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Imagine you are setting up a new display when a community member approaches you about a book their family checked out. They feel that the book is inappropriate for their family to read. You may feel a variety of emotions: fear, anger, defensiveness. If you are not in a position to make decisions in your organization, you may also feel uncertainty and helplessness.
However, no matter your position in the library, you can personally develop a confident approach to intellectual freedom challenges and bring that lens to your wider organization for greater team unity and preparedness.
Policy and Procedure Foundation
In the tense moment of an intellectual freedom challenge, your library’s policy and procedure will be your solid foundation. They present a neutral third point in the face of a query that can trigger a strong emotional response from both the library staff and the inquirer.
Ground in Your Selection Policies
Youth services staff should first be deeply familiar with their library’s selection policy. If asked, you should be able to articulate why a book is in the collection and why it was placed in the juvenile, tween, or young adult section. Whether you have a direct role in the selection of youth services materials or your materials are selected centrally, it is essential that you know what guidance informed the selection of the book. While busy days full of programming or administrative commitments can push materials selection to the back burner, taking time to know and apply your selection policy consistently will save you from stress and conflicts down the road.
If the selection policy has been followed, with a little research you will be able to share the criteria that was applied to selecting the book and determining its location in the collection. Referring to policy helps you avoid personal value judgments or criticism that are likely to escalate the situation. When you can share the straightforward fact that the book was selected in alignment with board-approved policy, you can then move forward with the patron in selecting a book that better fits their family’s preferences.
Know and Apply Your Reconsideration Policies
Second, get to know your reconsideration policy and process. What happens when a patron is not satisfied...