Dear school board members,
I am writing to request some understanding on why the school board appears to be rushing a template policy put out by the MSBA regarding library materials.
I have attended/listened to board meetings and have heard no reports or indications that you have discussed or considered what could be done to protect non-age appropriate, sexually explicit material from entering into a Bloomington media center.
You are aware that the purpose of last fall’s MSBA policy was to give direction to the districts. To which member Starks replied that the number of new titles/year was beyond the board’s capacity to keep track of.
Is the school board blindly approving everything that has come into the libraries?
We elected you, and pay your salary.
Are you saying you have no solution for advising parents what is in their school media centers?
The experts you trusted, who handle book selection, have allowed sexually explicit materials in. Is there no way that those books can be flagged and parents advised?
In policy 606.1 there is the possibility of leaving a book on the shelf or removing it. Yet the proposed policy 606.5 has criteria that guarantee that no questioned material will be removed.
Member Starks stated that you all make up the board and you make the decision as to when the discussion is done. When did the board discuss this?
You heard from the community and parents and professionals. Listening is not discussing.
As a community member who elected the board, I am opposed to the proposed policy 606.5.
I am part of those who pay your salary.
I do not approve of being divested of the possibility of weighing in on this matter.
Sincerely,
CS
