A Tennessee commission in charge of approving textbooks is also getting the final say on what library books get banned. The commission’s process was supposed to be outlined last December, but so far has not been made available to the public. WPLN News obtained a draft copy, and spoke with a school librarian about what the rules could mean.
Dustin Hensley was recently elected to lead the Tennessee Association of School Librarians. He’s largely on board with the guidance for school districts.
“This is nothing new,” Hensley said.
The guidance aligns largely with what most school districts are already doing.
Right now, when a book is challenged, many schools gather a review committee. They read the whole book, to see if it’s age-appropriate, has literary merit and complies with state laws. Then, the school board can decide whether the material stays or goes.
Here’s where Hensley gets concerned: School employees, students, parents and guardians can appeal a district’s decision to the Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. Under the draft guidance, the commission would have the final say.
“We don’t want to be overridden by — I don’t want to sound harsh or anything but — overridden by people that aren’t here to understand why it’s beneficial for our specific young people,” Hensley said.
He says local librarians and school board members are better equipped to know what’s appropriate for kids in their communities.
No requirement to read the whole book
And unlike the local review committee, the state commission wouldn’t be required to read the books cover to cover.
“So, preferably they would read the whole material,” Hensley said, “so they could understand why the decision was made at the LEA (local education agency) level.”
That’s a recommendation that fellow librarian and commission member Lee Houston made during the body’s December meeting. But ultimately, there wasn’t enough support from the group to add a requirement like that to the rules.
There are several things Hensley says he appreciates about the guidance — like limits on who can challenge books and how often.
Challenges can only come from employees, students, parents or guardians. And an individual can only appeal two titles to the commission per year. Once the commission makes a decision on a particular book, it can’t be appealed again for three years.
Hensley is also heartened that library materials will get due process.
“I really like that they’re keeping the books on the shelves while they’re being challenged.”
Hensley says that, in other states, some schools are removing books by the dozens as challenges come up. He says he’s glad that won’t be the case in Tennessee.
The role of school libraries
The books and media students have access to at school has become an increasingly divisive issue in Tennessee and across the country. But Hensley emphasizes that school librarians are trained professionals whose goal is to help students succeed.
“We’re not trying to push any type of political agenda,” he said. “We just want to provide the best materials and best information and help young people have a love of learning.
Hensley says they work hard to provide materials that offer “mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors” for students.
“We want our young people to be able to see themselves in the literature, see others through literature, and then live the lives of other people through literature,” he said.
The group PEN America, released a report last year documenting what kinds of books are getting banned in the United States. They found that more than 40% contained LGBTQ+ themes or main characters. Another significant portion of banned titles included main characters of color or themes about race and racism. The report states in part:
“Public schools that ban books reflecting diverse identities risk creating an environment in which students feel excluded, with potentially profound effects on how students learn and become informed citizens in a pluralistic and diverse society.”
More: Read the full draft of the textbook commission’s guidance here.
The textbook commission’s chair says this draft is still under review from the Tennessee Attorney General’s office and that the body plans to vote on the guidance during a meeting in March. However, as of publication, that meeting date and agenda are not visible on the commission’s website.
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