A Utah working list draws titles from outside groups
October–November 2021; later March 2022 reporting · Utah; national sources; Georgia
On November 11, 2021, a working spreadsheet titled "Working List of Potentially Obscene Books To Review 2021" was created. It tracks titles, source links, posts from the LaVerna and Mary pages, grade levels and school districts. Records dated November 12 cite PCHC, Protect Student Health Georgia, No Left Turn, Goodreads and other lists as sources for candidate titles.
Show the dated details
On October 27, 2021, a Washington Parents United post described recruiting volunteers, searching school holdings and collecting book information across districts.
On October 30, 2021, a saved record dates the creation of the LaVerna in the Library Facebook page to that day.
On November 5, 2021, Brooke Stephens uploaded a video, "How to find books in Utah Public School District Libraries," part of a tutorial sequence linked from Utah Parents United's LaVerna page. On November 23, she uploaded "Book Spreadsheet Introduction." KUER separately reported that she was leading a Facebook effort to identify books in Utah schools.
On March 26, 2022, the Deseret News reported that Utah Parents United linked to a list of nearly 600 titles drawn from Goodreads and other databases. The list's source labels closely match the surviving working spreadsheet.
Documented
Who and what is involved
- Institutions
- UPU organizing channels; working sheet
- People and recorded roles
- Stephens; named outside-source contributors where records identify them
- Organizations, bodies and vendors
- UPU; LaVerna; PCHC; Protect Student Health Georgia; No Left Turn; Goodreads
- Laws, rules and procedures
- None established for list construction
- Products and information systems
- Working List of Potentially Obscene Books To Review 2021; Google Sheets; YouTube
Sources (8)
- D046Utah Parents United — October 2021 archive, October 27 Washington Parents United / district book-review-team post (opens in a new window)
- D047KUER — Washington County parents want to ban some books from their schools’ libraries, November 1, 2021 (opens in a new window)
- D048LaVerna in the Library: administrator post (opens in a new window)
- D049Watch: Brooke teaches parents to search school libraries (opens in a new window)
- D050Google Sheet — “Working List of Potentially Obscene Books To Review 2021” (opens in a new window)
- D051Watch: Brooke demonstrates the book spreadsheet (opens in a new window)
- D052KUER - “Concerns grow over efforts to remove books from Utah schools,” November 23, 2021 (opens in a new window)
- D053Deseret News — Utah book challenges and UPU’s nearly 600-title working list, March 26, 2022 (opens in a new window)
Earlier research pages
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated October 27, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated October 30, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated November 5, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated November 11, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated November 12, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated November 23, 2021
- Brooke Stephens chronology, entry dated March 26, 2022
Open question
Which rows are imported, authored locally, or later changed? What exact source editions were used?