Staff Reports
As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, the largest school district in Utah has deleted 52 titles from its collection due to allegations of improper material, and it expects to review another 32 novels in the coming weeks.
The Alpine School District, which is located in the northern part of Utah County, is getting rid of the books as a result of an internal audit that was prompted by concerns from parents. After creating some guidelines on how to conduct the inspection, the school administration will first officially examine the first 52 volumes, and then they will inspect the remaining 32 books.
Some of the books that have been taken off the shelves include "Gender Queer," a memoir on gender identity that discusses "the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes," and "Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens," which offers advice on "dealing with queerphobia, and having safe sex." Both of these books were removed from the shelves.
Other books that were taken from the shelves of the library include "Two Boys Kissing," a story about two boys attempting to surpass the world record for kissing, and "All Boys Aren't Blue," a memoir that discusses the perspective of a black gay boy's development. Both of these books can be found on the shelves of the library.
According to a news release, in the month of July the Utah State Board of Education voted to endorse a policy that will offer schools with direction on how to assess books that have been marked for having "sensitive content." The only people who are allowed to seek a review are kids, parents, and staff of the campus, and when books are being reviewed, they are to be removed from the shelves of the library.
