Celebrating the Freedom to Read!


Every year our school celebrates ALA's Banned Books Week.  

We communicate to our community that this is a celebration of our freedom to read  -- and that we are not in fact 'banning books.'

I suppose for some, however, this can be an open invitation to challenge books in your collection.  So, before you celebrate "Banned Books Week" make sure you have the following in place.

A solid selection policy

The Webb School Library supports the Library Bill of Rights and we celebrate the Freedom to Read. Our library is a community library that provides materials to the following wide-range of patron reading interests: middle and high school students, faculty and staff and their families, alumni and parents, and now we provide materials for the Bell Buckle Community.

Some criteria we use as a guide for selecting materials:

  • educational significance
  • contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the students
  • favorable reviews found in standard selection sources
  • favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel
  • reputation and significance of the author, producer, and publisher
  • validity, currency, and appropriateness of material
  • contribution the material makes to breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues
  • high degree of potential user appeal
  • high artistic quality and/or literary style
  • quality and variety of format
  • value commensurate with cost and/or need
  • timeliness or permanence
  • integrity


Another thing you want to have handy is a
Reconsideration Request Form

Questions to ask on this form
  • What brought this resource to your attention?
  • Have you examined the entire resource?
  • What concerns you about the resource? 
  • Are there resource(s) you suggest to provide additional information and/or other viewpoints on this topic?



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