60 Minutes Report: “Beaufort, South Carolina, Schools Return Most Books to Shelves After Attempt to Ban 97”

From 60 Minutes/CBS News:

With election season upon us, the forces of politics are pulling us apart and among the sharpest battles recently is a campaign to ban certain books from public schools. There were more than 3,000 book bans in schools last year, a thousand more than the year before. That rise is inspired, in part, by Moms for Liberty—a Florida-based conservative group that says it is fighting for the survival of America. You might expect a sympathetic ear in Beaufort, South Carolina. The county votes Republican and is home to many veterans who did fight for America. But when two people demanded the banning of 97 books, Beaufort found itself in a battle over the true meaning of liberty.

Beaufort has a history in literature and learning. It’s the hometown of the late novelist Pat Conroy, Prince of Tides, and in 1862 it opened among the first schools in the South for former slaves. Today, Beaufort County has 21,000 students and Dick Geier is vice chair of the school board.

The segment includes comments from

• Karen Gareis, High School Librarian
• Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, Moms For Liberty

View Video: Complete Segment & Read the Transcript

See Also: Full List of 97 Books Parents Tried to Ban From Beaufort, SC School Library Shelves

See Also: Media Report: 60 Minutes’ Confronts Moms for Liberty Co-Founders on Book Bans (via The Daily Beast)

Filed under: Libraries, News, School Libraries