Policies and Procedures Regarding Reconsideration of Resources

The Rudell School District supports the principles of intellectual freedom and encourages a diverse collection of resources. Occasional objections may arise to material selected, even after careful consideration. Any concerned district resident or employee may request reconsideration of materials. The challenged material will remain in circulation during the reconsideration process.

If a parent, individual, or group has concerns regarding a resource, the following steps will be taken:

Informal Voicing of Concern

1. Any concerns should first be discussed with the pertinent party BEFORE formally requesting reconsideration of materials. In the event that a viable solution cannot be comprised, the individual receiving the complaint will refer the patron to the library media specialist.

2. The library media specialist will explain the selection procedures and policies, discussing criteria used to select resources.

3. If the questioner still wishes to file a formal request for reconsideration of the resource, a copy of the Request for Reconsideration of Materials form will be provided for the individual to fill out and return. This form can also be located through the Library Media Center website.

Request for Formal Reconsideration

1. Upon the receipt of a Request for Reconsideration of Materials form (which must be filled out completely, signed, and dated), the district superintendent will be notified by the principal of the complaint.

2. The Library Advisory Committee (selected by the building principal and consisting of a building administrator (who will serve as Chairman of the Committee), a counselor, a teacher representing each grade level, and a librarian) will receive copies of or links to the material to read, listen to, and/or review. (Athens High School).

3. Professional reviews of the work will be obtained for the committee to reference.4. Within fifteen working days of receiving the complaint (unless length dictates a more reasonable time

be determined), the committee will:i. review the material in its entiretyii. consult reviews of the workiii. explore the educational significance of the resourceiv. consider the potential of the resource for promoting students’ personal growth and learningv. report its recommendations to the principal. (Combination of Trenton High School and

Adair Co. Schools)5. The principal will send the superintendent and the concerned party the committee’s decision in

writing with rationale to support the decision. (Combination of Athens High School and Trenton High School)

6. If the person requesting the reconsideration is dissatisfied, an appeal can be made within 5 days to the superintendent, who will make a decision after consultation with the Reconsideration Committee. If a resolution is not reached, the school board will make the final decision after consultation with the involved parties. (Trenton High School)

7. When the final decision has been made regarding the resource, the decision will remain in effect for 4 years, during which no further complaints on the material will be considered. The results of the written complaint form and decision will be kept on file for those 4 years. (Trenton High School)

Works Cited

Library Policy Handbook. Adair County R-1 School District, 16 November 2004. Web. 20 October 2016. <http://novinger.k12.mo.us/libraryhandbook.pdf>.

"Office for Intellectual Freedom." Offices of the American Library Association. N.p., 09 June 2008. Web. 26 July 2016. <http://www.ala.org/offices/oif>.

“Reconsideration of Materials.” Athens High School Library Policies and Procedures. Athens ISD, 2016. Web. 18 October 2016. <https://sites.google.com/site/athenshslibrary/policy-and-procedures/4---policies-procedures/resource-sharing >.

“Reconsideration Policy.” LMC Handbook. Trenton R-9 School District, Fall 2002. Web. 18 October 2016. <http://trentonr9.k12.mo.us/files/LMCHandbook.pdf >.

Request for Reconsideration of MaterialsTo: Rudell High School Library Media Center

Dr. Jeremy Smith, Principal Heather Emokpae, Library Media Specialist

REQUEST INITIATED BY:Name: ______________________________________ Phone #: (___)______________________Address:__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

RESOURCE IN QUESTION:Type of Resource: _____ Book _____ Film _____ Website _____AudiobookTitle of Resource: _________________________________________________________________Author/Producer: ________________________________________________________________Publisher: ___________________________________________ Copyright Date: ___________

1. What brought this resource to your attention?

2. What are your objections to the resource in question? Please be specific and cite specific page numbers or reference points (attach additional pages as necessary).

3. Have you read/viewed the resource in question in its entirety? Yes______ No______

4. Have you read any reviews about the resource? Yes______ No______

5. What do you feel might result from a student’s use of this resource?

_______________________________ ________________Signature Date

Please return this completed form to the Rudell High School Library Media Specialist or Principal to begin the reconsideration process.

POLICY HIGH POINTS

Fayetteville, Arkansas

The administrative document detailing how library materials are selected and weeded clearly articulates the criteria and processes to be followed by librarians. Not only would this document be great support for why a particular item is in the library, but it would also be excellent to provide for the committee involved in the reconsideration process to understand what specific elements need to be considered (high degree of user appeal, representation of opposing viewpoints to develop critical thinking, etc).

A “Parent Preview” night was suggested to allow parents a chance to view new titles purchased before students are able to acquire them. This might help prepare parents to either address topics they are uncomfortable with or determine the best method for the child to avoid that title (depending on the age group, this might look drastically different).

The checklist for the reconsideration committee would serve as an excellent guide for working through the pros and cons of a particular title being available (or not) for a group of students. Perspectives differ drastically when viewing a resource, so having something to keep everyone grounded and working toward the same goal of evaluating the resource for its potential impact on students is crucial to make the recommendation in a timely manner.

The flow chart depicting the process of reconsideration presents the steps in a quick manner that makes the process seem less intimidating. I would add this to my reconsideration policies packet if only for administrators to have a quick way to reference the process.

Blue Valley, Kansas

Including a policy for indirectly affected individuals is something I did not consider at first. The distinction between a directly affected individual (a student or parent to a student who was assigned a resource in class that they felt contained questionable content) and an indirectly affected individual (a student or parent to a student who was NOT assigned the particular resource but still concerned about its place in the school) requires an additional section defining the terminology. However, this distinction lessens the potential work faced by a Library Advisory Committee in reviewing resources, as the only resources required to be reviewed extensively are those asking to be reconsidered by a “directly affected” person. Simply disagreeing with a book being placed on the shelves of the library isn’t enough to warrant a full blown investigation using this policy.

Works Cited

"Administrative Regulations for Policy 6.15." District Policies. Fayetteville Public School District no. 1, 22 June 2006. Web. 20 October 2016. <http://www.fayar.net/images/6.15AR.pdf>.

"Challenges to and Reconsideration of Learning Resources." Board Policy. Blue Valley School District, 13 September 2004. Web. 19 October 2016. <http://www2.bluevalleyk12.org/policies/documents/4610policy.pdf>.

"Library Materials Selection Policy 6.15." District Policies. Fayetteville Public School District no. 1, 22 June 2006. Web. 19 October 2016. <http://www.fayar.net/images/6.15.pdf>.

"Selection of Learning Resources." Board Policy. Blue Valley School District, 13 September 2004. Web. 20 October 2016 <http://www2.bluevalleyk12.org/policies/documents/4600policy.pdf>.