Today: Escambia Schools Parents Can Choose Student Access To School Library Books

May 1, 2023

– Parents can stop their kids from checking out any library books at all
– For unlimited access, no parental action is needed

Beginning today, parents of students in Escambia County Public Schools can fill out a  form specifying what type of books their student can check out of the library.

The move comes as about 190 books have been challenged and a handful have been banned from school libraries.

The library access form is available in the school district’s Focus Parent Portal, and it will allow parents to choose their student’s level of access to both library and classroom collections.

If parents decide that unlimited access is best for their child, they need not fill out the form. The default for all students is unlimited, unless a parent makes another choice.

With unlimited access, students will have “full access to check out grade and age appropriate books that are available at their grade (elementary, middle, high) school library to include same grade level inter library loan as well as classroom libraries”.

Other options are:

  • Limited: Students may check out books from the library media center, but there is content that a parent would like their student to not have access to in the library media center including the classroom library.
  • No Access: Students are not permitted to check books out of the library media center or use classroom library books.

If a parent chooses “limited” on the form, they will be able to specify which type of books they do not want their child to check out.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Comments

23 Responses to “Today: Escambia Schools Parents Can Choose Student Access To School Library Books”

  1. Middle School Teacher on May 2nd, 2023 10:47 pm

    I wish children would just read a book. 90% of them check books out and never read them. Parents, get your children books you want them to read and have them read every night if you don’t want them in the library. The main issue here is literacy! Make your kids read!

  2. John Bone Jones on May 2nd, 2023 8:42 am

    Don’t worry TB, our kids won’t be hanging out together.

  3. Britan on May 1st, 2023 5:39 pm

    There are no obscene or pornographic books in school libraries. They were picked by people who went to school and understand diverse collection development a heck of a lot more then Joe Schmoe does. And especially with a policy that lets you keep the kid from books entirely, there’s no reason you should be personally offended by what’s in the school library. Cope. Seethe.

  4. Bob on May 1st, 2023 5:19 pm

    Are there some books that are inappropriate for children? Sure.

    Does that include books like “Slaughterhouse Five”, “And Tango Makes Three”, and “Perks of Being a Wallflower”? Of course not.

    Extremists who want their kids to grow up as hateful and bigoted as them are trying their best to remove books that take controversial stances like “racism is bad” and “gay people exist”, and using the excuse of “removing inappropriate content” as an excuse.

    …and simpletons that haven’t read a book since they graduated high school 30 years ago are eating it up.

  5. JennX on May 1st, 2023 2:17 pm

    Book bans in school have really caused a real awakening in most people but I don’t think I’ve seen an article to date that has called for book bans in the Public Library , book stores or online retailers. The articles I’ve seen have solely been the public schools. I have looked up some of the books that are banned and on The West Florida Public Library those books are there but on hold due to a waiting list. They are also available on Books- A – Million’s Website. The books are still available and parents that want to allow their children to read them, still have access via purchase or check out at the public library. So I am trying to understand , is it upset due to convenience / inconvenience of the public schools and an effort to physically go to a public library or cost of purchase? Choices to obtain the banned books are still available.

  6. Me on May 1st, 2023 12:55 pm

    I certainly hope the same parents restricting access because of inappropriate material are just as vigilant with their child’s cell phone.

  7. P'cola on May 1st, 2023 10:50 am

    Are the books in the libraries provided with a rating system such as G, PG, and R like the movies? Will pornographic books still be removed from the libraries or is this just a workaround so the School Board and Superintendent does not have to make a decision about problemeatic books in the libraries?

  8. emom on May 1st, 2023 10:33 am

    Parents have always had a right to be involved in their kids school. Volunteer in the school and classroom, join the PTA, go to parent conferences and school nights, check their homework, read their assignments.

  9. Eric M on May 1st, 2023 10:14 am

    I personally wouldn’t read any of those books that push certain leftist agendas, but that’s my viewpoint that I developed in life. It’s up to my kids to decide their own views.

  10. Mike on May 1st, 2023 10:11 am

    Well we didn’t have books in school being sexually explicit like the ones today
    And we didn’t have drag queen reading them to us.
    So just keep watching the dumpster fire and telling yourselves it’s fine everything is fine

  11. Concerned on May 1st, 2023 9:27 am

    So all I have to say about this is parents that don’t think access should be limited (because there is absolutely ridiculous things available) check out your child’s “myon” or “Renaissance” reading AR program available to them online. Look up the books “my sister, Daisy” available for K-2 readers. And also “Dating: “What is a healthy relationship”" available for 3-5 readers. Those are only 2 examples of the many and see if you don’t change your minds.

  12. TB on May 1st, 2023 9:08 am

    I obtained the list of the books that were in question and I actually went and looked at them and read the contents, most people complaining about “Book bans” never actually read these for themselves, they just rely on biased 3rd party opinions of people who have not read them either.
    I challenge people who are against limiting access of these books to children to go and read them.
    Some of these books are pure filth in my opinion and I grew up on the South side of Chicago and have seen pretty much everything growing up but I never saw or read any of this trash when I was 5 through 8 years old like they’re trying to push on our little children today.
    If parents are ok with their children reading this keep it at your house, don’t give “My” kids access to it.
    And don’t be surprised if I don’t let my kids hang around yours.

  13. TW on May 1st, 2023 9:08 am

    Maybe if the older generations who turned out just fine stood up to the cultural Marxism that IS openly attacking western civilization, then today’s parents wouldn’t have to. Liberty is not free. It must be secured. Yall probably have a better idea of what Alabama players were drafted than any of this nonsense I’m spewing.

  14. RC on May 1st, 2023 8:40 am

    These are not fanatical people. These are parents who have every right to take over when a school system is not looking out for the best interest of students. Some of you are not informed. The books in today’s school library are not the same as they use to be. There are some states parents have read the books in front of the school board and were silenced due to the extreme sexual content. If students are not allowed to purchase porn, they certainly should not have access to it in their school library.

  15. Brian on May 1st, 2023 8:29 am

    I guess some of you commenting on this haven’t seen the books that are now put in schools. Some of them are ment to emotionally and sexually confuse children, if you’re OK with that something is wrong with you. Thank you Governor DeSantis for caring about our children.

  16. Common Sense on May 1st, 2023 8:29 am

    It is true when we were in school we did not have to worry about the subjects that were written about in our library. However, times are certainly different. Many of the books that are in them today for our CHILDREN to read are even too explicit for us adults to comprehend. It goes far beyond just sexual content or witchcraft. Some of the books that have been discovered in the schools is pure pornography and even worse. I’m thankful my kids are no longer in school and did not become a part of this. Yes the kids should be able to choose what they read out of the school library but there should be choices that are suitable for them. That would be like wanting them to choose something healthy to eat and giving them candy, cheeseburger, and chocolate cake to choose from. Which is the lesser evil? Parents have enough to worry about for their children these days. They should not have to worry about whether the school library is going to have adult contents or worse in their books for them. And in my opinion a parent who promotes these sort of books probably shouldn’t be parents.

  17. John Bone Jones on May 1st, 2023 8:08 am

    Also, parents down *own* their child. They are merely stewards.

  18. John Bone Jones on May 1st, 2023 8:07 am

    @Robert… you nailed it.

  19. John on May 1st, 2023 7:27 am

    Its good to see parents have more control now to make the decisions for (Their) child’s education. What a wonderful day!

  20. CSM on May 1st, 2023 7:05 am

    Elementary parents, please do not limit your child’s ability to check out books.

  21. joy on May 1st, 2023 6:30 am

    robert—-you are so right

  22. joy on May 1st, 2023 6:29 am

    so just let the parents take over — fire the teachers and principles as obviously according to your gov. are too stupid to teach—what a disgrace Florida has become

  23. Robert Bruner on May 1st, 2023 5:45 am

    None of us had book bans and I think we turned out ok. You all read banned books whether you would like to admit it or not. This is just hysteria by fanatical people looking for something to blame their fears on.