The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article on Tuesday, August 1 titled “The Glenside Library has been promoting books that Central Bucks residents are trying to ban”.

The article stems from 60 book challenges in the Central Bucks School District and Glenside’s librarians reportedly being asked by area residents whether they are carrying books others are seeking to ban.

Mary Kay Moran, director of the Cheltenham Township Library System, said that those asking the question wanted “to make sure we didn’t have any plans to remove these things from our shelves.”

The Glenside Library responded by putting up a display labeled “Books Challenged in Central Bucks School District”, pictured above. According to The Inquirer, Moran wanted readers to make decisions for themselves.

The display was recently taken down to make room for a new topic, but Central Bucks Engage, a Facebook page that monitors the Central Bucks school board, shared a photo of it which to date has received 3,100 likes, 156 comments and 336 shares.

The article continues:

Since enacting a contentious library policy last year prohibiting “sexualized content,” Central Bucks has banned two books — Gender Queer and This Book Is Gay — out of five that committees have reviewed. Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh has said the district has a “duty to guard against the sexualization of children,” and recently linked the content of This Book Is Gay — a nonfiction book that aims to serve as a guide to LGBTQ relationships and includes discussion of sex apps — to a former teacher charged with sending messages of a sexual nature to a child.

Moran said the Glenside Library has received “nothing but support for our display” and that “People were really interested to see lots of LGBTQ resources” and books featuring characters of color.

For the full article, you can click here.

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