46.738 --> 00:20:50.129
So a parent, if they could express concerns or wanted to see more about the
00:20:50.129 --> 00:20:50.859
catalog, they would have to
00:20:50.859 --> 00:20:53.727
make the appointment with the librarian to do that and be on our network.
00:20:54.581 --> 00:20:58.059
Craig, thank you so much for being with us today. This can sometimes feel like
00:20:58.059 --> 00:21:01.790
a daunting topic for school librarians, and your insightful has been very helpful.
00:21:02.452 --> 00:21:06.499
Yes, we appreciate your time, and we hope this gives our listeners peace of
00:21:06.499 --> 00:21:11.186
mind as they head into the new school year. Thank you. Absolutely.
00:21:12.375 --> 00:21:17.629
We exchanged ideas. Now it is time for the recap. Craig offered a lot of great
00:21:17.629 --> 00:21:22.789
advice on how to navigate book selection and handle concerns from parents and staff members.
00:21:23.389 --> 00:21:26.989
Our listeners are all coming from different perspectives and from different
00:21:26.989 --> 00:21:30.879
parts of the U.S., so not all of the advice that we can provide will be sufficient
00:21:30.879 --> 00:21:32.141
for everyone's situation.
00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:36.509
The bottom line is that you do the best you can to follow the selection criteria
00:21:36.509 --> 00:21:41.089
and procedures that are required while still providing high-quality book selections
00:21:41.089 --> 00:21:44.586
and striving to have as much student representation as possible.
00:21:45.240 --> 00:21:50.791
Yeah, so listeners, Craig was selected for this episode on purpose because along
00:21:50.791 --> 00:21:53.760
with Julie, they've been there. They've done that.
00:21:53.870 --> 00:21:57.777
And neither one of you get fired up or alarmed. And that's why,
00:21:58.050 --> 00:22:01.579
I don't know if you noticed, I try to be quiet in the episode.
00:22:02.044 --> 00:22:06.551
But questions and concerns about library books are just part of the profession.
00:22:06.851 --> 00:22:12.040
And it's an area we have to be prepared for, not be afraid of.
00:22:12.690 --> 00:22:18.675
And even though procedures may vary, guess what? Communication is key.
00:22:19.227 --> 00:22:24.951
I also really liked Craig's description of the library collection's life cycle.
00:22:24.951 --> 00:22:28.711
That's what I'm going to call it. You know, selection, purchasing, circulation, etc.
00:22:29.530 --> 00:22:35.071
And look, Julie, the water cycle is great. And bless the frogs that go from
00:22:35.071 --> 00:22:37.396
egg to tagpole to froglet.
00:22:37.507 --> 00:22:39.538
But they've had enough time.
00:22:39.863 --> 00:22:44.661
I think librarians could do PD about the life cycle of the stacks,
00:22:44.661 --> 00:22:46.818
like start with science teachers.
00:22:47.891 --> 00:22:52.261
Okay, corny joke, you guys. All right. Because Julie, I remember one time a
00:22:52.261 --> 00:22:56.991
leader asked you, why do libraries need funds to order books every year?
00:22:56.991 --> 00:23:00.811
And that was a valid question from him because they just don't know.
00:23:01.643 --> 00:23:05.695
Yeah, absolutely. I've gotten that question quite a bit, actually, over the years.
00:23:06.351 --> 00:23:10.341
Having a library media committee that's composed of people with many different
00:23:10.341 --> 00:23:12.747
points of view is incredibly important.
00:23:13.189 --> 00:23:16.981
And even though you have a library media committee who provides you with guidance,
00:23:16.981 --> 00:23:19.690
you are ultimately the selector of the materials.
00:23:20.073 --> 00:23:24.451
I prefer not to use the word approved, because what does that even mean?
00:23:24.451 --> 00:23:28.026
Is it a percentage, majority? Can something be semi-approved?
00:23:28.380 --> 00:23:34.672
That is why I prefer that the committee is there to provide guidance for you to select. connect.
00:23:35.254 --> 00:23:38.718
Also, adding wording to your policy to be eligible for an appeal,
00:23:38.718 --> 00:23:43.474
the person appealing must be the parent of a child with current access to the information.
00:23:43.897 --> 00:23:47.977
This preserves the time and energy of educators for the stuff that matters.
00:23:48.389 --> 00:23:52.588
Our goal is to meet the needs of the child of a parent with real concerns,
00:23:52.588 --> 00:23:55.326
not to be bogged down with frivolous appeals.
00:23:55.686 --> 00:24:01.498
Along those same lines, I thought about how we need to remember that a concern
00:24:01.498 --> 00:24:04.568
about a book is professional. It's not personal.
00:24:05.357 --> 00:24:09.308
And this is not a battle you need to feel like, oh, I must win,
00:24:09.308 --> 00:24:13.208
because parents are the boss of what their children read.
00:24:13.528 --> 00:24:16.764
And experience always gives us wisdom, right?
00:24:17.095 --> 00:24:22.448
And experience can also give us in-the-moment words to help us respond without
00:24:22.448 --> 00:24:25.338
having to think too hard. So I just want to say this.
00:24:25.878 --> 00:24:33.302
Find your words so when any concern is raised, you are able to say this in whatever way you can.
00:24:33.749 --> 00:24:39.148
My book purchases follow the district selection policy, and I work with a committee
00:24:39.148 --> 00:24:43.542
that includes parents and teachers using that criteria. Hmm.
00:24:44.643 --> 00:24:49.421
I also wanted to mention how he talked about involving teachers with selection.
00:24:49.972 --> 00:24:55.447
So back in the day at one high school, I hosted a weed and feed a couple of
00:24:55.447 --> 00:24:56.717
afternoons after school.
00:24:57.097 --> 00:25:00.781
I saw it in, I think, Library Media Connection. Great idea.
00:25:01.216 --> 00:25:05.344
Teachers signed up across different afternoons, and I provided snacks and drinks.
00:25:05.727 --> 00:25:10.934
They went to their nonfiction area, browsed, pulled books they felt could be weeded.
00:25:11.427 --> 00:25:17.417
But more importantly they shared topics they felt that I needed to add additional
00:25:17.417 --> 00:25:19.200
books or even newer books.
00:25:19.717 --> 00:25:24.529
This helped me form partnerships with math teachers and world language teachers,
00:25:25.046 --> 00:25:28.279
and it was the beginning of instructional partnerships.
00:25:28.442 --> 00:25:31.687
Of course I didn't have funds for all of their requests but guess what?
00:25:32.221 --> 00:25:36.847
I let my principal know about the leading feed and she gave me additional funds
00:25:36.847 --> 00:25:41.217
near the end of the school year and I was able to order some of those requested
00:25:41.217 --> 00:25:44.033
titles. Amazing. Great suggestions. Thank you.
00:25:44.416 --> 00:25:48.587
So, we hope that this episode provides a little support when deciding how and
00:25:48.587 --> 00:25:50.807
what books you will add to your library collections.
00:25:51.422 --> 00:25:53.807
Yes, and listeners, we have two
00:25:53.807 --> 00:25:58.638
documents available with strategies and responses to handling concerns.
00:25:59.050 --> 00:26:02.910
One is for librarians. One is for clerical staff.
00:26:03.317 --> 00:26:08.701
To get your copies, email us at libraryexchangepodcast at gmail.com.
00:26:09.026 --> 00:26:12.062
Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time.
00:26:13.358 --> 00:26:19.256
Make sure to visit our website at www.libraryexchangepodcast.com.
00:26:19.598 --> 00:26:21.694
You'll find episode notes and links.
00:26:21.862 --> 00:26:27.209
You can even submit your questions or inspiring stories that may be featured on the podcast.
00:26:27.493 --> 00:26:31.406
If you're looking for some swag for your library or book-loving friends,
00:26:31.406 --> 00:26:34.720
visit libraryexchange.etsy.com.
00:26:35.208 --> 00:26:38.766
That's a lot of URLs, so I'm glad you had to say all of that, Julie.
00:26:40.626 --> 00:26:46.290
Thanks for joining us. We can't wait to have you back for our next episode of Library Exchange.