According to the American Library Association, “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.”

Often challenges are motivated by a desire to protect children from “inappropriate” sexual content or “offensive” language. The following were the top three reasons cited for challenging materials as reported to the Office of Intellectual Freedom:

• The material was considered to be "sexually explicit"

• The material contained "offensive language"

• The materials was "unsuited to any age group"

In 2019, ALA recorded that:

• 50% of reported challenges were initiated by parents

• 20% by library patrons

• 11% by a board or administration

• 9% by religious or political groups

• 5% by librarians or teachers

• 4% by elected officials

• 1% by students

When a book is challenged it must go through the challenge process. While each library has their own process for handling challenged books, the following is a typical scenario:

The person who initiated the challenge must read the whole book, fill out a challenge form and explain why, how and where in the book the offensive action took place, then the case will be presented in a hearing and decided whether it should be removed from the collection or retained. The challenges that do get a hearing end in the book being retained, moved to a different part of the library, or in extreme cases removed from the collection.

Libraries use selection and collection development policies to populate their shelves with a variety of materials for their communities. These policies ensure that the selection of materials mirror the library's philosophy and mission. They help drive the acquisition of all materials. Selection and collection development policies aid library staff members through all aspects of the collection's development including purchasing of materials as well as weeding out of date items, things that are in poor condition, or materials that may be considered obsolete. Furthermore, the policies make certain that diverse viewpoints are included in all aspects of the collection. These policies should be approved by the library's governing board. Once adopted, the board should trust that the acquisitions specialist (in most cases a librarian with a masters degree) knows their community well enough to uphold their purchasing decisions for all age groups.

• Must hold a graduate library degree from an ALA-accredited college

• Must hold a NYS Public Librarian Professional Certificate

• Librarians who received their professional certification after January 1st, 2010 are required to complete 60 hours of professional development every 5 years.