Marie Masferrer, board member of the Florida Association for Media in Education and former librarian in Manatee, told The Washington Post that students are especially dismayed at the policy.

“The kids began crying and writing letters to the principal, saying, ‘Please don’t take my books, please don’t do this,’” she said.

Michelle Jarrett, president of the Florida Association of Supervisors of Media, added that “closing and covering up classroom libraries does nothing to ensure Florida’s students remain on track for reading success.”

A spokesperson for the Manatee County school district said in a Monday statement that schools are "abiding by all applicable laws and statutes of the state of Florida, and adhering to the guidance of the Florida Department of Education.” A statement from Duval County Public Schools added that “we are taking the steps required to comply with Florida law ... there are almost 800 titles currently approved, and the list grows each day as books are reviewed."

The policy was supported and signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was also a major proponent of the Parental Rights in Education bill, colloquially known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which bans instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3.

Florida also recently barred a nationally taught Advanced Placement African American Studies course from being taught in the state, which DeSantis slammed as "a political agenda" that included "queer theory."

DeSantis is a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential candidate nomination.