Policy 6620 – Library Resources

The School Board recognizes the importance of dynamic, student-centered library media resources designed to support students and staff in becoming active and creative locators, evaluators and users of information to solve problems and satisfy their own curiosity. It further recognizes that information must be current, relevant to the curriculum, culturally diverse, inclusive, and available through a variety of formats.


LEGAL REF:

  • Wisconsin Statutes
    • Sections 43.70 Common School Fund added as it defines how monies are allocated for school libraries
    • 115.7 [local education agency duties related to students with disabilities]
    • 118.13 [Student nondiscrimination]
    • 120.13 [Board power to do all things reasonable for cause of education]
    • 120.13 (5) [Board power to purchase books, equipment and materials for use in schools]
    • 121.02(1)(h) [school district standard; selection of instructional and library media materials]
  • Wisconsin Administrative Code
    • PI 8.01 (2) [Rules governing the selection of instructional library materials]
    • PI 8.01(2)(h) [school district standard; selection and reconsideration of instructional and library media materials]
    • PI 9.03(1)(e) [requirement to address student nondiscrimination in selection of instructional and library media materials policy]
  • Federal Laws and Regulations
    • 20 U.S.C. §1400 et seq. [The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, providing for programs, services, and other rights for students with disabilities, including the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard and the provision of assistive technology devices and services for students with disabilities; implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 300]
  • Assistive Technology Act of 1998 [assistive technology devices and services]

CROSS REF:

  • 1410, Use of Free Materials
  • 5110.1, Student Equal Opportunity and non-Discrimination in Education
  • 6100, Mission, Vision, Core Values and Strategic Goals
  • 6300, Curriculum, Development and Improvement
  • 6600, Instructional Resources
  • 6610, Selection of Instructional Resources
  • Board-Adopted Academic Standards

AFFIRMED: January 25, 2000

REVISED:

  • January 29, 2002
  • April 23, 2012
  • July 28, 2020
  • January 23, 2024

Rule 6620 – Library Resources

The District library media collection shall not discriminate in the selection and elevation of library materials or media on the basis of sex; race; ancestry; creed; religion; color; pregnancy; marital or parental status; sexual orientation; national origin or undocumented/immigration status (including limited English proficiency); transgender status (including gender expression, gender identify, and gender nonconformity); social, economic, or family status; or physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability or handicap.  (See Policy 5110.1.)

Materials purchased shall be supported by professional journal reviews and the review of a certified library media teacher.

Selection of materials for the library shall be based upon information value as a whole and not in part.  Incidents of sexual reference, profanity, or different points of view shall not automatically disqualify materials from library collections.  Nor shall materials be deemed inappropriate for an age group based on the identities of the characters or authors.

The District recognizes that library media resources at the middle school may contain some materials written at an adult level.  The majority of materials in the high school may be written at an adult reading level.

The Board of Education recognizes the rights of parents/guardians and District residents to question the suitability of library materials.  Any complaint received by a school staff member shall be reported to the building principal, whether received by telephone, letter, or in personal conversation.  The building principal and the library media teacher (LMT) will contact the complainant and attempt to resolve the issue at the building level.  Parents/guardians may request that their child not have access to these materials, as they can for any particular library materials of the library collection generally.

Parents/guardians or District residents with specific requests, which cannot be satisfied by telephone or conference at the school level, shall be given the opportunity to complete a “Citizens Request for Reconsideration of a Library Material,” which is available from the Office of the Superintendent. Challenges will be limited to specific individual material.  The parent/guardian or District resident must have read, viewed, or listened to the challenged material in its entirety to submit a challenge at each level.  Parents/guardians will have first priority for their submissions to be reviewed.

Upon receipt of a signed complaint, the Superintendent (and/or designee) shall appoint an initial decision maker for the complaint.  The initial decision maker will:

  1. Review the complaint and the challenged material(s). The decision maker may contact the complainant and may consult with such District personnel as deemed necessary or appropriate.
  2. Either:
    1. Dismiss the complaint without a decision on the merits for a lawful reason and with the approval of the Superintendent;
    2. Refer the complaint to a materials review committee for a recommendation back to the initial decision-maker; or
    3. Issue a determination on the merits of the complaint, which may consist of granting or denying relief in whole or in part. The Superintendent must approve the remedy of permanent removal of the challenged resource.

Examples of reasons the initial decision maker may dismiss a complaint include but are not limited to:

  1. A determination that the complainant does not have a sufficient connection to the District to qualify as an aggrieved person;
  2. That the complaint seeks only an individualized accommodation or modification;
  3. That the complaint was not made in good faith; or
  4. That the reconsideration request is redundant of a previous complaint in which the relevant resource was thoroughly reviewed and evaluated.

If the initial decision maker refers the complaint to a materials review committee for a recommendation, such committee will be designated by the superintendent and/or designee and normally will consist of a library media teacher, a building principal or administrator, and a teacher.  Such committee shall meet in compliance with the Open Meetings Law.  The committee shall assess the challenged materials and the basis for the complaint and formulate and provide a recommendation to the initial decision maker who, in turn, will make the decision on the complaint.

The initial decision-maker shall provide notice of decision to the complainant.

If the complainant is dissatisfied  with the  decision reached  by the  initial  decision  maker,  then  within

14 calendar days of the date the District sends notice of the decision to the complainant, the complainant may submit a written request to the superintendent for a final review of the decision.  The request shall identify the reasons the complainant disagrees with the decision.

Upon an appeal, the superintendent shall review the decision reached by the initial decision maker and the appeal and make a decision on the appeal.  The resulting decision of the superintendent is the final District decision.

The superintendent shall ensure that the complainant and relevant District personnel are notified of the final District decision.  To the extent the complaint had alleged that the challenged materials violate the state student  nondiscrimination laws, then this reconsideration process may serve as the applicable District complaint procedure; and the notice of the final District decision shall also inform the complainant of the right to appeal an adverse determination of the complaint to the state superintendent within 30 days and of the Chapter PI 1 procedures for making the appeal.