Banned vs. Challenged
The American Library Association defines a challenge as "an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group." Banned books, on the other hand, have actually been removed from a school's curriculum or from a library.
Books are banned or challenged for a variety of reasons including: gambling, offensive language, political viewpoints, unsuited for age group, nudity, homosexuality, drugs/alcohol/smoking, sex education, racially or socially offensive and controversial issues.
CPTC Policies
The following are excerpts from CPTC Procedure: Library Services - Collection Development and Acquisitions:
General Philosophy: Materials for the library are selected and acquired based on their relevance to program curricula, the needs of faculty and students, date of publication, and diversity of format. The selection of materials should insure a comprehensive collection consistent with the missions, strategic plans, goals, and objectives of the College and library. Priority is given to those materials relevant to the College’s curriculum and to the general reference works considered standard in small, academic libraries, as well as materials that foster intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. After the priority needs have been met, consideration is given to other desirable materials that give balance to the collection and meet the leisure, recreational, continuing education, and personal development needs of the students, faculty, and staff.
Requests for Reconsideration: The library does not add or withdraw, at the request of any individual or group, materials which have been chosen or excluded on the basis of stated selection criteria. An individual or group questioning the appropriateness of material within the collection will be referred to the Library Services Director. An individual may register a complaint concerning material that he or she considers objectionable by completing the “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form shown in Appendix C. Any complaint from a Library patron concerning an item will be handled using the procedures outlined in Appendix B. CPTC Library subscribes to the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” and the “Freedom to Read Statement.”
Click this link to download the Collection Development Request Form.