SOMERSET COUNTY, Md. — A new Somerset County school library policy is now on hold as Maryland officials review whether it complies with state law.
The policy, adopted by the Somerset County Board of Education, establishes rules for how certain library and instructional materials are categorized and accessed by students.
Under the policy, “young adults” are defined as people ages 18 to 26, meaning students under 18 could face restrictions on materials the school board considers adult or unsuitable.
Maryland State Superintendent Carey Wright ordered a 60-day stay on enforcement of the policy while the state reviews whether it complies with Maryland law, including the Freedom to Read Act.
The policy has drawn differing opinions from parents and community members over what students should be allowed to access in school libraries.
Lenora Schoolfield of Princess Anne said she believes restricting access could interfere with students’ ability to learn through reading.
“Why stop their learning,” Schoolfield said. “In this age and this age, everything is better off if you just let them go ahead and read.”
Schoolfield says she wants to be a resource for her granddaughter, who attends Greenwood Elementary in Princess Anne, when it comes to determining what materials are appropriate.
“If she's reading and she comes to me, then…I can sit down and tell her and explain it to her – what's appropriate and what's not appropriate,” Schoolfield told WBOC.
Sue Ellen Nolan of Rumbly says she believes schools should take care in determining what younger students are exposed to.
“A lot of them, they're too young to be exposed to a lot of things that are out there,” Nolan said.
The Somerset County Board of Education says the policy is not a book ban and that no books have been selected or removed as a result of the policy.
In a statement to WBOC, Gordana Schifanelli, attorney for the Somerset County School Board, says in part, “Controversy by some individuals attempting to make 11 year olds to be 18 year olds simply cannot stand on any legal grounds. Minors are not adults and the SCBOE has a duty to protect minors from obscene, unsuitable or pornographic materials.”
The board also says the policy does not ban books such as Harry Potter or The Diary of Anne Frank and that no library materials have been removed.
The board says it recognizes Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act and other constitutional and legal standards while also recognizing parents’ rights to raise concerns about materials they believe are inappropriate.
The state’s 60-day review will determine whether the policy complies with Maryland law.
