Illinois Librarian Fights On

Joan Devine just won't take no for an answer. Devine, a librarian at the Eastview Middle School in Bartlett, IL, is determined to have Forever (Bradbury, 1975), the classic coming-of-age novel by Judy Blume, returned to her library's shelves. Over the past four years, Devine has lost two impassioned battles with Elgin Area School District U-46 on the controversial Blume book. Devine essentially waged her first two battles—in 1997 and 1999— alone. But this time around, she's marshaled her forces.

In September, Devine convinced the district's 15 librarians to sign a petition calling for the reinstatement of the book in middle schools. And she's rallied what she hopes will be an ample measure of community support as a result of the parent-student book discussion groups that she's formed over the past couple of years. Devine also says the composition of the school board has changed—it's less conservative since the last vote. "I'm very optimistic this time," she says, about overturning the board's 1997 decision. Under the Elgin school district's reconsideration policy, the status of a banned book may be revisited every two years. At present, Forever has the dubious distinction of being the only book ever to have been banned from U-46's school libraries.

The controversy began four years ago, when an Elgin parent objected to the novel's inclusion on middle school library shelves. Jean McNamara, who homeschools her four children, believed the book's sexual content, obscene language, and drug references to be inappropriate for middle schoolers. And as a taxpayer whose taxes go, in part, to the local school district, McNamara felt compelled to file an objection. In 1997, the school board sided with her—as it did again in 1999, ignoring the district's reconsideration committee's unanimous recommendation to reinstate the book. That last school board vote—deadlocked at three (with a member absent), one vote short of the majority required to lift the ban—irked Devine. "That was a very difficult loss," she recalls.

Right now, says Devine, U-46's assistant superintendent of educational services and accountability, Ann Riebock, is putting together a new reconsideration committee to rule once again on the fate of Forever. If the novel is approved, the school board will again review the novel, most likely some time after Thanksgiving. If the board overturns the ban, the ball will then be in McNamara's court. Under the terms of the district's reconsideration policy, the Elgin parent has the option of challenging Forever. Although McNamara hopes that somebody else will object to the novel this time, she says she'll file a complaint if need be.