In an attempt to meld Oklahoma State School Boards Association rules together with local rules and do what they say is best for the students, the Newcastle Board of Education, at its October 10 meeting, adopted a new policy for the Library Media Center and the materials available to the students.
An NPS policy for the Library Media Center which had been focused on the district not promoting censorship and challenging efforts at censorship, has been changed to wording provided by the OSSBA and refined by a policy committee of local people to keep NPS up with its accreditation. It’s focus now is that the program shall be reflective of the community standards and age appropriate materials.
The new policy also provides for a review of “educational suitability,” and puts into place procedures for review of material, and investigation and response to complaints about materials in the libraries throughout the district.
During discussion at the board meeting, three out of the four board members attending were in agreement that the new policy would provide what is best for the school children, while protecting the board and the school district.
Board member Darrin Abel eventually voted for the policy, but had questions and concerns along the way. Board members John Maker, Tiffany Elcyzyn, and Jeff Dingee all approved of the new policy and the system the school has in place, which includes the aforementioned committee of local individuals, to review materials. Board member Valorie Dalton was not in attendance at the meeting.
Abel said he was concerned with the language the state board puts on the district, adding that the state holds the school board members responsible for the materials.
He said, “I’m being asked to delegate my authority for something that I am being held responsible for.”
Part of the new policy provides for a Bill of Rights for the Library Media Center programs. This bill of rights was designed by the American Library Association and approved by the American Association of School Librarians.
Abel said he was concerned about the school being affiliated with what he described as two “activist organizations,” adding that they have given the appearance that they are for Drag Story Time, events where someone in drag reads to children. He said he was questioning the organizations’ beliefs, and how the school system is associated with them.
Both Dingee and Maker said they don’t believe the two associations have any influence over the school system. Maker said the media center chooses books, and the parents have the ability to request a book be removed. Dingee added that the school system recently had a book that the local committee didn’t believe should be at the school, so they went through the procedures to consider its removal.
Elcyzyn said, “Book final selections will be made by media specialists.”
Dingee added that the responsibility lands with the Newcastle Board of Education.
Dr. Cathy Walker, NPS superintendent, said the new policy has an additional reconsideration policy as part of it, and the school’s old policy did not have it.
The following is the newly adopted portion of the policy which outlines a Bill of Rights:
BILL OF RIGHTS FOR LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER PROGRAMS
The professional staff of school media centers is concerned with the development of informed and responsible citizens. To this end, the American Association of School Librarians reaffirms the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association and asserts that the responsibility of the school media center is:
• To provide materials that will enrich the student as an individual and support the curriculum, taking into consideration individual needs, and the varied interests, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and maturity levels of the student served.
• To provide materials that will stimulate growth in knowledge and develop literary, cultural, and aesthetic appreciations and ethical standards.
• To provide materials on all sides of issues, beliefs, and ideas so that young citizens may develop the habit of critical thinking, reading, listening, and viewing, thereby enabling them to develop an intellectual integrity in forming judgments.
• To provide materials which accurately reflect all religious, social, political, and ethnic groups, and their contributions to our American heritage as well as knowledge and appreciation of world history and culture.
• To provide a comprehensive collection of instructional materials which, when selected in compliance with basic selection principles, can be defended on the basis of their appropriateness for the users of the media center
Dr. Walker said the part of the Bill of Rights which most reflects the community’s values is the portion which states: To provide materials on all sides of issues, beliefs, and ideas so that young citizens may develop the habit of critical thinking, reading, listening, and viewing, thereby enabling them to develop an intellectual integrity in forming judgments.
Abel was also concerned about the policy allowing materials to “be continually available until a decision is made on it.” The board agreed, and made a change to the policy providing for the committee review of materials to have a 45-day window to read and discuss, and then a 45-day timeline to make available a critical evaluation.
The Board also had a discussion about the definition for community standards, and how to arrive at that. President Maker said he didn’t know what the political or sexual preferences of others are, and he really didn’t care as that was not part of his duty as a board member.
He said, “My concerns have been taken care of with the media center choosing books. They have their ability and parents have their ability (to request removal of books).”
He said the policy provides for a procedure to follow.
Dingee said, “This is just saying that we want to establish library policy that has good ethical standing, that stands up to the community, that protects us and aligns us with OSSBA and state statutes, and there are a manner of ways in which a parent can, if they don’t agree with it, they can go ask to have a book removed.”
Maker said, “The committee members put a lot of time and thought into these policies, and it reflects well on our school district.
Elcyzyn said, “This committee is a good, well-rounded group of people with core values.”
The school’s Policy Committee consists of two board members, three administrators, and school personnel that the policy in question affects.
For ease of use, the school system has a list of Newcastle Media Center books. It is searchable and can be found online at the school’s website: https://www.newcastle.k12. ok.us/.
