RISD Tools for Guardian Engagement: Prohibited Lists
RISD recognizes that every family and student is different, and parents have different expectations regarding their students’ reading lives. That’s why we encourage all parents to discuss reading selections as a family. Just as parents have the right to opt their own children out of a school activity/class that conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs (RISD Board Policy EMB Legal), they can opt their student out of library checkout by pre-selecting 100% of their children’s library books using the online catalog.
RISD Print Library Books & Parent Options
RISD recognizes that every student is different, and parents have different expectations regarding their children’s reading lives. Print library book information for each campus is publicly accessible online, and we encourage all parents to discuss reading selections as a family. Parents who would like to be more involved in their child’s printed library reading material selections may choose from among these options.
Preselect
- Parents use the school’s online library catalog to virtually select specific books for their children.
- Parents go to the school library (when safety guidelines permit) to check out books on behalf of or with their children.
- Parents create a short list of family approved authors, series, & subjects in advance. The LITE and teacher will help guide the child to those items.
Review & Decide
- Parents look at child’s library account following library checkout and email teacher if the child should make an exchange prior to reading the book.
- Student checks out books & parents review them at home to determine whether or not to read or return them.
Request Personalized Suggestions
- Parents work one-on-one with LITE to collaboratively develop a list of series, authors, and subjects that would work for the child.
- The LITE and teacher help guide the child to those items &/or show them how to find them.
Create A Learning Opportunity
- Parents read books with their children and use the opportunity to discuss family values/beliefs.
- Parents discuss book selection expectations with their children.
Opt Out
- Parents send books from home or the public library to school with their children. Students would bring these to the library during checkout.
- Select title opt out – Parents may fill out a form to place their children on an opt out list for a certain group of titles. When checking out a book from this group of titles, alerted staff would check the opt out list before proceeding.
RISD Tools for Guardian Engagement: Prohibited Lists
Parents of RISD students may create a Prohibited List using their school library online catalog. Once a parent or guardian has created a list, the library checkout system will prevent those titles from being checked out to that student’s account. If a student has selected a book on the list, the LITE will guide them to another selection. Parents that wish to submit more titles, can do so at any time by logging into their accounts.
The opt out will apply only to the parent pre-selected group of specific titles, not topics or themes, and parents still have the option of pre-selecting 100% of their child’s books in the online catalog if they would like to further limit reading selections.
The Opt Out Does
- Provide parents with a mechanism to indicate their preferences regarding the check-out of a select group of print library books to their students.
- Provides a process to reduce the likelihood that a child with a prohibited list will be exposed to content from the titles in their list.
The Opt Out Doesn’t
- Guarantee a child will not pull a book off a shelf and look at it. (Parents who would like to pre-select all books for their children and eliminate students’ browsing of the shelves may do so.)
- Guarantee a child will not be exposed to or hear about content from a classmate.
Video Tutorials
For more information contact your school’s Library and Information Technology Educator.