Policy Restricting School Library Checkouts Under Consideration In Cherry Hill

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Cherry Hill school officials are considering a policy that would require parental permission for students to take certain books out of the district's school libraries.

Allison Staffin, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, issued an internal memo Oct. 31 on protocols for handling books with "sensitive content" in the school's libraries.

The memo advises Cherry Hill's school media specialists to review "themes, language, and any potentially sensitive content" in books before adding them to the libraries. It also guides them to "(i)mplement a system where books identified with sensitive content require parental or guardian permission before being checked out by a student."

The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained and posted the memo.

After the document became public, Superintendent Dr. Kwame Morton said the district is considering the protocols but hasn't implemented them.

"This memo referenced a permission slip, but this is a part of an ongoing discussion, and by no means a definitive," Morton said Friday in a letter to the district community. "We do not have a policy that requires parents to fill out a permission slip for their child to check out a book."

Sensitive content refers to "mature content when determining what subject matters are and are not age appropriate," Morton said.

Morton said he plans to discuss the matter with district media specialists and the district's Community Advisory Panel to get perspective from staff and community members early this week.

The superintendent plans to update the district community on the topic again in the coming weeks.

"I want to make one thing crystal clear," Morton said, "we are not banning any books in the district. Full stop." Read Morton's full letter here.

The memo included a sample "reader permission slip," which includes spaces for students to write the title, author and a brief summary of the books they want to check out.

"This book is not necessarily on the board-approved booklist and therefore, my media specialist, (blank space for the specialist's name), has asked that you approve this choice," the form says. "She/He will also be checking my book selection to make sure it is appropriate for my grade and skill level."

The form provides a space for the media specialist to provide their email address so the parent can reach them with questions.