School Uses AI to Flag 200 Books for Removal, Including Orwell and Twilight
A secondary school in Greater Manchester used an AI chatbot to identify 200 books deemed "inappropriate" for removal from its library shelves, according to a freedom of expression charity. The list included George Orwell's 1984, Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, Michelle Obama's autobiography, and Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook.
Senior staff asked the AI system to flag books "not written for children," those with "themes that could be upsetting to children," and titles that "constitute a safeguarding risk." The school documented the reasoning in writing - and acknowledged the AI had generated it.
Librarian Faces Investigation After Refusal
The school librarian said she was "gobsmacked" by the removal criteria. When she refused to ban the books, the school launched a safeguarding investigation into her conduct and closed the library as a "temporary safeguarding measure."
Staff accused her of introducing "inappropriate books" and reported her to the council as a safeguarding risk. The librarian signed off sick due to stress and eventually resigned.
The council upheld the safeguarding complaint, citing her "failing to follow safeguarding procedures" because of "multiple books" with "inappropriate content." The librarian notes that others ordered many of these books, and her line manager approved all purchases.
How the AI Assessed the Books
The AI-generated summaries flagged 1984 for containing "themes of torture, violence, sexual coercion." Twilight, typically recommended for readers aged 14 and over, was listed due to "mature romantic themes, sexual tension, and violence involving vampires and werewolves."
The initial removal of books began in November 2025, starting with Laura Bates' nonfiction work Men Who Hate Women, an exposé of incel culture. The headteacher deemed it inappropriate due to "exposure of misogynistic beliefs," despite it being kept in a section for older pupils.
Career Impact and Professional Response
Caroline Roche, chair of the School Libraries Group at the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, said the outcome was severe. "This is over the top. It's ruined her career. The fact it's gone through safeguarding means she will never be able to work in a school again," Roche said.
The librarian is being supported by the School Libraries Group. Index on Censorship, the freedom of expression charity, has reviewed a list of 193 books flagged for potential removal.
For writers and content creators, this case illustrates how automated systems can influence what readers access - and the professional consequences of resisting those decisions.
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