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Book Policy Manual

Section 100 Programs

Title Library Materials

Code 109

Status Active

Adopted November 17, 2015

Last Revised August 22, 2023

 
Authority
 
The Board shall, by an affirmative vote of a majority of the full Board, provide for library materials in
school libraries that implement, support and enrich the educational program of district schools.[1][2][3]
 
Definition
 
Library materials - books, audio recordings, reference materials, supplementary titles, digital and
multimedia materials, magazines/periodicals, maps, subscription databases, and software &
instructional materials either made available for circulation to students within the school library or
material being considered for such purposes. This term does not apply to a textbook and/or other
instructional materials used within the school curriculum which are covered by Policy 108 (Textbooks).
 
Challenge - a written submission seeking the removal of specific library material from a school library
made in compliance with this policy.
 
Excessive or gratuitous profanity - the pervasive use of profane, vulgar or other language that may be
viewed as socially unacceptable or offends propriety, such that the material taken as a whole does not
offer serious literary, artistic, historical or scientific value for the intended student audience.
 
Excessive or gratuitous sexuality - the description or depiction of sexual acts, such that the material
when taken as whole appeals to prurient interests in sex and does not offer serious literary, artistic,
historical or scientific value for the intended student audience.
 
Excessive or gratuitous graphic violence - the pervasive description or depiction of violence in a vivid,
brutal or realistic manner, such that the material, when taken as whole, does not offer serious literary,
artistic, historical or scientific value for the intended student audience.
 
Opt-out - the voluntary decision made by a parent or guardian for his/her own child to restrict the
student’s access to certain library material contained within the school library.
 
Weeding - the systematic removal and disposal of library materials from a school library based on the
weeding criteria contained in this policy.
 
Delegation of Responsibility

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The Superintendent or designee shall be responsible for the recommendation of all library materials. No
adoption or change of library materials shall be made without the Superintendent's or designee's
recommendation, except by a two-thirds vote of the Board.[2]
 
The Superintendent or designee shall establish administrative regulations for the selection of library
materials.
 
An inventory of library materials provided by the district shall be maintained by the Superintendent or
designee and shall be available to Board members, district staff, students, parents/guardians and
community members.
 
Guidelines
 
Selection procedures for library materials shall be developed which:
 
1. Appoint appropriate grade level administrative and instructional staff to select library materials,
subject to the approval of the Superintendent or designee.
 
2. Ensure the Board’s budgetary allotment for library materials is spent efficiently and distributed
equitably throughout the instructional program.
 
3. Consult a variety of reputable and well-established media sources before selections are made.
Since knowledge of content is extremely important, standard, unbiased selection tools shall be
used to guide librarians in their selection.
 
4. Ensure library materials are selected to provide for the interests and needs of the school
community and the school program. These materials will be suitable for varied interests, abilities,
reading levels, and maturation of the grade where they are to be used.
 
5. Ensure an inventory of library materials that is well-balanced and well-rounded in coverage of
subject, types of materials, and variety of content.  Materials selected should include
various/opposing points of view concerning problems and issues of our history and current times
so that students may develop critical reading and thinking skills.
 
6. Ensures that wherever possible, library materials shall represent varied segments of our society
(i.e. religious, ethnic, gender, cultural groups, etc.) and their contribution to our heritage.
 
7. Takes into account clarity, adequacy, artistic value, format and scope of material in the selection
process as well as validity, accuracy, objectivity and timeliness.
 
8. Ensure that library materials do not contain excessive or gratuitous sexuality, excessive or
gratuitous profanity, or excessive or gratuitous graphic violence.
 
9. All library materials should be reviewed before being used by students and disqualified if the
criteria outlined in this policy is not met.
 
Rating System
 
The administrative regulations related to this policy shall include, but not be limited to, a rating system
consistent with this policy that identifies mature content and shall provide the opportunity for
parents/guardians to opt-out their child from individual library materials, or groups of library materials,
based on the rating system.
 
Sublocation Category Suggested Age and Grade Levels
Lower Elementary  Grades K-4, ages 5-9
These books DO NOT contain mature content.

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Upper Elementary Grades 3-7, ages 8-12

These books DO NOT contain mature content.
Middle School Grades 5-8, ages 10-14 
These books DO NOT contain mature content.
Young Adult Grades 8-12, Ages 13-18
These books DO NOT contain mature content.
Young Adult- Mature Grades 9-12, Ages 14-18
These books DO contain mature content. 
Advanced Grades 10-12, Ages 15-Adult
These books DO NOT contain mature content.
Advanced- Mature Grades 10-12, Ages 15-Adult
These books DO contain mature content. 
 
The District defines MATURE CONTENT to include, but not limited to, the following:
 
1. Multiple vulgarities or obscenities
 
2. Sexually descriptive content
 
3. Significant references to underage drug and alcohol use
 
4. Significant graphic depictions of violence
 
5. Themes of abuse/self-harm
 
Weeding Library Materials
 
The administrative regulations developed under this policy shall include a continuous process of
withdrawing library materials that are no longer suitable for the collection and shall include a safe and
secure policy for discarding said materials.  This process maintains the high level of quality and
relevance of library materials and shall include, but not be limited to, withdrawing and discarding for the
following reasons:
 
1. Poor physical condition.
 
2. Contains outdated content that is obsolete, inaccurate, or misleading.
 
3. Superseded by new or revised editions.
 
4. Seldomly circulated.
 
5. Duplicates (once popular but no longer in demand).
 
6. No longer suitable to the age group or interests of the readers.
 
7. Deemed to have inappropriate content per the criteria established in this policy.
 
Gifts, Grants, and Donations of Library Materials
 
The District appreciates financial donations and gifts intended to sustain and support its school library
system.  Individuals or organizations wishing to make financial donations to support the District’s
libraries shall follow the procedures outlined in School Board Policy 702 - Gifts, Grants, Donations.
 
The District shall not accept unsolicited donations or gifts of library materials for inclusion in school
libraries.  Individuals or organizations that wish to make gifts or donations in support of the District's
school library system are encouraged to make a cash donation. An appropriate acknowledgement of
such donations shall be made.  The District reserves the right to accept or decline any cash donation or
gift.
 

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Procedure for Handling Challenged Library Materials

 
The administrative regulations developed under this policy shall include, but not be limited to, a
challenge process with the following guidelines:
 
1. Any parent/guardian with a child in the school building where the library material is housed may
challenge library materials on the basis that the materials fail to meet the selection criteria in this
policy.
 
2. Verify that each of the parents/guardians identified as a party to the challenge reviewed the
entirety of the library material being challenged, as opposed to exclusively relying upon a third-
party summary of the contents of the challenged library material.
 
3. Parent/guardian explains why the “opt-out” procedures offered under this policy are inadequate to
restrict their own children’s access to the challenged library material in the school library.
 
4. Parent/guardian explains why they believe the challenged library materials was not selected in
compliance with the selection criteria outlined in the policy.
 
5. Parent/guardian identifies alternative materials that address the subject matter of the challenged
library material from a similar viewpoint that they believe is more suitable for inclusion in the
school library.
 
6. Parent/guardian provides any other information they believe is relevant to support their position
that the challenged library materials should be removed from the school library.
 
7. The District shall not be required to consider more than one (1) challenge at a time, and each
challenge will be processed in the order in which they are received.
 
8. The review of challenged library materials shall include a committee of appropriate District
employees and an appeal process that ultimately ends with the school board rendering a final
decision if necessary.
 
 

Disclaimer: The legal and policy reference(s) listed below are for reference purposes only. The
Pennsylvania School Boards Association used the listed legal and policy reference(s) to develop the
proposed policy. If applicable, the legal and policy reference(s) will be updated and changed following
second reading approval to reflect the final content of the EASD board-approved policy.

Legal 1. 24 P.S. 801

2. 24 P.S. 803
3. Pol. 006
4. Pol. 105.1
24 P.S. 807.1
Pol. 610
Pol. 702

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