By Kate Okeson and Amy Moran, Ph.D., with Martha Hickson, MLIS
April is School Library Month. Libraries and media centers are essential resources—places to connect and find refuge. They’re also under attack for showing the whole of humanity as explored and recorded in literature and other texts. LGBTQIA+ topics, those that affirm and explore gender and sexual identity remain some of the most challenged texts.
“Rainbow Connection” asked Martha Hickson, MLIS, librarian at North Hunterdon High School in Annandale a few questions about the state of school libraries.
RC: How do libraries/media centers provide safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ students?
MH: A commitment to safe spaces is built into the standards of the American Association of School Librarians, requiring school libraries to demonstrate “understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community.” Libraries maintain collections and display resources that represent students’ lives so that every kid can see that their story matters. Whenever I create a display in our library, I make sure that the books and their covers look just like the diverse kids who walk through the doors. When we show that we value the stories, we show that we value the people.
RC: How can teachers better utilize school libraries to support the LGBTQ+ curriculum inclusion mandate in their classrooms?
MH: School librarians are every teacher’s research and resource partner. We don’t know everything, but we sure know how to find everything. When teachers are looking for content to support any area of the curriculum—including LGBTQ+ inclusion—a meeting with the school librarian should be their first stop. We know the materials in our library collections and the coverage in our databases, so we can quickly point you to high-quality, student-friendly resources for use in your instruction. For example, when my social studies department was looking for LGBTQ+ related materials, I created a pathfinder for them that includes library resources, primary sources, timelines and lesson plans. The best part is that once your librarian knows that you’re following a topic, we’ll continue looking for related resources as we make future purchases for the library—sort of like having a personal shopper!
RC: What trends are you noticing in libraries/media centers around our nation?
MH: In terms of library materials, I feel that we truly are living in a golden age of literature for children and young adults—all children and young adults. Because of movements like “We Need Diverse Books,” publishers are issuing the works of diverse authors and “authentic voices” so that libraries can be more responsive than ever to the needs of readers.
When I first started working as a high school librarian 18 years ago, we had a handful of LGBTQ+ titles in our collection … standards like Annie on My Mind or The Geography Club. Over the years, though, there’s been an explosion of fiction and nonfiction centering the LGBTQ+ experience. As a result, our collections are now much more robust. Not only is that great for LGBTQ+ kids and families, but it offers their peers new insights, too.
At the same time, due to the reliance of our society on digital devices and social media, there’s a tremendous need for information and media literacy, which is precisely what librarians are trained to deliver. Thanks to years of advocacy by the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL), New Jersey just became the first state in the country to require K-12 instruction on information literacy, and other states are now looking to us as a model.
The trends aren’t all positive, though. Attempts to ban and censor books are on the rise. From Jan. 1-Aug. 31, 2022, the American Library Association documented attempts to ban or restrict more than 1,651 books. With three months of data left to gather, that number had already broken the record of 1,597 books set in 2021. More than 80% of the books targeted over the last two years address themes related to the LGBTQ+ community or people of color, with the books being falsely labeled as pornographic or promoting critical race theory.
These book-banning attempts are organized by far-right extremist groups with political agendas. The book banners have gone so far as to make personal attacks on librarians, accusing us of being pornographers and sex offenders. Some states—such as North Dakota, Iowa, and Indiana—are even proposing legislation to impose criminal penalties on librarians who circulate books that contain sexual themes or images. Authors advocacy group PEN America calls this climate the “Ed Scare.” It’s driving many librarians to retire early or leave the profession altogether.
Consequently, there’s a nationwide shortage of school librarians. According to the “Perspectives on School Library Employment” study, New Jersey saw a 27% decrease in the number of school librarians between 2009 and 2019, which EveryLibrary estimates to be a loss of 300-400 school librarians in the state. On average, there is only one school librarian for every 1,128 students in New Jersey. That’s the worst ratio for any category of staff in our schools. Once again, though, NJASL advocacy is addressing the issue, with bill S1903—“the ratio bill” —which would require specific numbers of librarians in every New Jersey school, based on student enrollment, to ensure that our students are college and career ready.
If you know of a district without a certified school librarian, alert the NJASL Advocacy Team.
RC: What is the role of a library in a plural society?
MH: Librarians are deeply committed to upholding the First Amendment, which enables Americans to receive and read the information they want and need. Our professional code of ethics from the American Library Association demands that “we uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.” In addition, school librarians also operate under the American Association of School Librarians’ Common Beliefs, which state that “intellectual freedom is every learner’s right.”
With that in mind, the role of a school library is to serve, promote and support the information needs of all students, regardless of their learning style, ability, or cultural, linguistic, or socioeconomic background. The school library provides a rich variety of resources and services that reflect the diversity of the community, including books, programs and other materials that represent a variety of perspectives, experiences and worldviews. As a result, the school library helps students develop empathy, cultural competence, respect for diversity and an appreciation for the richness of human experience.
RC: What are your library/media center colleagues doing to fortify their library holdings against community members with interests in censoring or banning books that deal with social justice and visibility issues for our most marginalized students?
MH: We’re doing what we’ve always done: building diverse library collections that meet the needs of readers and the selection criteria in our district policies. We don’t simply purchase whatever we want because we feel like it. Budgets are limited, and the selection criteria—including literary quality, connection to the curriculum, and relevance—guide our decisions.
With respect to attempts at censorship, we’re on the front line making sure that our districts have appropriate reconsideration policies in place and, more importantly, ensuring that those policies are followed when challenges arise. PEN America’s “Banned in the USA” report estimates that in 96% of the book bans over the past 18 months there have been lapses in the best practices recommended by the American Library Association and the National Coalition Against Censorship. Often those lapses result from impulse decisions made by boards or administrators, outside of the scope of district policies, because they are more afraid of reading books than banning them. Librarians, on the other hand, insist that the policies and processes be followed. We engage staff, students, parents, and community members in defending the right to read, and we support each other in that effort, because it’s demanding, exhausting work.
RC: What would you like for young teachers and media specialists to know in the current social and political climate?
MH: It’s definitely a tricky time to be entering the profession. You need to serve your students but also protect your livelihood. Although it might seem easiest to fly under the radar, steer clear of controversial subjects, and self-censor to avoid getting in trouble, you’re not serving yourself or your students when you do that. Remain true to the values and principles that brought you into education, and make sure you adhere to your district’s curriculum and policies. If an objection arises, alert your union immediately; and if you’re a librarian, get in touch with the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom and NJASL. If you’re not tenured, don’t feel that you have to stand out front as the sole standard bearer for intellectual freedom. Ask veteran staff members or supportive community members to take the lead, while you provide guidance and talking points from behind the scenes. To get help, reach out to the Rapid Response Team, a joint effort by NJASL and NJEA to provide local support when challenges to curriculum or library materials erupt.
RC: What should every educator know about a library and librarian?
MH: I’d be retired by now if I had a nickel for every time someone said, “It must be nice to have a job where you sit and read every day.” That’s a common misconception, one that makes librarians feel under-appreciated. In fact, we’re far too busy to sit or read during the school day. As professionals trained in information science at the master’s degree level, school librarians spend our days teaching research and information literacy skills, collaborating with teachers to design instruction, answering student research questions, finding just the right book for reluctant readers, troubleshooting technology, designing makerspace projects, and completing the myriad of physical and administrative tasks necessary to keep the library running. I often say being a school librarian is like teaching full time while running a small business. Yes, librarians love books, but we really love people. We are here to help. Thank a librarian today!
Think ahead for graduation ceremonies
Graduation and other commencement exercises are right around the corner. What does your district or building practice with regards to student organization, procession, and gowns or robes? Are these decided and implemented according to gender? In recent years, a growing majority of schools have moved to single-color gowns for all students, reducing pressure and anxiety and minimizing dilemmas faced by transgender and nonbinary students.
Questions for potential colleagues
Does your district consider inclusive classroom practices when interviewing potential employees? It’s time to expect educators and educational leaders to demonstrate knowledge of and the capability to implement LGBTQIA+ inclusive curricula and all representative curricula. Urge your building and district leaders to ask candidates how they’ve created inclusive classrooms and lead a discussion that asks a candidate to talk about building capacity around inclusive education at all levels—personal practice, team and department work, and districtwide.