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Posted: 2023-08-16T23:37:57Z | Updated: 2023-08-16T23:37:57Z

An Indianapolis area library might place author John Green s novel The Fault in Our Stars back in its young adult (YA) section, citing its removal as a potential mistake.

In a statement sent to 13News on Sunday, the Hamilton East Public Librarys board president Laura Alerding said she believes the removal of Greens book The Fault in Our Stars was an error, adding that the board will review what went wrong in the review process at the next public board meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 24.

Upon reviewing the page(s) of The Fault in Our Stars book that were the basis of the Directors and review staffs reason to move the book out of the Teen section, I believe there was an error in implementing the Collection Development Policy and that this book should be moved back to the Teen section immediately, Alerding said in the statement.

Last week, the Indianapolis area library in Fishers and Noblesville, Indiana, released a list of books removed or moved from its YA sections since July. The list, which included two of Greens books, is a part of the librarys new policy to review, remove and move books from the YA section deemed not age appropriate for minors.

The list prompted backlash online from fans of Greens books as well as Green himself. On Aug. 9, Green responded to news of his books removal in a series of tweets , calling it ludicrous and an embarrassment to the city of Fishers. Later that day, he emailed the librarys board condemning their actions.

I am absolutely horrified by the decision of some members of your board to override a huge body of expertise and deem hundreds of books including mine inappropriate to be shelved as Young Adult Literature, he wrote in the email.

Its political theater of the lowest and most embarrassing order, and its an awful way to have Fishers and Noblesville make national news, he added.

On Monday, Green responded to the librarys statement about his books removal, pointing out that his other book, Looking for Alaska, along with several other notable works, are still no longer shelved in the librarys YA section.

Cool. What about my other books and hundreds of other YA titles? Award-winning classics of YA lit by everyone from Nic Stone to Judy Blume continue to be wrong shelved by a ridiculous policy that embarrasses Central Indiana, he tweeted on Monday.

He continued: Change the policy not just for [The Fault in Our Stars], but for all.

Alerding did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for further comment on Greens most recent statements.

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In December, the library implemented a policy that called for an extensive book review process to assess the age-appropriateness of books in the children and teen sections of the library.

Under the policy, age-appropriateness is determined based on criteria related to nudity, alcohol and drug use, violence, sexual content, profanity and criminal acts. Any books deemed not age-appropriate for minors would be removed from the YA section and relocated to the adult section.

The review process was estimated to cost up to $300,000 and expected to impact more than 18,000 books, according to IndyStar . The Indiana librarys YA section was near-empty by April because of the policy and review process, with books about puberty, comics and Forever by Judy Blume stripped from the shelves.

As of July 27, the review process has quite a ways to go, with 74.4% of the librarys books awaiting review.

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