GISD to appoint School Library Advisory Council

Following the passage of Texas Senate Bill 13, Graham ISD recently moved to establish a School Library Advisory Council to focus on the collection and availability of library materials for students and faculty.

The GISD Board of Trustees discussed the council at meetings in August and approved the creation of a SLAC within the district and amended their local policy for “instructional resources library materials.”

“Senate Bill 13 was enacted during the most recent legislative session requiring schools to establish a local School Library Advisory Council,” Chief Academic Officer Janel Madeley said. “…The district administration has worked with TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) to develop a resolution for the board’s consideration to establish the SLAC within the guidelines outlined in this legislation.”

The SLAC must consist of at least five members with each member appointed by the GISD Board of Trustees. A majority of the voting members of the SLAC must be parents or guardians of students enrolled in the district who are not employees of the district.

The GISD Board of Trustees can also appoint one or more members to the SLAC who are teachers, librarians, counselors, administrators with the district or individuals in the business community or the clergy.

The council will meet at least twice per year and must comply with meeting requirements with notices, meeting minutes, audio or video recordings and submission of minutes and audio or video recordings of the meeting to the district.

The district’s library collection development standards will apply to all library materials available for use or display, which includes materials available in school libraries, classroom libraries, online catalogs, mobile library application and other library catalogs accessed by students.

“In developing library collections, the district shall consider the age groups, grade levels and access to library material by all students on a campus,” the local policy states.

The superintendent will develop administrative procedures to ensure library collections are following the law, library standards and the district’s collection development purposes and goals.

Those goals as stated in the district policy first are to present multiple viewpoints related to “controversial issues.” 

The district must provide a wide range of background information that will enable students to make “intelligent decisions in their daily lives.” Another goal is to include accurate and authentic factual content from “authoritative sources.” 

Library collections should have a high degree of potential use appeal and interstate and offer a global perspective that promotes equity of access through both printed and nonprint materials.

The collection must represent diverse viewpoints and cultural groups of the state and their contributions to the state, nation and world. 

Library materials are to be recommended and procured according to guidelines adopted by the Texas State Library and Archive Commission and the district’s policy.

Librarians and other professional staff will assist the SLAC in developing a list of library material recommendations that will be presented to the GISD Board of Trustees. 

The materials must enrich and support the TEKS and the state and local curriculum and encompass varied interests, maturity levels, ability and learning styles of students.

Materials must also represent ethnic, religious and cultural groups of the state and their contributions to the state, nation and world.

The materials must foster growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and societal standards. On top of this they must also encourage an enjoyment of reading, foster high-level thinking skills, support personal earning and encourage discussion based on rational analysis.

The SLAC will recommend to the board a recommended list of materials donated or proposed for purchase. Board members can propose changes before the board takes action on the list of donated or proposed library materials and will approve or reject those recommendations.

At least 30 days prior to the board’s vote to accept donated library materials or approved procurement of library materials, the superintendent will publicly release the list of library items.

Parental access will be granted to the district’s library and any available online catalogs. Information will be published about library material titles, including how and where that material can be accessed.

Opportunities will be given at each campus for students, parents, guardians, educators and community members to provide feedback on library materials and services.

“Parents and guardians are the primary decision-makers regarding their child’s access to library material,” the policy states. “In general, a student is afforded the opportunity to self-select library materials as part of literacy development and the library program.”

Parents or guardians are allowed to submit to the principal or a staff member designated by the principal a list of library materials their child shall not be allowed to check out or access for use outside of the school library. Alternative library materials can be selected by a parent or guardian.

To access a school’s library, a parent or guardian must submit a request to the principal of that campus. The same process is required if they want to access the catalog of library materials for any school in the district. 

A district employee, parent or guardian of a student of the district or a district resident may challenge library material in the district’s library program. Access to the challenged material will be restricted during the challenge process.

“The final decision on challenged library materials is the appropriateness of the material for its intended use,” the policy states. “No challenged library material shall be removed solely because of the ideas expressed in the library material or the personal background of the library material’s author or the personal background of the characters in the material.”

GISD will have the Texas Education Agency form to challenge library material on the district’s website. 

Copies of the challenge will be provided to the SLAC, GISD Board of Trustees, superintendent, school library and other staff designated in administrative procedures.

“After a library material has been challenged and the board determines not to remove the library material from a school library catalog, it may not be challenged again before the second anniversary of the Board’s final decision not to remove the material,” the policy states.

The revised SLAC policy will be reviewed at least every three years and revised as necessary.