Board and Administrative Policies
Our Mission
Policies
RISD Library Materials Selection
RISD campus libraries are designed to provide a balanced collection of materials that:
- Enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration students’ varied interests, abilities, learning styles, and maturity levels.
- Stimulate growth in factual knowledge, enjoyment of reading, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and societal standards.
- Present various sides of controversial issues in an objective, balanced matter.
- Represent many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups; reflect the diversity of students and staff; and foster an understanding and appreciation of culture, class, language, ethnicity, and other differences that exist in society.
- Respect the rights and values of individuals and families.
In the selection of instructional resources, professional staff shall ensure that the resources:
- Support and are consistent with the general educational goals of the state and District and the aims and objectives of individual schools and specific courses consistent with the District and campus improvement plans.
- Meet high standards for artistic quality and/or literary style, authenticity, educational significance, factual content, physical format, presentation, readability, and technical quality.
- Are appropriate for the subject area and for the age, ability level, learning styles, and social and emotional development of the students for whom they are selected.
- Are designed to help students gain an awareness of our pluralistic society, fostering an understanding and appreciation of culture, class, language, ethnicity, and other differences that exist in society.
- Reflect the diversity of students and staff.
- Are designed to provide information that will motivate students and staff to examine their own attitudes and behavior; to understand their duties, responsibilities, rights, and privileges as citizens participating in our society; and to make informed choices in their daily lives.
Reconsideration of Instructional Resources
Reconsideration of Library Materials
A district employee or a parent or guardian of a District student may request the reconsideration of a library material maintained in the District’s library program.
According to Board Policy EFB(LOCAL), the following principles should guide staff in responding to challenges of instructional resources:
- An individual may raise an objection to an instructional resource used in the District’s library program, despite the fact that the professional staff selecting the materials were qualified to make the selection, followed the proper procedure, and adhered to the objectives and criteria for library materials set out in this policy.
- A parent’s or guardian’s ability to exercise control over instruction and instructional resources, including library materials, extends only to his or her own child as set forth in Education Code Chapter 26.
- Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process, except the District may deny access to a student if requested by the student’s parent or guardian.
Informal Reconsideration
Formal Request for Reconsideration
Formal Reconsideration
If the complainant submits a completed Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, the form shall be provided to the Superintendent. Copies of the form shall be provided to the school librarian, the campus administrator, the Director of Library & Information Technology, and any other staff designated in administrative procedures.
If the District receives multiple objections to the same instructional material, all objections shall be consolidated, and a single reconsideration committee appointed.Reconsideration Committee
The Library and Information Technology Director shall appoint a reconsideration committee and notify committee members within 10 business days of receiving the request for reconsideration form. The reconsideration committee shall be an uneven number and include one building administrator, a teacher, two parents, and a Library & Information Technology Educator. If desired, another representative, such as District-level staff, secondary-level students, and campus staff may serve on the committee. Secondary-level students, parents/guardians, and teachers shall be selected from the Reconsideration Committee Pool. Within 10 business days of appointment of the committee the District shall provide members of the committee the relevant materials to review. If additional time is required to obtain and distribute the materials for review, all members shall be informed that a reasonable extension of time is needed.
All members of the reconsideration committee shall view the challenged material in its entirety. The committee shall meet promptly and determine whether the challenged material conforms to the principles of selection set forth in the Board Policy EFB(LOCAL) and whether the material will continue to be available in the library.Reconsideration Committee Report
The committee shall prepare a written report of their findings by filling out the RISD Reconsideration Committee Report. The written report shall be provided to the administration within 30 business days of the District providing the material to the committee members. The day the committee is provided the materials is “day zero”. The following business day is “day one.”
An extension of any deadline shall be promptly communicated to the individual who submitted the request for reconsideration.
A copy of the committee report should be sent to the Superintendent, the school librarian, the campus administrator, the complainant, and any other appropriate administrators.Appeal
Frequency of Review
Reconsideration Committee Pool
Request Forms
You can contact your school LITE or campus administrator to obtain a form.
You can also download the Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials form here. Please complete and sign the form, and schedule a meeting with your campus principal to submit the form.