Before a book becomes banned, someone must first challenge it. The American
legal precedent for banning books relates to public school libraries. In 1982,
the landmark case of Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico
found that school officials could not remove library material because they
disagreed with the ideas behind it. Protecting the rights of students to
express and receive information. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a book or
periodical must be "pervasively vulgar" to constitute adequate ground for banning. A few years later, the Supreme
Court ruled that school officials could censor student journalists.
Free Access to Libraries for Minors, explanation of the Library Bill of Rights, states that, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.
School Process of Challenging a Book:
Most school systems have some sort of formal instructional material challenge process. Through it you may challenge the use of material you consider inappropriate. This will usually start at the school the book was used in, and if they don’t respond positively to your request the challenge will be elevated up. The process will go according to rules determined by the school system and reviewers/judges provided by the school system. Outside groups (ACLU, ALA) might help the schools if the case involves enough books or publicity. These groups and some schools seem to believe that if one book is removed from a public school classroom or library that in a few years all the books will be burned. Typically, a book challenge will not be successful or will be limited in that the books use will be elevated to a higher grade. If successful, sometimes the decision will later be reversed after the ALA or ACLU gets involved. During the challenge process the school may say the book’s subject matter seemed appropriate for this - grade student. This statement will be made with what it is appropriate for the student. This will be hard to pin down because the book will be assumed good, and you must prove it wrong. Instead of the school system showing why the book is the best, you will
be proving why it isn’t acceptable at all. According to the PABBIS (Parents Against Bad Books In School) organization, to make the book challenge process successful, you should thoroughly read the book and document your objections; you should also talk to people who have been through a book challenge process themselves.
legal precedent for banning books relates to public school libraries. In 1982,
the landmark case of Board of Education, Island Trees School District v. Pico
found that school officials could not remove library material because they
disagreed with the ideas behind it. Protecting the rights of students to
express and receive information. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a book or
periodical must be "pervasively vulgar" to constitute adequate ground for banning. A few years later, the Supreme
Court ruled that school officials could censor student journalists.
Free Access to Libraries for Minors, explanation of the Library Bill of Rights, states that, “Librarians and governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.” Censorship by librarians of constitutionally protected speech, whether for protection or for any other reason, violates the First Amendment.
School Process of Challenging a Book:
Most school systems have some sort of formal instructional material challenge process. Through it you may challenge the use of material you consider inappropriate. This will usually start at the school the book was used in, and if they don’t respond positively to your request the challenge will be elevated up. The process will go according to rules determined by the school system and reviewers/judges provided by the school system. Outside groups (ACLU, ALA) might help the schools if the case involves enough books or publicity. These groups and some schools seem to believe that if one book is removed from a public school classroom or library that in a few years all the books will be burned. Typically, a book challenge will not be successful or will be limited in that the books use will be elevated to a higher grade. If successful, sometimes the decision will later be reversed after the ALA or ACLU gets involved. During the challenge process the school may say the book’s subject matter seemed appropriate for this - grade student. This statement will be made with what it is appropriate for the student. This will be hard to pin down because the book will be assumed good, and you must prove it wrong. Instead of the school system showing why the book is the best, you will
be proving why it isn’t acceptable at all. According to the PABBIS (Parents Against Bad Books In School) organization, to make the book challenge process successful, you should thoroughly read the book and document your objections; you should also talk to people who have been through a book challenge process themselves.