Two-minute impact
Effective Oct. 27, libraries at secondary schools across NBISD will reopen. The decision came after two separate executive sessions held by trustees, bookending nearly an hour of public comment from parents and students.
Secondary school libraries were closed after a regular board meeting Oct. 13, as previously reported by Community Impact, pending a full review of over 50,000 titles that were available at some schools.
The review of the titles was prompted to ensure alignment with Senate Bill 13, which requires schools across the state to maintain transparent library catalogs, allowing parents to submit a list of books that their child is not allowed to access, according to the bill.
The district flagged 81 titles for review, including ‘A Game of Thrones’, ‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ and ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, all of which are available to view by parents on an SB13 review page.
Following a review of the titles, they will be marked as either compliant or noncompliant with SB13 by the district. Books found to be noncompliant will be removed from rotation at middle and high schools across the district, according to NBISD.
What they’re saying
Nearly 50 Parents and students attended the public comment portion of the Oct. 23 meeting to speak to the board. Many of whom opposed the closure of libraries at the district’s middle and high schools, with a handful commending the board’s decision. Jude Necados, a high school student in NBISD, supported the decision, saying it’s a small price to pay for shielding students from inappropriate material.
"I see the value in the libraries not giving books that are explicit, out. Yes, it is a small sacrifice for the libraries to be shut down for a little while," Necados said. "This is a good change because kids my age don't need access to this kind of stuff at school."
Others opposed the closings. Kirstin May, a teacher at one of NBISD’s secondary schools, said her students were asking why the district felt the need to close libraries.
"My students were asking thoughtful, critical questions—exactly what our teams trained them to do. But right now they're learning a new lesson, that books are something to fear," May said.
Before making its decision, the board said its hands were tied when it came to being compliant with SB13. Trustee John Tucker said that even as a local, independent body, the board is still beholden to state laws.
“When the state legislature acts like it did, and has done with Senate Bill 13, we’re not independent; we are simply forced to follow it. Not what the legislature intended, but what they wrote,” Tucker said.
NBISD Board President Eric Bergquist noting the importance of feedback to the district.
“The board appreciates the thoughtful feedback from the community, and we understand how important our school libraries are to our students’ learning and success,” Bergquist said in a news release. “We’re grateful to have completed this preliminary step quickly so our secondary libraries can reopen while we continue our due diligence to meet the requirements of SB 13.”
Something to know
Parents can still challenge additional titles through the district’s website, beginning with an informal review. If the concern is not resolved, the complainant may file a formal challenge using the district’s Library Materials Challenge Form.
A Library Materials Challenge Committee—made up of an administrator, a librarian, a teacher, and three parents—reviews the book in full and determines whether it complies with SB13, according to the district.
