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.
Sora Parental Controls
Good news! Sora access for ALL students will be restored for the 2026-2027 school year. Sora is a digital library that includes e-books and audiobooks. Students can now browse and check out e-books and audiobooks using the Sora tile on their ClassLink dashboards.
Richardson ISD recognizes that parents are the primary decision makers regarding their child’s access to library materials. Just like parents and guardians have control over their child’s access to print library material through prohibited lists, parents will also have control over digital library materials through Sora’s Parent Controls feature. By logging into their child’s Sora account, parents can manually lock specific e-book and audiobook titles.
Step 1: Access Sora
You can access Sora 3 different ways:
- Option 1: Using your student’s iPad, open the ClassLink app. Open the Student Library Resources folder and open the Sora app.
- Option 2: Download the Sora by OverDrive app from the Google Play or Apple App Store.
- Option 3: From any web browser, go to soraapp.com.
Step 2: Find Your School (if prompted)
Your school is Richardson ISD.
Step 3: Sign In
- Click the Sign in using Students and Staff button.
- Click the Sign In with Google button. You will sign in with your student’s Google email and password.
- If you need help to sign in, please contact your LITE or your homeroom teacher.
Example:
- Student Google email: ex123456@g.risd.org
- Student Google password: examplepswd1
You may not see this screen if you’ve signed in before.
Step 4: Access and Enable Parental Controls
- Click on the three lines in the top-right corner.
- Scroll down and click on Parental Controls.
- Toggle the Parental Controls button, select a PIN, and click Enable.
Note: If your student has created a PIN by accident, or you forgot your PIN, please contact Veronica Buttry at veronica.buttry@risd.org.
Step 5: Enable Email Notifications
- Click on Email Notifications.
- Toggle on Email Notifications to receive an email when your student borrows a book.
- Enter your email address.
- You will receive a validation email and must click the validation link.
- Once you validate your email, you will start receiving notifications every time your student borrows or renews a title.
Step 6: Lock Titles
You will know you are in Parent Mode when the yellow Exit Parent Mode button is at the top of the screen.
- Click on Search and type a title, author, or keyword.
- Click on the title you would like to lock.
- Click the Lock button to block access to the eBook or audiobook.
Locked titles will not have the Borrow option. When clicked, the following message will appear:
Your parent or guardian has locked this ebook.
Step 7: Exit Parent Mode
- To exit Parent Mode, click on the Exit Parent Mode button at the top of the screen.
You can lock or unlock titles at any time. You must log in with your student’s credentials and enable Parent Controls every time.
If you have any questions, please contact Alejandra Isais at alejandra.isais@risd.org.
Video Tutorials
For more information contact your school’s Library and Information Technology Educator.