Over the past year, many parents have raised concerns at school board meetings about the content of certain books in CISD libraries that they believe violate a texas law relating to the distribution of harmful material to a minor.

Carolyn Nini, a CISD parent, spoke about the topic at the meeting.

“The moral upbringing of our children is the responsibility of parents, not the government or the school system,” Nini said. “I stand before you to no longer demand that books be removed, but to demand that all sexually deviant books and educational materials be immediately removed from all CISD schools.”

CISD Librarian Amber Sullivan said last year’s board meetings were an “open attack on librarians”.

“Librarians wholeheartedly believe in two CISD truths: We read for a better life, and everything means everything,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said she works with more than 3,400 students every day and has seen the positive effect books can have in helping students deal with difficulties.

“You have to give our high school students a little more credit. They also live in this world,” she said. “They have to mourn classmates who die in car accidents, drug use and suicide every year, but you want to take down the books that help them deal with these things because you think they’re too obscene?”

At the meeting, the board split its previous policy on educational resources into two separate policies – one for educational materials and one for library materials – allowing for separate processes for the review of library materials and educational materials. in class.

The formal process for reviewing library materials begins with a written request. Students still have access to the book while it is under review, unless the book is under review for violation of the district’s “protection from inappropriate content” policy. In this case, the book would only be made available to students with written parental permission.

Upon receipt of a request, the district librarian will appoint a review committee consisting of a librarian and at least one teacher familiar with the content of the material, depending on the district. When a decision is made, the book will return to the library shelves or be removed.

Parents are not able to restrict what other students view, but they can request that a book be removed from their own children, and the student will not be allowed to view that book, according to district officials.

“Trust your librarians. We are book experts; we are experts on our students,” Sullivan said. “And trust our students. They know what they can handle and what they can’t. If it only reaches one of our 64,000 students, then it belongs because they belong.