The Elizabeth School District (ESD) Board of Education in Elizabeth, Colo., made a controversial decision on Monday to remove nearly two dozen books from its library shelves. During a school board meeting, 19 books were identified to be temporarily pulled from the district’s libraries. The decision-making process involved resources such as Goodreads, Trigger Warning Database, Book Trigger Warnings, booklooks.org, and/or Junior Library Guild, according to district documents.
Additionally, the board unanimously approved a checkout protocol for books containing „sensitive topics.“ This protocol allows parents to opt their children out of checking out books that cover certain topics like profanity/obscenity, racism/discrimination, and religious viewpoints. Parents will also receive an email notification if their child does check out a book from the sensitive topic catalog, which includes 138 books such as „Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl,“ „To Kill A Mockingbird,“ and the Bible.
Board secretary Mary Powell addressed concerns during the meeting by stating, „This is not book banning. They are not on our shelf because we do not feel they fulfill the educational protocols that we believe in for this district.“ However, several former educators, including retired ESD teacher Kerry Jiblits, expressed their disagreement with the board’s decision. Jiblits emphasized the importance of books as windows to the world and how limiting access to diverse perspectives could hinder students‘ understanding of society.
Retired Elizabeth teacher Wayne Otte also shared his perspective, noting the shift in the district’s approach from focusing solely on education to becoming entangled in external politics. The decision to eliminate classroom libraries was also discussed during the meeting but was put on hold the following day. The school district released a statement explaining that further feedback from staff is needed to merge the library protocol with student access to classroom materials.
The statement highlighted the intention behind the measure, which aimed to alleviate the burden on teachers and principals in determining appropriate reading materials based on varying family values. Students were encouraged to keep a book either from the school library or from home in their desks for reference. The ESD board’s decision to hold off on eliminating classroom libraries reflects their willingness to engage in dialogue with teachers to establish best practices for handling sensitive literature in classrooms.
The controversy surrounding the removal of books from the Elizabeth School District’s libraries underscores the ongoing debate about censorship, educational standards, and the role of literature in shaping students‘ understanding of the world. As the community grapples with these issues, it is essential to consider the impact of such decisions on students‘ access to diverse perspectives and critical thinking skills.