Erie 1 BOCES to Host “Collection, Selection, Objection”
Alicia Thompson, Director of Library Services, will be hosting a statewide conversation around the increase in community objections to both instructional materials and school library resources. More than 500 librarians, teachers, administrators and school board members from throughout New York State will be in attendance, both virtually and the Erie 1 BOCES educational campus.
This session, made possible by Erie 1 BOCES' Library Service and Policy Services teams, is available to the entire state. The passion of the Library Services team has pushed this work forward at a critical time in the discussion of this very topic. Sharing the work statewide creates an opportunity to unify all stakeholders and ensure there is common understanding of the legal and ethical aspects of responding to book challenges.
This has been an increasingly trending discussion among school districts as parents and guardians challenge or inquire about the content of various books, databases and other materials.
"Anyone who works in our school districts can benefit from having a working knowledge of this topic," Thompson said.
The daylong event will have informational sessions in the morning. The afternoon will feature group discussion and presentations from schools who have went through the challenge process. If you cannot attend for the whole day, any amount of time you spend will leave you with something learned about this important subject.