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As Utah continues to add to its growing list of banned books, I wanted to know: Who do you trust to decide what books are age-appropriate for Utah’s students?
In a quick poll, more than 47% of you said librarians.
(Graphic by Christopher Cherrington) In an Inside Voices poll, more than 47% of respondents said librarians should decide what books are age-appropriate for Utah's students.
“I am a school librarian, and I have a committee comprised of teachers, parents and community members that helps me decide each book that is in my library so we know the books are appropriate,” Rose in Davis County writes. “We also have a sensitive materials committee at the district level. We need to let kids have access to books and if parents have a concern, they can talk to their student about it.”
More than 26% said parents.
“Parents should ultimately be responsible for being involved enough in their children’s lives to know what books they are bringing home from school,” Stacey in Herriman says. “If my child brought home a book that challenged them to ask questions about life, I’d be thrilled. Luckily for them, we own most of the books so they don’t have to go far to access them.”
And one reader — who said “a combination of parents and elected leaders” should be making the call — shared why “religious, conservative parents are unable to trust some educators when it comes to providing and recommending appropriate literature.”
“My daughter’s high school AP English Teacher had ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’ on her classroom bookshelf for students to borrow. My daughter informed me and I notified the principal who removed the book,” Holly in Lehi writes. “In Utah, we have come to rely on our elected officials to enact laws to protect youth because some educators are refusing to do so and have become belligerent about it.”
Local writers have also shared their perspectives on book bans — and who should be curating stories for students — via op-eds for The Tribune.
Author Shannon Hale writes that access to age-appropriate books about sexual assault could have helped her name her own assault as a teenager and tell a trusted adult.
“Books can aid in clarifying what consensual touch and sex are and what they are not, and by so doing, help validate and heal survivors and even stop perpetrators,” she writes. “Let librarians and teachers do the jobs they have trained for and select a wide range of books for their communities. And let the kids read.”
Writer Miriam Packard shared in an op-ed that not all books are created equal — and that “opposing book bans does not require us to pretend that every popular novel belongs on a school shelf.”
“Children and teenagers are not miniature adults,” she writes. “They are developing readers, thinkers and moral agents. One of the core responsibilities of adults — parents, teachers, librarians — is not merely to grant access, but to guide attention. Quality matters. Sequencing matters. Context matters. And so does the difference between a book that stretches a young reader’s mind and one that simply occupies it.”
Thanks to those who shared their thoughts, and thanks to you for reading. Have an idea, perspective or solution that helps your fellow Utahns? Here’s how you can share it.
Utah Voices
(Haiyun Jiang | The New York Times) The U.S. Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
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Share Your Perspective
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ethan Comber, 2, plays on the playground with his dad David Comber at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Friday, July 11, 2025. ComberÕs child care costs went from $210 per week to $605 after his son was kicked out of a Department of Defense child care center.
Utah has long prided itself on being a family-friendly state — and there are several bills proposed in the Legislature aiming to enforce that reputation. I want to hear from you: Is Utah the best place to start or raise your family? Why or why not?
Join The Salt Lake Tribune’s editorial board
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Opinion sections of the The Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake Tribune is searching for community members to join its editorial board. Let us know if you’re interested.
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.