Trust School Librarians to Make Decisions on Content

Don't catalog school library materials by sexual content.

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TO (Senate Education and Health Committee)

district18@senate.virginia.gov, district35@senate.virginia.gov, district32@senate.virginia.gov, district02@senate.virginia.gov, district39@senate.virginia.gov, district34@senate.virginia.gov, district06@senate.virginia.gov, district21@senate.virginia.gov, district10@senate.virginia.gov, district23@senate.virginia.gov, district14@senate.virginia.gov, district12@senate.virginia.gov, district19@senate.virginia.gov, district22@senate.virginia.gov, district40@senate.virginia.gov

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vagrassrootscoalition@gmail.com

Subject

Vote NO on bills HB1379 and HB1448 that would require the cataloging of public school library resources to assist with banning

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(Sign your name and name of your organization. FEEL FREE TO EDIT.)

Dear Senator:

Please Vote NO on bills HB1379 and HB1448.

Supreme Court Justice William Brennan said in 1982 that school boards could not determine the content of school libraries based on their own personal political ideology, and this should hold for other parts of the government. Students have limited First Amendment rights within the school context, and the special characteristics of the school library is the principal locus of student freedom 'to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding.'

Public school librarians are well trained to recognize material that is or is not appropriate for the student body, and the government should not try to take over that role. Students should be given the freedom to access or not access materials of their choosing, already having undergone review by school librarians for appropriateness. If parents want to restrict material from their child, there are ways to do that without resorting to this overreach.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Group]