CHALLENGES AND REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES
Challenges and requests for reconsideration of library resources may be made by a community member, an employee, a currently enrolled student, or the parent or legal guardian of a currently enrolled student. Challenges filed by individuals or organizations not meeting these definitions will not be heard or acted upon by the district. All challenges and requests for reconsideration of library resources shall be directed to the building principal or designee of the school where the matter in question originates. The definitions set forth in Policy 652 apply to all challenges and requests for reconsideration. The district encourages community members, employees, students, and parents/guardians to meet informally to address concerns regarding a library resource. In the event the parties are unable to resolve the concerns, a complaint shall be submitted using the form provided by the district.
Challenges by a Parent to a Specific Library Resource
The following procedure applies whenever the district receives a challenge from a parent requesting that his or her child be denied access to a specific library resource:
1. The building principal or designee will first verify the authenticity of the challenge. If it is determined that the challenge is authentic (i.e. made by a person meeting the definition of “Parent”) the building principal or designee will direct the school librarian to place the name of the student and the resource on the library’s “No Access Roster” and take all appropriate steps to ensure that the student concerned does not check out from or otherwise access the resource in the library.
2. The “No Access Roster” shall be kept by the librarian and building principal in a confidential manner. The “No Access Roster” shall be considered a library record that is exempt from disclosure under Idaho Code §74-108(4). The “No Access Roster” may also be considered an education record of an individual student under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. §1232g, and will be disclosed only in accordance with FERPA and its implementing regulations.
Challenges to a Specific Library Resource
The following procedure applies whenever the district receives a challenge requesting that a specific library resource be permanently removed from a library, placed on reserved status, or placed on a restricted status and/or moved to an adults-only section of a library:
1. Challenges must be made individually and each challenge must be listed on a form provided by the district. The form must be filled out in sufficient detail to allow the district to make an informed decision regarding the challenged library resource. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.
2. Upon receiving a challenge and verifying the authenticity of the challenging party (e.g., community member, employee, student, or parent/guardian), the superintendent or designee shall convene and act as chair of a review committee consisting of: (i) two librarians from buildings not involved in the challenge; (ii) one city librarian from a city within the district; (iii) two parents of children enrolled in the building where the challenged library resource is located; and (iv) one community member not the parent of a child enrolled in any district school. For challenges at a middle school/junior high school or high school, the committee shall also include at least one student. In his or her discretion, the superintendent may elect to establish an on-going review panel.
3. Within ten (30) days of receipt of the challenge, the committee shall meet and review the challenged library resource. The librarian of the library in which the challenged resource is located or, in the event the challenged resource is in more than one library, each librarian concerned shall appear before the committee and explain why the library resource was selected for inclusion in the library, why it should remain in the library, and whatever other information may be pertinent to the challenge. The person making the challenge shall appear before the committee and state their reasons for making the challenge and provide whatever information they deem supportive of such challenge. If the person making the challenge does not appear before the committee the challenge will be deemed denied and shall not again be considered.
4. Upon completion of the committee’s consideration, a written recommendation shall be adopted and forwarded to the board by the superintendent detailing why the challenged resource should or should not be removed from the library concerned, placed on reserve status, or restricted to an adults only section. The committee’s review and recommendation shall be based upon the selection criteria set forth in Policy 652. The superintendent shall then present the recommendation to the board, in open session, at its next regular meeting. Both the librarian(s) and the party making the challenge may elect to address the board directly. Public comments at the board meeting where the committee’s recommendation is heard shall follow the board’s rules of order and procedure (Policy 262P).
5. Following the presentation of the challenge and the review committee’s recommendation, the board shall take up the challenge and make its decision as to whether the challenged resource should be removed from the library permanently or placed on reserved or restricted status. The decision of the board is final.
6. In the event a challenge is denied by the board, no further challenge of the library resource involved shall be heard by the review committee or board.
7. During the challenge process, the challenged resource will not be removed from student use.
REMOVAL PROCEDURE
Any decision to remove a book, material, or resource from a school library will be content neutral and based on a legitimate exercise of control over pedagogical matters (i.e. educational suitability). In all cases neutrality will be demonstrated. Censorship based on the content of a book or resource is considered an extreme measure; prior to removing a book or resource from a school library, other less restrictive measures will be considered, such as placing the item in question on reserved or restricted status.
School staff will be informed of the removal of any book, material, or resource from the district’s libraries or classrooms and will no longer use those items.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Sections
18-1514 – Obscene Materials – Definitions
18-1517B – Children’s School and Library Protection
33-506 – Organization and Government of Board of Trustees
33-512(8) – Governance of Schools (Libraries)
ADOPTED: July 16, 2024
AMENDED: