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Magnolia ISD board adopts EFB (local) library‑materials policy under Senate Bill 13, requires board approval for new ISBN purchases
Summary
Trustees adopted a revised Instructional Resources/Library Materials policy (EFB local) to implement Senate Bill 13: librarians will publish lists of proposed new‑ISBN purchases for a public review period and the board will vote to approve or reject proposed lists; parents can place holds preventing their child from checking out specific items.
The Magnolia Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to adopt a revised instructional resources policy, EFB (local), to implement requirements of Senate Bill 13 that take effect Sept. 1. Under the policy, the district will present trustees with lists of proposed new library purchases (by ISBN) for board approval after a public review period.
Dr. King, district staff member and the meeting presenter on instructional resources, said the change was "compelled from Senate Bill 13" and explained trustees will be asked to determine whether proposed newly purchased ISBNs should be added to campus and district libraries. "One new thing is it does authorize and require school boards to determine if library materials that are just proposed for purchase that are new... are required to to vote to approve or or reject," Dr. King said. He added that items that are replacements for already‑approved ISBNs or existing holdings will not be presented for board approval.
Dr. King told trustees the district will use standards from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) and professional reviews to build recommended lists. The process described for proposed additions includes public posting of the list, a 30‑day period for public review and an opportunity for parents to provide feedback to campus principals. Dr. King said parents may also prevent their child from checking out a particular item by notifying the principal; the district's electronic catalog can place a hold so the specific child cannot access that item while leaving it available for other students.
Trustees asked procedural questions about timing and volume. Dr. King cautioned the list size will vary and said the district would consider breaking a very large list into multiple postings if reviewing everything within the public‑comment window would be impractical. He also said librarians will annotate lists with the source information used to recommend each title so trustees and the public can review professional reviews and other selection criteria before voting.
Formal action: the board adopted proposed policy EFB (local), "Instructional resources — library materials," as presented. (Motion by Stacia, second by Jay; outcome: approved.)
Discussion versus decision: Dr. King's presentation and trustee questions comprised the discussion; the board then took formal action to adopt the policy. The policy sets a future operational process: librarians and district staff will assemble lists of proposed new ISBNs, post them for public review, collect input, and present lists to the board for approval or rejection. Rejected titles will not be added to district/library collections under this process.
What this does and does not do: the policy applies to proposed new ISBN purchases going forward and does not automatically require review of every existing title or every edition already approved for district libraries; replacements of previously approved ISBNs and existing holdings are excluded from the board review requirement, according to the presentation. The district will post proposed lists on the department of library services web page and notify trustees when lists are updated.
