Franklin County resident asks board to publish list after 58 library books taken out of circulation

Christina Suntorn Vaught, a Franklin County resident and children’s author, told the Franklin County School Board on Tuesday that she has learned the district removed 58 books from school libraries in response to uncertainty over the state’s amended Age Appropriate Materials Act.

Vaught said the change did not stem from formal parental complaints but from librarians’ fear of violating the law’s vague language. “Franklin County schools had removed 58 books from their libraries,” she said, adding that similar removals have occurred elsewhere in Tennessee. She asked the board to make the list of removed titles public and urged members to contact state legislators to seek clarification or changes to the law.

Dr. Alsop, speaking for district administration, said the county’s librarians convened and placed the materials in quarantine — removed from circulation but kept on-site — because the district did not want to discard books it had purchased in case statutory guidance changes. He said the county lead library media specialist will provide a list showing which books were removed and the school where each was quarantined, and agreed to post that information to BoardDocs so the public can review it.

Board members clarified that quarantines are made at the librarians’ discretion and that challenged books would follow the formal review process and come to the board. Several trustees described the media reports about other districts’ removals and emphasized transparency. The board did not take formal action on the quarantined titles during the meeting.

Next steps: Dr. Alsop said the district will link the list of quarantined books and the reason for each removal to BoardDocs; the board encouraged public review and indicated it may contact state legislators about the law’s practical effects on library operations.