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Across the country, book bans and attempted bans have soared to the highest levels in decades.
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Lawmakers have passed HB29, which updates Utah’s sensitive materials law and allows for books to be banned statewide.
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Lawmakers may have banned “pornographic or indecent” books in 2022, but the law’s implementation has not been smooth sailing.
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Some of the proposed changes would allow schools to remove some books quicker and without the input of parents. It would also allow certain books to be banned statewide.
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The biggest change is the addition of a “specialized review” committee that will focus solely on judging if portions of challenged books meet the state’s “sensitive materials” standard.
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Former Brighton High School librarian Catherine Bates said her job was affecting her mental health, in part because of the current political climate surrounding school libraries and which books can be in them.
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As Utah lawmakers debate which books should and should not be in school libraries, the focus is often on removals. Librarians, however, say a lot of thought goes into choosing titles in the first place.
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The Davis School District said in a statement on Tuesday that its board had determined the sacred text was age-appropriate for all school libraries.
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Utah lawmakers continue to criticize the Davis School District for banning the Bible in some schools, and vocal support is growing for revising Utah’s “sensitive materials” law.
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Rep. Ken Ivory said he wants school districts to vote in a public meeting before any books are banned.
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The Utah State Board of Education asked lawmakers to put a pause on new “sensitive materials” legislation since last year’s law is still so fresh.
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Librarians in Grand County, Summit County and Brigham City share which adult fiction and nonfiction titles were checked out most often in 2022.