In your opinion, is there ever a time when a book or novel should be banned from being made available in a public library or public school classroom?

👍 Yes (28%) – "In a library or area of a library for minors at a district by district level, absolutely. I understand that which books are banned must be hugely controversial, but children’s brains are not developmentally ready to process certain subjects or possibilities or mental images."

• "From a public library, absolutely not. From an elementary or middle school library? Sure. I feel like "banned" is a word laden with emotion, so I'd be hesitant to use it. However, selecting age appropriate texts for a school library? Of course. When we select texts for our curriculum, we always consider the topic, language, and relevance before approving them."

"Certain books should be banned from school classrooms when they’re not age appropriate. However, banning books from public libraries infringes on people’s freedom to choose what they read."

👎 No (61%) – "If you as a person personally feel a certain way about a book because of its content, then just don't read it! There is no need to make it unavailable to others who are interested in the book. If parents don't want their kids to read certain books, then the parents need to not let their child read the book - not ban it from the public library or school."

• "Honestly, I had to think long and hard before answering, but it's a no for the sole reason that it cannot be a one-way street and it's very easy to get hypocritical about topics like this. If we say yes to banning books, no one will never agree on what to ban (i.e. MY books/topics are ok but YOURS are awful). The process of banning access to books and information is a slippery slope that will lead to even more divisiveness and opposition than what already exists in this country."

"There should never be a point where information is illegal because it is considered provocative, vulgar, or dangerous, for any reason. Those who put these restrictions on knowledge may have well intentions, but inevitably this type of branding will be applied as a means of memetic control."

• "Librarians, teachers, and parents are able to choose what literature is appropriate for their students on a case-by-case basis. Hiding adolescents from the reality of the world is a disservice to their development."

"Parents can use their discretion on keeping books away from their own children. They should not be able to keep them away from others. Age restrictions can easily be handled by rules of who can check out a book or who can access certain sections. It is not necessary to remove books altogether. In the age of the internet (where virtually anything is accessible), putting physical book bans in place is an archaic form of censorship and fake outrage focused on the wrong thing."

• "Books, like all media, are markers of history, perception, and creativity. As a public school teacher, I can't imagine ever banning a book from our library. Historically speaking, book bans are usually a marker of totalitarian/fascist regimes."

🤷 Unsure/other (11%) – "I don't think any books should be banned from public libraries. In regards to classrooms, books should be developmentally appropriate. That said, most of the book protests have nothing to do with whether or not a book is age-appropriate, instead protesting books on "agenda" which is one-sided. Educators must have control over the books available in their classrooms because they are trained and qualified to determine how to teach the content, particularly when it is challenging, upsetting, or controversial."

• "Those are very different questions. Public library: no bans. Public schools: yes bans may make sense. There’s obviously an attempt by both sides to push agendas that parents aren’t comfortable with. Both of which may not be appropriate for a really left or really right teacher to read without the consent of parents. I think you should have split this question out."