AASL Issues Statement on Injunction of Senate File 496

CHICAGO- The American Association of School Librarians released the following statement in response to the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacating the lower court’s injunctions of portions of Senate File 496, an Iowa law that requires library workers to remove books from the state’s public-school libraries. 

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) expressed disappointment and concern following the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to vacate the lower court’s order, which blocked the enforcement of Senate File 496 (SF 496) on the grounds that it likely violates the First Amendment. AASL President, Amanda Kordeliski said, 

“This ruling is deeply concerning because it prioritizes broad censorship over students’ freedom to read, learn, and explore ideas. School libraries exist to support intellectual growth, and restricting access to books limits students’ opportunities to see themselves, understand others, and engage critically with the world around them.”

“School librarians are trained professionals who carefully curate collections to meet educational and developmental needs. Policies that broadly restrict books undermine that expertise and create barriers to equitable access to information for students. This ruling may have a chilling effect in schools, where educators and librarians feel pressure to remove materials out of fear of penalties rather than educational value. Students ultimately lose when access to literature and information is restricted.”

ALA Executive Director Dan Montgomery said, “As a former high school English teacher, I know firsthand how harmful this decision will be. Libraries are meant to open doors to discovery and inquiry. Policies that result in the removal of books based on broad categories of content do a tremendous disservice to our students and threaten the very role of school libraries as places of learning, exploration, and belonging.”

In April, the Freedom to Read Foundation, Iowa Library Association, and American Association of School Librarians submitted an amicus brief asking the court to overturn provisions in SF 496 because the law is unconstitutionally vague and its prohibition of particular viewpoints violates students’ First Amendment rights. 

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), empowers leaders to transform teaching and learning.