School libraries 'censored' as survey reveals 28 librarians 'asked to remove books from shelves'

A small-scale investigation by the Index on Censorship, an organisation campaigning for freedom of expression, revealed that 28 librarians across the UK have allegedly been asked to remove books from shelves, with parents reportedly making more than half of those requests. 

According to the survey, which collected data from 53 school librarians, 56% of those asked went on to remove the books. These reportedly included Juno Dawson’s This Book Is Gay (Hot Key Books), Jessica Love’s Julián is a Mermaid (Walker Books) and ABC Pride by Louie Stowell, Elly Barnes and Amy Phelps (DK Children), as well as other titles with LGBTQ+ content.

The investigation also found that some YA fiction titles, including books in Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper series (Hodder Children’s Books), were not removed, despite requests to hide them. However, Manga books were reportedly taken down by some school librarians due to "perceived sexualisation of characters" or "explicit or violent content".

The survey was distributed through the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and the School Library Association (SLA), and was also posted on a Facebook page for school librarians.

"Professional librarians know to resist censorship," said CILIP c.e.o. Louis Coiffait-Gunn. "The evidence on how widespread the issue is in the UK is sparse, but any example is one too many [...] Day in and day out our members are developing collections that give their users access to a huge range of information, including different opinions and evidence on the controversial issues of the day. Their role is not to ban or censor material, defend or attack any particular content, or to assert their personal preferences."

Coiffait-Gunn pointed to the example of America, where book bans take place, saying that the best response is to "rely on clear institutional policies". The c.e.o. pointed to CILIP’s "Safe and Inclusive" guide and its "Intellectual Freedom Policy", which the association recently updated after consulting its members.

Schools are able to select which books to stock in their libraries, as long as they comply with the law and the requirements of the Department for Education (DfE). A "basic" school curriculum includes the "national curriculum", while both primary and secondary schools are required to provide "relationships education" for students. Secondary schools also have to include "sex education" in their curriculums.

"The number of specific issues as captured in the survey is small but, given the reluctance for some people to come forward and the variety of ways in which this can happen, it is something we should be aware of," Alison Tarrant, the​​​​ chief executive of the School Library Association (SLA), told The Bookseller.

Tarrant explained that school libraries carry books for pupils in every year group, and some books will not be suitable for younger students. "This means there may well be complaints, but that does not necessarily justify the removal of the resource," she said. "However, the lack of training and sufficient time to do the role may also have an impact [...] and school leaders should consider whether they are doing their best for the school library staff in these aspects as well as working with them on a collection development and complaints policy."

The DfE declined to comment.