Parent/Legal Guardian Partnerships and School Library Collections 6-65.2

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 6-65.2

INSTRUCTION

Parent/Legal Guardian Partnerships and School Library Collections

VBCPS recognizes the value of partnering with parents and legal guardians of enrolled minor students to support student learning and growth. Therefore, school libraries offer the following procedures to partner with parents and legal guardians of minor students regarding the materials their students check out from school libraries.

1. Definitions
   1. Library materials of general interest- defined as those materials of general interest to the school’s students selected for inclusion in a school library collection.
   2. Library materials used to support instructional programs: defined as those materials used: a) for completion of an assignment; or b) as part of an academic or educational program.
2. Parent/legal guardian of a minor student: restriction of access to library materials of general
   1. Request for Limited Access to Library Materials of General Interest (Individual Student)

      The parents/legal guardians of minor students may request limited access to library materials of general interest for their students. Parents/legal guardians may search the student’s school’s Destiny Catalog (or other catalog if a new system is used) via the School Division website to identify specific titles, authors, or series from school libraries the parents/legal guardians wish to restrict their students from accessing. The parents/legal guardians may then complete a “Request for Limited Access to Library Materials of General Interest (Individual Student)" form and submit it to the school’s Library Media Specialist.

      1. The minor student will be restricted from checking out the items from any VBCPS school library, even if the student transfers schools until: 1) a parent/legal guardian provides written notice to a VBCPS school Library Media Specialist requesting that the restriction be removed; or 2) the student is no longer a minor.
      2. The school will make reasonable efforts to prohibit the student from accessing such library materials while in the library media center.
      3. The student will not be allowed to check out those library media materials identified by a parent/legal guardian.
      4. Parents/legal guardians will work cooperatively with the school staff to determine how to restrict the student from accessing such library materials through School Division provided devices.
3. Parents/legal guardians of minor student: restriction of access to library materials used for instructional purposes.
   1. Parents/legal guardians of a minor student may restrict access to library materials used for instructional purposes by following the process set forth in Regulation 6-61.2
   2. The Library Media Specialist will restrict access to library materials used for instructional purposes as directed by the principal or designee.
4. Review and Challenge of Library Materials by Adult Students or Parents/Legal Guardians of minor students enrolled in VBCPS

   Adult students enrolled in VBCPS, or the parent/legal guardian of a minor student enrolled in VBCPS (hereinafter “complainant’) may review school library materials and/or may file a complaint to challenge the appropriateness of including a specific library material in the school’s library. A complaint that an elementary -library material contains sexually explicit material will fall under Regulation 6-65.3 and not this Regulation.

   1. School Level
      1. Upon the receipt of a complaint regarding the content of library material, , the principal or designee will schedule a conference with the complainant and the Library Media Specialist. The principal or designee may include other knowledgeable staff members in the conference. If the complainant does not participate in the conference, the principal or designee may proceed without the complainant. All parties at this conference will be apprised in advance of the material being challenged and provided adequate time for review of the material.
      2. Library material that is the subject of a complaint may not be withdrawn from use with other students unless the decision is made to do so after following the process in this Regulation.
      3. After reviewing the complaint and the library material that is the subject of the complaint with the persons participating in the conference, the principal or designee will make a written decision regarding the complaint within ten (10) business days of the conference. The complainant and the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) or designee will be provided with the written decision.
         1. 1)  If the written decision states that the library material will not be removed from the school library media center, the complainant may follow the procedures in B above to restrict access to the library materials.
         2. 2)  Should the library material that is the subject of the complaint be determined to include sexually explicit material (as defined in Code of Virginia §2.2-2827, as amended), a secondary school principal or designee may remove the library material or may determine that the library material will not be removed from the secondary school library media center: however, the library material must be identified as containing sexually explicit material. This determination is limited to secondary library materials acquired prior to September 1, 2024 and specifically objected regarding the determination that the library material contains sexually explicit material. The decision to identify the library material as sexually explicit is not appealable.
         3. 3)  If the written decision states that the library material will be removed, the CAO or designee may review and determine whether the removed library material should be removed from other school libraries.
      4. The complainant may appeal the decision of the principal or designee to not remove a library material to the Superintendent by filing with the CAO a written appeal within five (5) business days from the date of the principal’s or designee’s written decision. The complainant’s written appeal must state the specific reasons the complainant disagrees with the principal’s or designee’s written decision.
   2. Superintendent Level appeal
      1. Upon receipt of the complainant’s appeal the CAO or designee will refer the appeal to either a standing committee or an ad hoc committee to review and submit written recommendations to the Superintendent or designee.
      2. The committee will include a Library Media Specialist, other knowledgeable staff members, and a parent/legal guardian who is not employed by VBCPS and who has a student currently enrolled in VBCPS. If the library material is from a secondary school library, the CAO may (but is not required to) assign a secondary school student currently enrolled in VBCPS to serve on the committee.
      3. The committee will review the appeal, the library material that is the subject of the appeal, the principal’s or designee’s written decision and determine if the library material meets established selection criteria. The committee may consult other resources and persons in making its determination.
      4. Persons not assigned to the committee or staff members not assigned to assist the committee will not be authorized to attend or observe the meetings. No person assigned to a committee or to support a committee will be retaliated against for participating on the committee. The name of any student assigned to a committee will not be released and will be considered part of the student’s education records.
      5. The committee will provide the Superintendent or designee with written recommendations regarding the appeal within thirty five (35) business days of the delivery of the appeal to the CAO.
      6. The Superintendent or designee will review the committee recommendations and provide a written decision regarding the appeal within ten (10) business days after receipt of the committee’s recommendation. The complainant and the School Board will receive a copy of the Superintendent’s or designee’s written decision.
      7. The Superintendent’s or designee’s decision will be final and not subject to appeal.

Approved by Superintendent: October 19, 1993
Revised by Superintendent: January 18, 1994
Revised by Superintendent: September 22, 1999
Approved by Superintendent: February 6, 2023
Approved by Superintendent: June 27, 2024
Amended by Superintendent: August 6, 2024