YA is complicated - by YALSA definition it's ages 12-19 which covers a wide
range of understanding and experience. Some parents are tolerant, others
are less so. At Menlo I've found the parents have gotten more restrictive
over the 15 years I've been in my position which also makes it hard.
We have two fiction collections. A "teen fiction" area (call # is YF) is
located at the middle school end of the library. Most YA titles are fine
there. Books where alcohol, drugs and/or sex are shown more explicitly are
shelved in the adult fiction area, closer to the high school (call # F)
which also includes books that the adults on campus like to read. That area
isn't hidden, but we steer younger kids to the teen end. Kids find the
older books as they are ready for them, for the most part. We don't limit
checkouts by age but if a younger student is checking out a book that is
more appropriate for older teens we do talk to the student about the
content and ask if their parents would be okay with that. We don't use
permission forms and haven't ever had a problem with parents complaining
about books their children bring home.
Cathy
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Reading a new book every day!
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Cathy Rettberg, Head Librarian
Menlo School
Atherton, CA
http://library.menloschool.org
On Wed, Sep 5, 2018 at 9:29 PM, Susanne DeRisi <sderisi@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi! At Synergy we allow 6th grade and up to check out YA novels. In 5th
grade they need to have parent permission. We don’t send out a form. If a
student is asking for permission, I tell them that I will need their
parents’ permission and that I will contact their parents.
Sometimes parents give permission for a specific series, like the Hunger
Games, or sometimes they give blanket permission to their 5th graders to
access all teen reads. I then put an alert or note in the circulation
system on their borrower record.
That said, there are YA novels that are just too much for sixth graders
but okay for eighth graders and I find it difficult to make the call for
whether or not they belong in our middle school collection. I would be
interested to know what other libraries do about this issue. Special
section? Special tags? Behind the desk? Just don’t stock them if they are
not appropriate for 6th grade?
-Susanne
On Sep 5, 2018, at 4:13 PM, Barbara Cohen <barblcohen@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:students to check out YA novels. We understand that YA is a giant category,
Hi BAISL Folks,
Our library teacher and I are wondering about the age at which you allow
with a range of subject material, but what is your official rule or rule of
thumb? We have 5th graders interested in our YA collection and are planning
to send out a parent permission form. What do you do at your schools?
Thanks in advance,
Barbara Cohen & Ashley Einhaus
Brandeis Marin, San Rafael
