As libraries become the next political battleground librarians are faced with a uniquely daunting task. They are tasked with choosing books to meet the needs of our students while being prepared to face challenges to intellectual freedom. Texas has chosen to be a leader in the book challenging and banning movement. This movement is detrimental to our students. For many students, a library is a safe place. It is a place they can see themselves. They can discover their passions and they can travel beyond their current world, How are students going to learn about new places, and ideas, and find themselves if they are limited to what a few feel they should see and read. In Florida, textbooks were banned for having social-emotional lessons. Over and over new research says students need social and emotional. By pushing education to younger and younger grades students are falling behind because they lack the social and emotional components they desperately need.
How as librarians can we fix these problems if we are faced with challenges and community backlash. We can challenge this by advocating for our patrons and shareholders. We can bring in new materials, teach the social-emotional and create a safe place for our students. We can have materials that meet our student's needs and allow them to find themselves. Those materials might include crafts or graphic novels. We can make sure there is a variety of materials even if they do not meet what we view as important. We can do lessons that encourage teamwork and teach students not only how to win but how to lose with grace. We can make the library a hub of learning and a fun place where students rush to school to be. The library should be a place where students are excited. A place where they cannot wait to see what will happen next.
We need to fight these challenges for our students. We need to advocate for our students because they do not have a voice yet. We need to harbor their creativity and model what it means to stand up for ourselves and others. We are not given an easy task but this task is important. We need to think beyond our own battles and struggles and reach all of our students. The library must remain free, safe, and a place where students can see themselves.
