Some of Fort Worth's most important libraries are shut down temporarily. Fort Worth students will not be allowed in school libraries for the next several days.
The school district closed all libraries until the end of next week for an inventory. This all comes on the heels of a school board decision to remove three books. An expert in information sciences spoke to NBC 5 about the district's latest move.
For some 25 years, Dr. Sarah Evans has worked at libraries, studied libraries, or taught future librarians. She’s now an assistant professor at UNT’s Department of Information Science. Recently, Evans was named the Presidential Early Career Professor with a focus on children and young adult librarianship. She said students currently enrolled in UNT’s master’s program are as passionate as ever.
“Librarians, by nature, are people who want to provide access,” Evans said.
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One critical component of the program is the book selection process for school libraries. Evans said it’s a meticulous procedure they don’t take lightly.
“Something that is part of the professional library training, the master’s degree that you need to have, is talking about how to engage with your community how to understand their needs and interests,” she said.
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It’s why Evans said there could be several reasons for Fort Worth ISD’s decision to close all campus libraries through the end of next week. The district confirmed in a statement to NBC 5 it will close every campus library through Aug. 25 so catalogs can be inventoried. The district gave no additional explanation for the closure.
In the same statement, the district said, in addition to parents’ ability to restrict books for their child, a community member can request the removal of a book from the entire student population, which the district will consider by following a formal process found here in its board policy manual.
This comes on the heels of the district’s decision to remove three books with LGBTQ and gender themes. Parents spoke strongly against what some called "pornographic material" at a July 25 meeting.
Last month, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill that prohibits 'sexually explicit' books in public school libraries. House Bill 900 takes effect September 1, 2023.
Despite recent controversy, Evans said the announcement of a temporary library closure is no reason to panic. Sometimes, she said, libraries pause active circulation to assess the condition and relevance of materials.
“There’s also an opportunity to take an inventory to see if the material reflects the realities of the community,” said Evans.
There is, however, a point when concern might be reasonable. Evans said the community might become troubled if the inventory closure is longer than expected. She said talks of pulling funding from the library might also raise eyebrows.
For her part, Evans is working to make sure future librarians are prepared to handle controversy.
“We librarians are hardy people who are also committed to doing what’s best for their community,” she said.
A district spokesperson said there's a meeting pending with the district's 'executive director of humanities and academic support initiatives' to discuss the matter. The district also confirmed Victor Chapa is no longer the director of Library Media Services.
