According to the law, signed by Republican Gov. Russell Bruhn, a spokesperson for Brevard Public Schools, said the district removed Epic because of a new Florida law that requires book-by-book reviews of online libraries. The apps often market themselves to schools and libraries as a way to quickly diversify their digital shelves, especially after racial justice protests in spring 2020 drew attention to the lack of diversity in many traditional institutions. But schools and libraries sign up with apps such as Epic, Hoopla and OverDrive because readers say they like the convenience of e-books and teachers get more options for assignments - especially during pandemic-related school closings. People use the apps to find e-books available to borrow and then read them either in the same app or download them to another, such as Amazon’s Kindle.Į-reader apps haven’t replaced printed books, which schools and libraries often still buy because they own the paper versions, whereas e-books are licensed from publishers for a set period of time. That it’s now so easy to pull the plug on thousands of book titles is itself a revelation to some users of e-reader apps, which have become part of the basic digital infrastructure at many schools and public libraries. “We stand with and trust librarians and the professionals.” “Individuals who are not supporters of materials with certain diverse voices - probably without reading the material - are creating an alarm,” he said. In every case, he said, the local librarians hand-pick which titles are available to area residents or students. A spokeswoman for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill did not immediately respond to questions.Ī list of the books that were approved by the board, as well as those that were not, are sent to school districts for guidance when they choose books.OverDrive, based in Cleveland, is used by 75,000 libraries and other institutions, including prisons and militaries in 100 countries, Potash said. "We thought it was a reasonable thing to do."īut Blake said the publisher does not plan to add its definition of marriage in books that will be sold outside Texas. "The board expressed an interest in having us" make the change, Blake said. The other publisher, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, changed phrases such as "when two people marry" and "partners" to "when a man and a woman marry" and "husbands and wives." She led the effort to get the publishers to change the texts, objecting to what she calls "asexual stealth phrases" such as "individuals who marry."Īfter hearing the debate Thursday, one publisher, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, agreed to include a definition of marriage as a "lifelong union between a husband and a wife." The definition, which was added to middle school textbooks, already was in Holt's high school editions, Holt spokesman Rick Blake said. Officials say the decision could affect hundreds of thousands of books in Texas alone.īoard member Terri Leo, a Republican, said she was pleased with the publishers' changes. The decision, which involves two of the biggest textbook publishers, is an example of Texas exerting its clout as the nation's second-largest buyer of textbooks. The State Board of Education approved new health textbooks Friday after the publishers gave in to last-minute pressure from some board members to define marriage as a "lifelong union" between a man and woman. This year's controversy is about marriage. Religious beliefs are also a factor in another textbook battle - in Texas - where controversy ensued last year when the State Board of Education approved new biology textbooks including the theory of evolution. "And it's a battle that won't end here - this is one of those types of cases that could go all the way to the U.S. "This is just the latest round in a battle that has lasted for years and I think it highlights just how strongly people feel one way or the other," says Cohen. Supreme Court ruled in 1987 that creationism was a religious belief that could not be taught in public schools along with evolution. He said the stickers "improve the curriculum while also promoting an attitude of tolerance for those that have different religious beliefs." A lawyer for Cobb County schools, Linwood Gunn, said he expects the disclaimer will hold up in court.
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