From the article: "PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished."
So I'd say it's more than "parent complaints". The books under discussion are not accessible anymore according to PEN's definition.
> PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.
Parents saying "I don't want my kids reading this" is very different than a parents' complaint which reduces access to or availability of that book.
"PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished."
It sounds like PEN would not consider just a complaint they heard a parent make about a book as a ban on a book. If an entity that has books restricted or diminished access to the book because a parent (or other group) complained, PEN would consider that a book ban.
That is a rigorous and unbiased definition of a book ban.
Curious that it does not count books that librarians or educators choose to restrict as "banned". In my local library system, it's almost impossible to find copies of books with a heterodox perspective on controversial issues, for example Abigail Shrier's book Irreversible Damage. Of course that isn't "banned", it was just an internal decision not to purchase it...
If it's just parental complaint, surely every state would have "banned" books? I find it unlikely that no parent in all of California complained (to who?) about a book.
moistly|3 years ago
[1] e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32925763 among several others.
englishrookie|3 years ago
So I'd say it's more than "parent complaints". The books under discussion are not accessible anymore according to PEN's definition.
nness|3 years ago
> PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished.
Parents saying "I don't want my kids reading this" is very different than a parents' complaint which reduces access to or availability of that book.
suddentlythuban|3 years ago
"PEN America defines a school book ban as any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent or community challenges, administrative decisions, or in response to direct or threatened action by lawmakers or other governmental officials, that leads to a previously accessible book being either completely removed from availability to students, or where access to a book is restricted or diminished."
It sounds like PEN would not consider just a complaint they heard a parent make about a book as a ban on a book. If an entity that has books restricted or diminished access to the book because a parent (or other group) complained, PEN would consider that a book ban.
That is a rigorous and unbiased definition of a book ban.
pseudo0|3 years ago
ignormies|3 years ago