Surge of book removal requests turning Neb. libraries into cultural battlegrounds

LAUREL — Robert Parsons sees censorship as a double-edged sword.

“On one hand, as a librarian, I’m called to curate a collection that reflects the makeup of my patrons; however, there are some books that are not appropriate for all students,” said Parsons, director the Laurel Learning Center, a combined public and school library at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge School. “The problem lies at where the line is drawn. If we start to censor material for all students based on the feelings of a handful of people, we’re no longer serving the needs of all students. . . . The issue, as I see it, is when we have people trying to limit access for all students.”

From the state’s rural corners to larger cities, school and public libraries have seen a flood of book challenges, according to public records and interviews with current and former librarians.

The influx mirrors a national trend, one often pitting parental rights and content concerns against fears of censorship and allegations of intolerance since many of the contested books deal with race or sexual orientation issues. Books with references to drug use or sex have also been challenged.

In September, the American Library Association (ALA) reported that documented censorship attempts in 2023 were on pace to exceed 2022, which set a 21-year record with 1,269 attempts. Almost every state has seen an uptick in challenges in the last three years, according to the ALA.

Who is challenging books in libraries is also changing. Requests made by individuals are being replaced by groups and organizations.

Members of the Protect Child Health Coalition and Nebraskans for Founders Values publicly spoke at a November Nebraska Library Commission meeting with the message that certain content should not be available through library databases and book collections.

Those against removing books often respond by pointing out that the people seeking to remove or restrict a book rarely read it in its entirety. Nationally, librarians are concerned that those submitting challenges are relying on questionable online sources which include passages that aren’t actually found in the books. Those who favor more open access say limitations force a biased belief system onto Nebraska public libraries. Instead, parents should monitor the consumption of literature as opposed to violating First Amendment rights. For the state’s school libraries, each school district is responsible for carrying out policies related to removal requests. In response to an overwhelming number of challenges, though, some districts have changed their policies and created restricted access sections, where parents can opt-in access for their children. There haven’t been any requests to remove books from the Laurel Learning Center but there is an official policy and process if a request is made, Parsons said.

The learning center’s collection of materials is constantly changing, he said.

Parsons adds new books throughout the year, and to make room, some books must be removed. Books are generally removed due to age, condition and popularity, and recycled, sold, or provided to teachers for classroom use.

He looks at best sellers, popular authors and series, consults professional journal reviews and takes into account patron feedback and requests for book additions.

“I take our patrons into consideration when I order books,” Parsons said. “It’s honestly a balancing act to get books that our patrons will read and can identify with but also books that won’t get challenged. I also take our space into consideration.”

Parsons said he’s not surprised on the surge in book removal requests across the state as national and mainstream media fuel a culture of outrage. Society is also more connected than ever before which makes it easier for outside groups to influence opinions.

Society is changing and libraries must cater to that change, Parsons said.

“When a national organization runs a story about a particular book, people are curious if that book is in their local school or public library. Oftentimes the challenges of these books aren’t by people that have read the book, the challenges are brought due to talking points,” he said. “Schools are seeing a more diverse student body, thus librarians are trying to curate collections that reflect those demographics. When this happens, we begin to see books that don’t fit the belief structure of every family.”

– The Flatwater Free Press and Nebraska News Service contributed information for this article.