Policy 6.037 Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration
Policy 6.037 Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration
The Cooperative Educational Services Representative Council, having consulted with the Executive Director for Cooperative Educational Services (“C.E.S.”), C.E.S.’s designee responsible for curriculum, and a librarian employed by the Council, adopts this Policy Regarding Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration in accordance with Connecticut law.
It is the policy of the Representative Council to ensure that all CES library materials maintained by CES are evaluated and made accessible in accordance with the protections against discrimination set forth in Connecticut law, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
Any school library media specialist or school library staff member who, in good faith, implements this policy shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding that results from such implementation.
The Representative Council shall review this policy, and update it as necessary, every five years.
I. Definitions
For the purposes of this policy:
● “Individual with a vested interest” means any school staff member employed by C.E.S., the parent or guardian of a student currently enrolled in a school operated by CES at the time a request for reconsideration is filed, and any student currently enrolled in a school operated by C.E.S. at
the time a request for reconsideration is filed.
● “Library and other educational material” means any material belonging to, on loan to or otherwise in the custody of a C.E.S. school library media
center, including, but not limited to, nonfiction and fiction books, magazines, reference books, supplementary titles, multimedia and digital
material, software and other material not required as part of classroom instruction.
● “Remove” means deliberately taking library material out of a library's collection. The term “remove” does not include the process of clearing such collection of any materials that are no longer useful.
● “School library staff member” means a school library media specialist, school librarian, any certificated or noncertificated staff member whose assignment is in the school library, or any individual carrying out or assisting with the functions of a school library media specialist or school librarian.
II. Library Collection Development and Maintenance
The Representative Council recognizes that library and other educational material should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all students and should represent a wide range of varied and diverging viewpoints in the collection as a whole.
The Representative Council requires that students have access to age-appropriate and grade-level-appropriate material and shall provide access to library and other educational material that is relevant to the research, independent reading interests, and educational needs of students based on a student’s age, development, or grade level. The Representative Council also recognizes the importance of the school library media center as a place for voluntary inquiry, the dissemination of information and ideas, and the promotion of free expression and free access to ideas by students.
The Representative Council acknowledges that a school library media specialist is professionally trained to curate and develop a collection that provides students with access to the widest array of age-appropriate and grade-level-appropriate library and other educational material.
The Representative Council directs the Executive Director to establish a procedure by which a certified school library specialist will continually review library and other educational material within a school library media center using professionally accepted standards, which shall include, but need not be limited to, the material’s relevance, the physical condition of the material, the availability of duplicates or copies of the material,
the availability of more recent age-appropriate or grade-level-appropriate material, and continued demand for the material (the “Library Review Procedure”). The Library Review Procedure is attached hereto as Appendix A.
III. Library Displays and Programs
The Representative Council recognizes that displays should be provided for the interest, information and enlightenment of all students; represent a wide range of varied and diverging viewpoints; require student access to age-appropriate and grade-level-appropriate content; and provide access to content that is relevant to the research, independent interests, and educational needs of students.
The Representative Council further recognizes the importance of library displays and student programs as resources for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas and to promote free expression and free access to ideas by students.
The Representative Council acknowledges that a school library media specialist is professionally trained to curate and develop displays and programs that provide students with access to the widest array of age-appropriate and grade-level-appropriate library and other educational material.
IV. Library Material Review and Reconsideration
The purpose of this policy section regarding library material review and reconsideration is to establish a process for individuals with a vested interest to challenge any C.E.S. library and other educational material, display, or student program, as well as a process for C.E.S. to respond to any such challenges and related parameters.
A. Standards for Reviewing Challenges to Library and Other Educational Material, Display, or Student Program
1. All library materials shall be evaluated and made accessible in accordance with the protections against discrimination set forth in Connecticut law, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
2. Library and other educational material, displays, and student programs shall only be excluded for legitimate pedagogical purposes or for professionally accepted standards of collection maintenance practices, as adopted in this policy and/or any accompanying procedure for the continual review of library and educational material within a school library.
3. No library and other educational material, display, or program shall be removed from library media centers, or programs be cancelled, because of the origin, background or viewpoints expressed in such material, display, or program, or because of the origin, background, or viewpoints of the creator of such material, display, or program.
4. The removal, exclusion, or censoring of any book on the sole basis that a person with a vested interest finds such book offensive is prohibited.
5. Any process for an individual with a vested interest to challenge any library and other educational material, display, or student program shall neither favor nor disfavor any group based on protected characteristics.
B. Process for Challenging Library and Other Educational Material, Display, or Student Program
The Representative Council establishes the following process for individuals with a vested interest to challenge any library and other educational material, display, or student program, as well as a process for C.E.S. to respond to any such challenges:
1. An individual with a vested interest may submit a Request for Reconsideration of Library Material Form (the “Request Form”) to the principal of the school in which the library and other educational material, display, or student program is being challenged to initiate a review of such material. The Request Form is attached hereto as Appendix B.
Using the Request Form, an individual shall specify which portion or portions of such material the individual objects to and provide an explanation of the reasons for such objection. The individual submitting the Request Form must include the individual’s full legal name, address, email address and telephone number. If the individual who has submitted a Request Form is a parent or guardian, consideration of requests to reconsider and remove material, displays, or student programs shall be limited to the parents and guardians of students and eligible students currently enrolled in the school or C.E.S.
2. Upon receipt, the principal or the principal’s designee shall promptly forward the Request Form to the Executive Director or the Executive Director’s designee.
3. The administration may consolidate any requests for review and reconsideration of the same challenged library and other educational material.
4. For each challenged library and other educational material, the Executive Director, or the Executive Director’s designee, shall appoint a Review Committee consisting of:
a. the Executive Director, or the Executive Director’s designee;
b. the principal of the school in which the library and other educational material is being challenged, or the principal’s designee;
c. the director of curriculum, or a person in an equivalent position, employed
by C.E.S.;
d. a representative from the Representative Council;
e. at least one grade-level-appropriate teacher familiar with the library material, provided the teacher selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form;
f. a parent or guardian of a student age thirteen years or younger enrolled in C.E.S., provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form;
g. a parent or guardian of a student age fourteen years or older enrolled in C.E.S., provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form; and
h. a certified school librarian employed by C.E.S. or employed by another board of education in the state.
In cases where the request is submitted by a student enrolled in grades nine through twelve, and when appropriate and at the discretion of the Executive Director, a student enrolled in grades nine through twelve may serve on the Review Committee, provided the student selected is not the individual who submitted the Request for Reconsideration and the Executive Director consults with the principal of the school involved in such reconsideration request prior to making the determination whether to include the student on the Review Committee.
5. Any library and other educational material being challenged shall remain available in the school library media center according to such material’s catalog record and be available for a student to reserve, check out, or access until a final decision is made by the Review Committee.
6. The Review Committee must evaluate the Request Form; read the challenged material in its entirety; evaluate the challenged material against this policy; and make a written decision on whether or not to remove the challenged material not later than sixty (60) school days from the date the Request Form was received by the principal or the principal’s designee. The Review Committee shall provide a copy of the committee’s decision and report to the individual with a vested interest who submitted the Request Form and to the principal of the school.
7. The individual with a vested interest who submitted the Request Form may appeal the Review Committee’s decision to the Representative Council. The Representative Council shall determine whether the reconsideration process was followed and publish its decision on the Internet web site of C.E.S.
8. Once a decision has been made by the Review Committee on any library and other educational material, such material cannot be subject to a new request for review and reconsideration for a period of three (3) years.
Legal References:
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-15c
Public Act No. 25-168, “An Act Concerning the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2027, and Making Appropriations Therefore, and Provisions Related to Revenue and Other Items Implementing the State Budget.”
ADOPTED: March 5, 2026
APPENDIX A
LIBRARY REVIEW PROCEDURE
Purpose
The purpose of the Library Review Procedure is to ensure that all materials housed in the school library media center support the instructional program, meet the diverse needs of students, and remain current, relevant, and in appropriate physical condition. This procedure shall be implemented on an ongoing basis by a certified school library specialist using professionally accepted standards.
Responsibility
The certified school library specialist shall be responsible for conducting the continual review of all library and educational materials in the school library media center. The specialist may collaborate with instructional staff and administrators as appropriate but shall retain professional responsibility for collection review decisions.
Review Cycle
1. The library collection shall be reviewed on a continual, cyclical basis throughout the school year.
2. All materials shall be subject to periodic review, with priority given to:
○ High-circulation materials
○ Low- or non-circulating materials
○ Materials in rapidly changing subject areas
○ Materials showing signs of physical deterioration
Evaluation Criteria
Materials shall be evaluated using professionally accepted library collection standards, including but not limited to the following criteria:
1. Relevance and Educational Value
○ Alignment with curriculum standards and instructional goals
○ Appropriateness for the age and grade level of students served
○ Accuracy, objectivity, and quality of content
2. Physical Condition
○ Structural integrity (e.g., binding, pages, media functionality)
○ Readability and usability
○ Safety and cleanliness
3. Availability of Duplicates or Copies
○ Number of existing copies relative to student demand
○ Necessity of retaining multiple copies based on instructional use
4. Currency of Information
○ Availability of more recent, age-appropriate, or grade-level-appropriate materials
○ Timeliness of content, particularly in subject areas where information changes frequently
5. Usage and Demand
○ Circulation data and frequency of use
○ Demonstrated or anticipated student and instructional demand
Review Outcomes
Based on the evaluation, materials may be:
● Retained without action
● Repaired or rebound
● Replaced with updated or more appropriate materials
● Reduced in number (duplicate copies)
● Removed from the collection in accordance with established weeding practices
Documentation
The library specialist shall maintain records of review activities, including:
● Criteria applied
● Actions taken
● Rationale for removal or replacement when applicable
Professional Standards
All review activities shall be conducted in accordance with:
● Accepted school library and information science principles
● District policies and procedures
● Ethical and professional standards applicable to certified school library specialists
Transparency
The Library Review Procedure shall be made available to administrators and, upon request, to other stakeholders to promote understanding of the professional process used to maintain a high-quality library collection.
APPENDIX B
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIAL
This form may be used by an individual with a vested interest to challenge any library or other educational material, display, or student program in accordance with the CES’s Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration policy. The form should be completed in its entirety and submitted to the principal of the school in which the library and other
educational material is being challenged to initiate a review of such material.
Full Legal Name of Person Submitting Request:
______________________________________________________________________
Please note that the process for challenging any library and other educational material, display, or student program is available only to the following “individuals with a vested interest” as defined in the CES’s Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration policy:
● any school staff member employed by CES (“Staff Member”),
● the parent or guardian of a student currently enrolled in a school operated by the Board at the time a request for reconsideration is filed (“Parent/Guardian”), and
● any student currently enrolled in a school operated by CES at the time a request for reconsideration is filed (“Student”).
Referring to the definitions immediately above, please indicate your role by checking any or all of the following that apply. I am a:
_____ Staff Member _____ Parent/Guardian _____ Student
Address:
______________________________________________________________________
Telephone Number:
______________________________________________________________________
Email Address:
______________________________________________________________________
I have read CES’s Library Collection Development and Maintenance, Library Displays and Programs, and Library Material Review and Reconsideration Policy: (check one)
Yes
No
I am requesting that the following library material(s), display(s), and/or student program(s) be reviewed:
______________________________________________________________________
I am requesting that this material be reviewed because I object to a specific portion or portions of the material (identify portion(s) below):
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
I provide the following explanation of the reasons for my objection(s) stated above:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________ Date: _________________________
Received by:
Name: ____________________________________________
School: ____________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________________