POLICY NUMBER:
600.06
ADOPTED:
12.13.2022
Board Policy
- The Board of Education values a public education system dedicated to delivering a high-quality education to students and helping learners of all ages to be prepared for meaningful life opportunities. It is the mission of the Canyons Board of Education that every student will graduate college-and career ready. To achieve these ends, the Board of Education complies with all applicable laws and rules in governing selection and approval of instructional materials for use in schools to teach the Utah Core Standards (See, Policy—600.02—Instructional Materials).
- The Board of Education also recognizes the value of school library programs in supporting student instruction and preparing students to be college and career ready. Participation in school library programs supports a coherent and diverse instructional program with opportunities for developing student awareness regarding diverse viewpoints, ethnicity, and cultural backgrounds beyond the classroom. The Board of Education encourages the development of a student body with an ability to weigh competing views and to draw informed conclusions. Access to and use of school library materials encourages individual student education and self-selected recreational reading. For these reasons, it is the policy of the Board of Education to see each student has equitable access and opportunity to participate in school library programs.
- The Board of Education recognizes school boards have broad discretion in the management of school affairs and selection of library materials for school libraries. The Board of Education adheres to Constitutional and First Amendment principles that do not permit suppression of ideas in school libraries. Similarly, the Board recognizes students do not shed their First Amendment rights of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate, and that the school library offers a place and opportunity for students to remain free to exercise their intellectual freedom and right to read, inquire, study, and evaluate, outside of the school classroom. At the same time, the Board of Education is sensitive to the reality that a school library is distinguishable from a public library and a classroom because of its unique role in the instructional program as it primarily supports the equitable access to information and the education of minors. The school library is generally open during school hours, but does not serve the general public. The school library program functions as an integral part of the school’s mission in the transmission of public education and community values. In balancing these responsibilities, the Board of Education respects Constitutional principles of law and recognizes the importance of community values in maintaining school library programs as part of the District’s educational system.
- The Board delegates responsibility for developing regulations for administering this policy to the District Administration, subject to review and approval by the Board.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-1
APPROVED:
5.17.2022
Definitions - 600.06-1
- Age Appropriate: Age appropriate means generally suitable for students of the same age or level of social, emotional, and cognitive development. The context and prevalence of violence, sex, language, and illegal substances as well as the social and cultural factors of the learning communities must be considered when selecting library materials.
- Challenger to Library Materials: a parent/legal guardian of an active student attending the school where the library material can be accessed.
- Classroom Instructional Materials: Materials intended for use by all CSD educators in all schools as the primary source of information for teaching the Utah Core Standards in a given course. Classroom instructional materials will include districtwide primary curriculum materials, supplemental materials, intervention materials, or teacher-selected materials. (See, Policy—600.02—Instructional Materials).
- De-selection: the systematic removal (i.e., weeding) of resources from a library based on selected criteria.
- District Administrator: A district administrator may be a principal, a director-level employee or above (i.e., Student Services, Instructional Supports, School Performance), the Superintendent, or designee.
- District Appeal Committee: The District Appeal Committee shall include the Director of Instructional Supports or designee, a member of School Performance, a teacher librarian representing the school level from which the challenge comes, the District Library Specialist, and three parent/legal guardians from the feeder system. The District Appeal Committee will be established according to need.
- District Library Specialist: A licensed employee hired by the District to support school libraries and the work of teacher librarians and media instructional technicians in the District who periodically reports to the Board of Education on the status of libraries in the District.
- Library Materials: all books, pamphlets, magazines, audio/visual materials, software, electronic materials, subscriptions, online access, or other information accessible to students in or through a school library on a self-selected and voluntary basis.
- Library Staff: teacher librarians, media instructional technicians, and media assistant employees working in CSD school libraries.
- Media Assistant (secondary): an ESP employee media aide that performs a variety of services in the school library under the direction of the teacher librarian.
- Media Instructional Technician (elementary): an ESP employee working under the supervision of a principal and District Library Specialist assigned to the library.
- Permanent Restricted Access: means a title in the District’s Library Collection that is restricted by grade-level and/or requires parent/legal guardian permission to access based on a determination of the District Appeal Committee.
- School Committee: A school committee shall include a school administrator, a licensed teacher, a teacher librarian or the District Library Specialist for media instructional technician/assistants, two parent/legal guardian representatives, and a student representative where appropriate, at the discretion of the school administrator. A School Committee will be established according to need.
- A challenger to library materials shall not serve on the School Committee.
- School Library Program: The instructional objectives, activities, facilities, materials, and equipment used by library staff to provide information literacy instruction based on state and national standards and promote personal reading interests and safe media engagement.
- School setting: means, for a public school, in a classroom, in a school library, or on school property. School setting includes the following activities that an organization or individual or organization outside of a public school conducts, if a public school or the District sponsors the activity:
- an assembly;
- a guest lecture;
- a live presentation; or
- an event.
- Self-Selection of Library Materials: The principle supporting an individual student is responsible for selection of library materials in conjunction with the parent/legal guardian.
- Sensitive Material: means an instructional material that is pornographic or indecent material as that term is defined in Section 76-10-1235.
- Sensitive material does not include an instructional material: the district selected under Utah Code 53G-10-402; for medical courses; for family and consumer courses; or for another course the state board exempts in board rule.
- Teacher Librarian: a licensed employee with a master’s degree or endorsement in library science assigned to teach at a school. A teacher librarian may lead a school library program, and manage a materials collection.
- Temporary Restricted Access: means a title in the District library collection that requires parent/legal guardian permission to access the title.
- A title is placed on temporary restricted access based on a preliminary screening for “a description or depiction of illicit sex or sexual immorality” based on Utah Code 76-10-1227. The title will remain on temporary restricted access pending a full sensitive materials review, which includes reading the entire title, and an analysis for material that is “harmful to minors” or “pornographic” based on Utah Code 76-10-1201; 76-10-1203.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-2
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
Selection of Library Materials; Information regarding Library Acquisitions and Collection - 600.06-2
Selection of Library Materials
- Materials selected should support the core standards and interests of students, staff, and families, taking into account diverse interests, cultural perspectives, age levels, ability levels, learning styles, and social and emotional development levels. Materials should encourage appreciation for both informational and recreational reading, viewing, or listening.
- Selection of all purchased or donated library materials shall be based on age appropriateness for the emotional development, ability level, learning styles and intellectual development of the students for whom the materials are selected and on combination of five or more of the following criteria:
- Overall purpose and educational significance
- Contribution and relevance to the core standards
- Teacher, parent, and student request
- Factual content is accurate (e.g., reliable, verifiable, and credible).
- Timeliness and/ or permanence
- Favorable reviews, recommendations, and/or award nominees found in standard professional selection sources or from professional personnel
- Contributes to a balanced perspective
- Potential appeal and interest
- Recreational reading needs of students
- Artistic quality and literary style
- Reputation and significance of author, producer, publisher
- Uniqueness, diversity and /or heritage of the state, region or community
- Support of multi-lingual students
- Support of special needs students
- Support of advanced learners, and students enrolled in college credit earning courses (e.g., advanced placement and concurrent enrollment).
- Merit of the work as a whole.
- The selection of library materials at the school level is under the direction of the teacher librarian (secondary) and District Library Specialist in conjunction with media instructional technicians (elementary), and the school principal, staff, and others as appropriate. In making selections for materials, input from standard sources is considered (See, Section 2 above).
Information regarding Library Acquisitions and Collections
- Information regarding a school library’s collection is available from the individual school’s website via the online public access catalog.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-3
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
Library Materials Self-Selection - 600.06-3
Self-Selection
- Library materials are available on a self-selection basis. Library staff or other school personnel may assist in recommending library materials.
- Reading lists are available from many sources, and are not necessarily endorsed by the teacher librarian, school administration or district personnel.
- Responsibility for reading, listening and viewing library materials rests with the individual student and their parent/legal guardian.
- Library staff are available to consult with students and their parent/legal guardian to find appropriate materials. Staff is not responsible for the final selection.
- A student may place a hold (i.e., reserve a title for reading) on a specific title from the online public access catalog.
- If a parent/legal guardian wishes to restrict access to a specific title a parent/legal may make a written request to the school’s library staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-4
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
De-selection of Library Materials - 600.06-4
- De-selection is essential to maintain a current, relevant, up-to-date library collection.
- The library professional staff is responsible to periodically review the collection to determine which materials should be removed or replaced (i.e., de-selection).
- Criteria for de-selection of materials may include, but is not limited to:
- poor physical condition;
- superseded by more current information or contains subject matter no longer needed to support the curriculum;
- age appropriateness;
- encourages stereotypes or biases;
- sensitive material, obscene, vulgar, or harmful to minors;
- receiving little use; or
- provides wrong, inaccurate or dated information.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-5
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
Sensitive Materials Review - 600.06-5
- Sensitive Materials Review of Library Materials.
- A parent/legal guardian of a student where the library materials may be accessed may request a sensitive materials review of library materials.
- The requesting individual will submit a Sensitive Materials Review Form to the school principal.
- A sensitive materials review will be conducted by a licensed librarian.
- Preliminary Screening: The librarian will do a preliminary screening for “a description or depiction of illicit sex or sexual immorality,” as described in Utah Code 76-10-1227.
- If a librarian determines a title contains material as described in Utah Code 76-10-1227, the title will be placed on temporary restricted access pending a full sensitive materials review.
- A preliminary screening will occur within ten (10) school days of submission of a Sensitive Materials Review Form.
- Full Review: The full review for sensitive materials includes reading the entire title, and a making a determination whether the title contains material that is ”harmful to minors” in Utah Code 76-10-1201, which determines whether the sexual descriptions or depictions in the title are “patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors”; and whether the title “taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors” (See, Utah Code 76-10-1201); or “pornographic” as described in 76-10-1203.
- If the full review analysis determines the title violates Utah Code 76-10-1235, the title will be deselected from the District’s library collection.
- In addition to de-selecting a book for sensitive materials, a librarian may also de-select for additional reasons as outlined in Admin Reg. 600.06-4.
- If the full review analysis determines the title does not violate Utah Code 76-10-1235, the title will be retained in the District’s library collection.
- Preliminary Screening: The librarian will do a preliminary screening for “a description or depiction of illicit sex or sexual immorality,” as described in Utah Code 76-10-1227.
- The full sensitive materials review will be conducted within forty-five (45) school days.
- A librarian may request to the Superintendent or designee for a waiver of the forty-five (45) school day time-line if the number of requests for review exceeds librarian staff capacity.
- A parent/legal guardian is limited to ten (10) active requests for a sensitive materials review per year.
- A specific title in the District’s library collection may not be subject to a second sensitive materials review for at least three (3) years.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-6
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
Challenge of Library Materials - 600.06-6
A parent/legal guardian of an active student attending the school where the library materials can be accessed may challenge the placement of the item through the Challenge of Library Materials process as an initial step (see, Exhibit 1). This process does not apply to primary instructional materials used by a classroom teacher. Those materials are governed by an adoption process by the Board of Education (See, Policy 600.02— Instructional Materials).
Challenge of Library Materials
- A challenger must submit a completed Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form to the school’s principal of the school where the library materials can be accessed.
- A challenge process will begin following completion of a full sensitive materials process.
- Upon receipt of the completed Form, the principal will notify the Director of Instructional Supports or designee and call a meeting of the School Committee to introduce the request.
- The material in question may remain in use during the challenge process.
- The school library staff will provide the School Committee members access to the challenged material as well as published reviews of the material from professional review sources. The School Committee members will be assigned to read, view, or listen to the material in its entirety as well as the reviews provided.
- The school will take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of the challenge review process and School Committee members (i.e., names and other personally identifiable information).
- After being afforded time to review the material and reviews, the School Committee will deliberate the issues and reach a determination.
- A determination is made by a majority vote. The School Committee will decide whether to retain the material in the school library, or de-select the material from the school library.
- The determination of the School Committee will be forwarded to the District Library Specialist. If the majority determination is to de-select the library material from the school library, the de-selected title will be forwarded to a District Level Challenge.
- The person who submits a School Level Challenge will receive a receipt of notice of submission within ten (10) school calendar days. The receipt of submission will include an estimated time-line for a determination of the Challenge to be completed within a reasonable time period not to exceed sixty (60) school days.
- The challenger will be notified of the School Committee’s decision in writing within a reasonable time period, not more than ten (10) working days after a decision is reached.
- A parent/legal guardian of a student is limited to two (2) challenges per school year.
- The same material cannot be challenged for at least three (3) years.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-7
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
District Level Appeal - 600.06-7
If a challenger is not satisfied with the determination of the School Committee, the challenger may appeal the determination through the District Level Appeal. Also, a title de-selected in the Challenge process will be subject to a District Level Appeal.
- A challenger shall submit a written District Level Appeal Form along with a copy of the School Committee decision to the Director of instructional Supports within ten (10) school days of receiving the determination of the School Committee.
- The material in question may remain in use during the District Level Appeal.
- The Director of Instructional Supports or designee will convene the District Appeal Committee (“District Committee”) and provide them with access to the challenged material as well as published reviews of the material from professional review sources.
- The District Committee members will read, view, or listen to the material in its entirety as well as the reviews.
- The District will take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of the District challenge review process and District committee members (i.e., names and other personally identifiable information).
- After being afforded time to review the material, the District Committee will reconvene to decide whether to retain the material in the District library collection, permanently restrict titles that do not violate Utah Code 76-10-1235, or de-select the materials from the District library collection. A determination is made by a majority vote.
- The submission of a District Level Challenge Appeal will receive a receipt of notice of submission within ten (10) school calendar days. The receipt of submission will include an estimated time-line for a determination of the District Level Appeal to be completed within a reasonable time period not to exceed forty-five (45) school days.
- The District Committee will render a written determination to the challenger within ten (10) calendar days of reaching a decision.
- Following the District Committee determination there is no further administrative action.
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:
600.06-8
APPROVED:
12.13.2022
District Level Review - 600.06-8
- District Level Review of Library Materials
- A District administrator, or Board member may request a District Level Review, which includes a sensitive materials review or review for other concerns.
- An individual is limited to two (2) active requests for a District Level Review.
- A District Level Review of library materials will consist of three licensed librarian staff (one of which is the District Library Specialist) completing a review.
- The outcome of a District Level Review may be:
- The library material is retained in the District’s library collection;
- The library material will be deselected., See, Admin Reg. 600.06-5
- The District Level Review applies to all District libraries of the same level.
- The submission of a District Level Review will receive a receipt of notice of submission within ten (10) school calendar days. The receipt of submission will include an estimated time-line for a determination of the District Level Review to be completed within a reasonable time period not to exceed forty-five (45) school days.
- A specific title may not be subject to a second District Level review for at least three (3) years.
- The outcome of a District Level Review may be:
- A District administrator, or Board member may request a District Level Review, which includes a sensitive materials review or review for other concerns.
Exhibits
- Exhibit 1 – Library Materials Reconsideration – Instructions for Parents and Patrons
- Exhibit 2 – Sensitive Materials Review – Preliminary Screening and Full Review
- Exhibit 3 – Individual Student Restriction Form
- Exhibit 4 – Sensitive Materials Review Form
- Exhibit 5 – Temporary Restricted Access Form
- Exhibit 6 – Challenge – Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form
- Exhibit 7 – District Level Appeal
- Exhibit 8 – Selection of Library Challenge Committees
- Exhibit 9 – District Level Review Form
- Exhibit 10 – Permanent Restricted Access Permission Form
Title Reconsiderations
Canyons School District had no formal requests for reconsideration of library material prior to the 2021-2022 school year.
Forms
Document History
Revised – 12.13.2022. Policy – 600.06 -Selection and Reconsideration of Library Materials was revised in the following ways:
- A new title: Selection and Reconsideration of School Library Materials
- New definitions for temporary restricted access and permanent restricted access, and all definitions were alphabetized.
- The title review process was revised and retitled a “Sensitive Materials Review.” The new process includes a preliminary screening for “a description of depiction of illicit sex or immorality” based on Utah Code 76-10-1227, and a full sensitive materials review, which includes reading the entire title, and analysis for material that is ”harmful to minors” or “pornographic” based on Utah Code 76-10-1201 and Utah Code 76-10-1203.
- If a title is found to have material based on Utah Code 76-10-1227, it may be deselected or placed on temporary restricted access requiring parent/legal guardian permission to access pending the full review. This preliminary prescreening will occur with ten (10) school days.
- A parent/legal guardian is limited to ten (10) active requests for a sensitive materials review per year at schools where the library materials can be accessed.
- A Challenge to Library Materials may be initiated without a review. However, the challenge process will begin following a completion of a full sensitive materials review.
- The School Committee addressing a challenge will make a determination whether to retain the material in the school library or de-select the material from the school library.
- The challenge time-line was modified to not exceed sixty (60) school days and a parent/legal guardian is limited to two (2) challenges per school year.
- The District Level Appeal was adjusted to allow a District Committee to retain the material in the District Library Collection, permanently restrict (require parent/legal guardian permission to access), or de-select the materials from the library collection.
- A District Level Review by a District Administrator or Board Members is limited to two (2) active requests.
Revised – 5.17.2022. Policy – 600.06 – School Library Materials Selection and Review was updated to include the statutory definitions for sensitive material and school setting from H.B. 374 Sensitive Materials in Schools (2022). Specifically, the term sensitive material has been added to the deselection criteria in the policy for library materials. Language was also added to protect the confidentiality of the review committee members. A minor adjustment was made from calendar days to school calendar days to account for situations when a request for a review of a library material may extend over the summer months when school or District employees may be unavailable due to contract hours and scheduled vacation.
Revised – 1.4.2022. Policy – 600.06 – School Library Materials Selection and Review was revised to add Board Policy language recognizing and adhering to Constitutional and First Amendment principles for school libraries and student’s right to read and intellectual freedom balanced with the instruction and education of minors and community values. Additional criteria for selection of library materials was added to the policy and review processes were outlined, including a School Level Review, District Level Review, School and District Level Challenges.
Revised – 5.19.2020. Policy – 600.06 – School Library Materials Selection and Review updated language for review committees, and to new procedures for acquisition and maintenance for library collections. The policy update also includes procedures for challenges of library materials at an individual school and the District.
Adopted – 10.18.2005.
This online presentation is an electronic representation of the Canyons School District’s currently adopted policy manual. It does not reflect updating activities in progress. The official, authoritative manual is available for inspection in the office of the Superintendent located at 9361 South 300 East Sandy, UT 84070.
