When, if ever, is it appropriate to ban a book from a high-school library?

“It takes a lot to offend me. So I’ll say it’s never appropriate. If the book has made it onto the library shelf, it must have some educational value. If a kid stumbles on something they find offensive — that’s life. Maybe they’ll learn something of value.”

“Let’s keep it simple. No book should be banned by a high school. Nobody is forcing a child to read anything. It’s up to parents to monitor the reading material of their children. Parents should be kept informed of the library’s holdings through the Parent-Teacher Association and go from there.”

“We’re talking about a school library. You have to censor things out for children. A book that’s sexually explicit wouldn’t be appropriate for kids. Books that contain racist terms also would be inappropriate.”

“My instinct is to oppose censorship. But a book that’s very pornographic could be banned. It wouldn’t be relevant to the school experience. But no book should be removed until it’s reviewed by a panel composed of all types of people — including those outside of the power structure.”