ent Publishers Guild, National Govern- ance Association, National Literacy Trust, Empathy Lab, Parentzone, Gendered Intelligence, education unions, librarians, teachers, university students and authors. The most powerful moment was hearing firsthand testimony from ‘Emily’, the librarian facing the pressures described above. This is the voice of the ‘canary in the mines’ speaking on behalf of all school librarians. We have little or no protection from this concerted effort to remove groups of voices and representa- tion from our collections. SLG are now strongly advising school library staff to join a union, write a robust collection development policy and put it through their school ratification process.6


However


we exist in the somewhat liminal space between school leadership and CILIP’s code of ethics, and the majority of us are low paid and navigate these rocky waters solo. We need access to tools and support from our professional association which can be readily drawn on when challenges are made.


In 2022, CILIP, the School Libraries Group and the School Library Association published a joint statement on intellectual freedom7


in response to a London diocese banning a gay author from visiting one of their secondary schools8


(like ‘Emily’, the


librarian was accused of being a safe- guarding risk and had to leave her job); it was considered to be an interim state- ment, but this now needs to be re-visited and re-launched.


The Open Pages Forum showed there is strength and support when organisations come together and those who attended should be invited to become signatories to the statement. This would be a tool to use when advocating to protect a book, and even a job, and would go a long way in ensuring that all children are entitled to benefit from our professional values. We need a strong cross-sector campaign advocating for these values to be protected in the UK education system.


April-May 2026


As Larue says, censorship is most effec- tive when no one talks about it. How can we talk about it, if we are unaware of what is being challenged, where and when? It is critical that we begin to centrally collect data on book challenges being made.9 Library staff need to know who to contact for help and advice. CILIP’s Managing Safe and Inclusive Library Spaces asks for challenges to be reported to them using their “contact us” form, or you can contact us CILIP’s SLG directly. ‘Emily’ was fortu- nate in being a member of a trade union and that a fellow librarian helped her con- tact the School Libraries Group. Three of our committee members have given sub- stantial emotional and practical support over the past six months for which they have my deep respect; undertaking this role as part of the voluntary service they give to their profession.


CILIP’s forthcoming Intellectual Free- dom Committee led by David McMenemy will strengthen sector expertise. After four years of school and public librarians signal-


ling that challenges are on the increase, we cannot but help look to this body for clear leadership on the issue. David McMenemy’s literature review on ethics and values10


poses many questions for


us to consider: how clear are our values to the wider world? Libraries exist in a changing society – do our values need to be reviewed? What does the action based on each value look like? If we use the word neutrality when selecting stock, we actively select stock from a range of perspectives on a topic illustrating the different sides to an issue, consciously guarding against our own personal bias. Currently there is a perception that neutrality means librarians avoid material on sensitive or controversial issues, in consequence when we are deemed to be steering off course there is the risk of outrage and censorship attempts.11


With


many school libraries led by non-CILIP members, clear communication, training and advocacy on this to the wider public are essential. These will remain central


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 39


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