Idaho school board to keep books banned from libraries in storage — for now
The nearly two dozen books the Nampa school board voted last month to remove from its libraries will continue to be stored until the board comes up with a more formal process for challenged books.
The board on Thursday voted to keep the banned books in the district’s warehouse and revisit them once a process is in place.
Trustee Brook Taylor, who made the motion, also said board members would be provided with a copy of the books to read upon their request.
A handful of people during the meeting testified during public comment, most of them against the decision to ban books. Opponents asked that the board not dispose of the books, and called for the board to reconsider or reverse its decision to remove the books from shelves.
Teachers, parents and community members also talked about the importance of providing library books that reflect the experiences of all students in the district, including LGBTQ students and students of color.
They encouraged board members to read the books that they voted to remove.
Trustee Tracey Pearson said she felt the board needed to make the decision to remove the books for safety reasons, but she said she’d like to read them and be able to go through a more formal process.
“Right now, we want to work on a new process and procedure because I felt like the past one was failing,” she said.
Earlier this month, the board discussed implementing clearer policies and procedures relating to challenged library books. The board made its decision to remove the titles before the district could complete a review of each of the books.
Board chair Jeff Kirkman has said he’d like to see a policy in place before the start of the school year.
Dozens gather outside to read banned books
While the school board debated what to do with the challenged titles, dozens of students, parents, teachers and community members gathered outside the district building for a banned books read-in.
People brought chairs and blankets, sat in the grass and read — many choosing one of the titles the school board removed from their libraries.
Some attendees brought their own copies of books to read, while Rediscovered Books also distributed books during the event. The bookstore has distributed more than 1,000 copies of the challenged books, said Laura DeLaney, the co-owner of Rediscovered Books.
People read books including “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini, “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, and “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood.
Lance McGrath, a librarian and associate professor at the College of Idaho who created the Nampa Banned Books Fan Club, said the idea stemmed from other protest movements in the past, such as sit-ins during the civil rights movement. McGrath said it made sense to have a read-in to respond to “an attempt to censor reading materials.”
McGrath also collected signatures on a petition that demanded the district reverse the decision and return the challenged books to school libraries. More than 200 people had signed the petition as of Thursday night, he said.
“Students don’t leave their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse door,” he told the Statesman. “The school board needs to be very careful in making decisions that adversely impact students First Amendment rights.”
Several students attended the event, and raised concerns about the school board’s decision. Scarlet Neubauer, an incoming freshman who attends a charter school in Nampa, was reading “Looking for Alaska” at the read-in. She said she attended the event because she doesn’t support censorship — whether it is for books or music. She said banning books could harm the schools.
DeLaney helped event attendees choose a book they wanted to read. As students, parents and community members came up to the table filled with copies of the challenged titles, she explained what the books were about and tried to find a good fit for every person.
She said students should be given varieties in titles and be able to see themselves in books. She said the books that were banned from schools are “incredibly powerful,” and can “be a light in the darkness” for kids.
“These books matter,” she told the Statesman. “There are books here that are genuinely life saving because they are able to see themselves in these books and know that they’re OK, that they are seen and their voices are heard.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
