SOUTH CAROLINA (WSAV) - The South Carolina State Board of Education is considering taking more books off school library shelves.
The books were challenged for being "lewd" or "inappropriate."
One of those up for debate, "Crank" by author Ellen Hopkins.
"Kids who need a book like that because they're considering doing drugs or are doing drugs," Hopkins said. "They're not going to go tell their parents that they're doing drugs, who are considering doing drugs and ask them to go to the school library with them, to opt into it, allowing them to get the book that's up on the shelf over there. Those kids, those books need to be widely available for kids who are considering such behaviors. They need to be on bookshelves where they can pick them up and take them, read them, even without a parent's permission."
"Crank" is loosely based on Hopkins' own daughter's experience with meth and she believes it is designed to turn teens away from drugs.
Hopkins said there have been challenges in other school districts around the country, but letters of support from readers, students and parents have helped keep it on shelves.
The SC Board of Education was potentially deciding on four books Tuesday. All challenged through a new rule set up by South Carolina Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. The regulation allows any parent or school employee to file a challenge with their local school district on a book they believe should not be in school libraries.
That challenge could go in front of the State Board. If those Board members consider it "unfit" for students. the book would be pulled not just from that School District, but from all school libraries statewide.
The president of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians is concerned about the regulation taking away the right of skilled trained professionals.
"The rhetoric surrounding Regulation 43.170 suggests that school librarians purposefully select sexually explicit materials and do so without a transparent process," said Jamie Gregory, President of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians. "This implication has caused some school librarians to suffer unjust harassment and has caused many district officials to take purchasing power away from the school librarian, the trained professional in favor of mass book removals."
Gregory continued, "Some school librarians report a moratorium on book purchases this year due to confusion and fear related to the regulation. That means they will not being able to provide students with new reading materials. That will hardly help improve our students' educational experiences in the state."
This afternoon. the State Schoolboard officially chose to keep "Crank" on school library shelves, but students can only check it out with parental consent.
The 8th grade literature textbook which was challenged will also stay in circulation in schools.
The board asked for more information from the parent who made the challenge on two other books before they would make a final decision.