JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 The number of books pulled from Duval County Schools shelves has more than doubled in recent months, and a national free expression group says the process raising those numbers deserves a closer look.<\/p>\n
PEN America<\/a>, which advocates for free expression, is raising concerns about the district\u2019s internal book review process \u2014 separate from the 10 active formal book challenges the district is currently facing. According to News4Jax news partners at Jacksonville Today<\/a>, the district\u2019s own internal review has caused the list of not-approved books to more than double.<\/p>\n William Johnson, Florida Office Director for PEN America, said the lack of public oversight is at the heart of the problem.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have an internal review, there\u2019s no transparency,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cDid parents ask to get these books removed? Were there community members who asked to get these books removed? We don\u2019t know because it\u2019s an internal process without any transparency, and that does not speak to parental rights. And it\u2019s particularly concerning that the books that were removed are established, important literary works of merit.\u201d<\/p>\n What Duval County Schools says<\/p>\n In a statement to News4Jax, Duval County Schools confirmed that books had been removed from shelves outside of the 10 active book challenges. The district said the removals are part of a state-mandated review process.<\/p>\n \u201cState law requires that all books in Florida public school libraries be reviewed by certified media specialists,\u201d the district said. \u201cBooks may be determined not to meet state criteria through this required review process, which applies to all materials \u2014 not only those that are formally challenged.\u201d<\/p>\n The district added that PEN America\u2019s concerns appear to be directed at the state-required process itself \u2014 details of which are outlined on the district\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Cutting off access to the folks who need it most\u2019<\/p>\n Johnson said the removals have a disproportionate impact on students with limited access to books outside of school.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s cutting off access to the folks who need it most,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cFolks who have trouble getting access now are being blocked from having access to ideas, to the beauty of the word, to literature, and that\u2019s heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n Supporters of book challenges often argue that students can still access removed titles at public libraries, online retailers, or bookstores. Johnson pushed back on that reasoning.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery parent has the right to have oversight of what their children should read,\u201d he said. \u201cBut does one parent or one group of parents decide for the community what the whole community should have access to without due process?\u201d<\/p>\n