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WARNING - Explicit content below.

Viewer discretion is advised!


 

Public school libraries, partially due to their smaller size, cannot carry every book ever written. The idea is that the book titles in school libraries are carefully curated to include educational material of differing viewpoints to inspire both a love of learning and reading.

Most parents agree that school library material should be age-appropriate also. Hence why we don't have a section containing Playboy or Hustler magazines, and why the internet is restricted at schools to allow only age-appropriate content.

So, are we book banners? 

Here's what we are NOT doing:

  • We are NOT telling authors to stop publishing their work
  • We are NOT contacting public (non-school) libraries to censor their selections
  • We are NOT asking retailers to stop selling these books
  • We are NOT concerned with classic titles that the media wants you to believe (ie Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingboard etc etc)

Here's what we ARE doing:

  • We ARE asking districts to have a clear review process for books with extreme content (not all do)
  • We ARE seeking the titles with the most explicit content (graphics with images of sex etc) to be removed from school libraries OR at least placed in a restricted area that needs parental consent
  • We ARE proposing that "explicit content" stickers be placed on covers so parents have more knowledge of content (like cd's)
  • We ARE proposing an opt-in policy that would allow parents who want their child to access these books full access
  • We ARE working nationally to have a book-rating system that would give parents to make educated decisions

 

What are we so concerned about?

The titles below have varying degrees of obscene material including but not limited to:

  • Graphics showing sex acts (not in a medical/educational way)
  • Extreme profanity
  • Detailed descriptions of masturbation
  • Oral, anal & vaginal sex
  • Forced oral sex
  • Rape & sexual assault
  • Incest
  • Pedophilia
  • Teaching kids how to use sex apps, and what websites to use

Orchard Park District

Per OPCSD Board Policy #8320:

A school library/library media center will be established and maintained in each school of the District. The library in each elementary and secondary school will meet the needs of the pupils, and provide an adequate complement to the instructional program in the various areas of the curriculum. The District will also employ a certified school Library Media Specialist, unless equivalent service is provided by an alternative arrangement approved by the Commissioner.

The Board agrees that the responsibility of the school library is: 

  1. To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the students served. 
     
  2. To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.
     
  3. To provide a background of information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.
     
  4. To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical reading and thinking.
     
  5. To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contribution to our American heritage.
     
  6. To place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library.

In interpreting these principles, the following will apply: 

  1. Broad and varied collections will be developed systematically by the Library Media Specialist, based on professional development tools and recommendations of the professional staff and suggestions of students and parents. Final approval will be made by the building principal.
     
  2. Qualitative standards of selection involving factual accuracy, authoritativeness, artistic quality, and appeal will be applied by the Library Media Specialist before purchases are made.
     
  3. Materials will not be excluded because of the race, nationality, political opinions, or religious views of the author.
     
  4. Materials will be continuously re-evaluated in relation to changing curriculum and instructional needs. Worn out, outdated materials will be discarded.

Education Law § 207

8 NYCRR §§ 21.4, 91.1, 91.2

Adopted:

10/10/17

 

Book List for OPCSD

The following titles have been found in Orchard Park High School using the online library search tool, Go Follet. This information is accurate as of March 2023.

Clicking the title links will bring you to a page of BookLooks.org that shows the explicit content we are concerned about. 

 

Title Author Year Published Book Looks Rating
Lucky Alice Sebold 1999 5
Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston 2019 4
Triangles Ellen Hopkins 2009 5
Tricks Ellen Hopkins 2009 5
This Book is Gay Juno Dawson 2015 4
Gender Queer Maia Kobabe 2019 4
Sold Patricia McCormick 2008 5
Red Hood Elana Arnold 2020 4
The Sun & Her Flowers Rupi Kaur 2017 4
Me & Earl & The Dying Girl Jesse Andrews 2012 3
The Handsome Girl & The Beautiful Boy BT Gottfred  2018 4
Ugly Love Colleen Hoover 2014 4
All Your Perfects Colleen Hoover 2018 4
It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover 2016 4
Red Hood Elana Arnold 2020 4
Burned, Crank, Smoke, Identical, People Kill People, Perfect, Tilt Ellen Hopkins 2004-2018 3-4
Triangles, Tricks Ellen Hopkins 2011-2012 4-5
Nineteen Minutes Jodi Picoult 2007 4
Shine Lauren Myracle 2011 4
Milk & Honey, The Sun & Her Flowers Rupi Kaur 2015, 2017 4
Flamer Mike Curato  2020 3
       

 

 Examples

 This Book Is Gay

 

 

 

Red, White & Royal Blue

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Red Hood

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The Sun & Her Flowers

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Flamer