Beyond the Stacks: Building Resilience in the Era of Book Challenges

This compelling panel discussion is on the impact of book challenges-not just on librarians, but on a broader spectrum of professionals. Centered around an example of a classroom book challenge in New Hanover County, this discussion included firsthand accounts from educators, school board members, and community stakeholders. Panelists shared their experiences navigating these challenges and highlight the collaborative strategies developed with librarians to mitigate their impact.
Panelist Bios:
Tim Palmer (moderator) is Professor and Chair of Film Studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he teaches international film historiography. His latest book, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is Cinema Marianne: A New History of Women and Marginality in the French Film Ecosystem. A lifelong patron of libraries in the UK and now the US, he has co-run a Banned Books reading group over the past year, in Wilmington, NC.
Rachel Keith is a reporter and host for NPR Affiliate WHQR Public Media in Wilmington. She has worked in journalism for 7 years. Prior to that she was a public educator for 8 years. She is a graduate of UNCW's Master of Public Administration program. She also received a Master of Education and two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and French Language & Literature from NC State University.
Kelli Kidwell has been teaching in North Carolina since 1999 and in New Hanover County since 2006. She recently completed her Doctor of Education degree from Creighton University and a dissertation on ways to address teacher burnout. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in English from UNC Wilmington. As a teacher, she believes free access to books via public and school libraries is absolutely necessary for a functioning democracy.
Stephanie Walker is a Wilmington native and has served on the New Hanover County Board of Education since 2020. She is a Hunt State Policy Fellow, UNC School of Government Advanced Leadership Corps Ambassador, and, alongside the school district, co-founded the Turnaround Taskforce, which works with community partners to address the needs of the district's lower performing schools.
Organizers contacted the New Hanover County School Board for additional comment but received no response.