Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Library Collections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board keeps two titles behind the desk, removes one after heated debate over explicit content
Summary
Trustees voted to retain A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Frost and Starlight behind the checkout desk for students 17 and older, and approved removal of A Court of Silver Flames after roll-call votes following extended debate about sexual explicitness, violent themes, opt‑out policy effectiveness and parental notification.
Sheridan County School District #2 trustees considered formal reconsideration requests for three Sheridan High School library titles and took separate actions on each book after extended debate.
Board members opened discussion by reviewing the request forms and the district’s reconsideration process. Trustee Doug Moore argued for retention, citing legal standards such as the Miller test and national library‑association guidance, and recommended placing contested books behind the librarian’s desk with age or parental‑permission restrictions to balance intellectual freedom and parental concerns.
Trustee Bernadette Rambert led calls for removal of the titles, labeling the content as "graphic" and arguing trustees must uphold moral standards and protect minors. Trustees debated whether the books’ marketing as "young adult" versus "new adult" complicated access and whether the district’s opt‑out system reliably prevented younger students from checking out restricted material.
The board conducted separate roll‑call votes on each title. A motion to remove A Court of Wings and Ruin failed; the board then voted to retain that title with access limited behind the checkout desk to students 17 and older. An initial motion to remove A Court of Frost and Starlight failed; the board later voted to retain that title with the same behind‑the‑desk, 17‑and‑older restriction. On A Court of Silver Flames, after an initial motion to retain with parental permission failed, a subsequent motion to remove the book from the Sheridan High School library passed on roll call.
Trustees who supported retention emphasized professional selection and the value of preserving access for mature students, with some suggesting parental notification when students check out certain titles. Trustees who voted for removal cited concerns about sexually explicit passages and violent content and urged stronger access controls.
The board’s actions were recorded in roll calls and are now effective per the board’s motions: two titles remain in the high‑school collection with restricted access for students 17 and older; one title was removed from the district library.
