Sometimes objections to a selection are made by a parent/guardian of a child who attends the school despite the care exercised by staff members involved in the selection process. Once a complaint is made the following principles shall apply:
- Review of materials is be treated objectively, and as an important matter.
- The option is always open for a parent/guardian to object to materials being used by his/her child. The parent/guardian has the right to judge whether the material is acceptable for his/her child and request that he/she has no access to the specific resource.
The Procedure
When a parent/guardian questions the appropriateness of library materials at his/her school building, the issue should first be discussed informally with the teacher/librarian involved and/or the building administration. This building level step clarifies the intended use of the material in question, determines the need for substitute materials for individual students, and/or finds a resolution.
When a resolution is not determined at the building level, a Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form is completed by the parent/guardian, and a committee of District stakeholders is charged with responding to the request. The committee re-examines the material as a whole and evaluates the extent to which the material supports the curriculum or meets the purpose of the library program. The committee will decide if the material:
- remains in circulation or use.
- is to be in use with limitations/restrictions.
- is to be removed.
During the review procedure, the library materials in use will remain until the committee reaches a decision.
Specific library material that has withstood the formal reconsideration procedure and remains in the library will not be reconsidered within one year of final determination, and any material removed will not be eligible for consideration to be added again for at least five years. The District shall verify previous decisions prior to convening a reconsideration committee.