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District outlines ad hoc review of challenged library books, citing obscenity statute and age-appropriateness criteria
Summary
The district formed an ad hoc committee of middle- and high-school library media specialists to review roughly 160 challenged titles; staff described a three-tier review using the Miller test (TCA 39-17-901), statutory age-appropriateness definitions, and librarian professional judgment. Ten title reviews will be presented to the board Thursday.
Rutherford County Schools staff described an ad hoc district-level committee review process for approximately 160 library books challenged by patrons. The committee, composed initially of middle- and high-school library media specialists, has been evaluating titles using a three-tiered approach: first, an obscenity screen using the Miller-test standards and TCA 39-17-901; second, statutory age-appropriateness definitions that the district referenced; and third, routine librarian collection-development and grade-band considerations.
Staff said the review committee has at least two readers per title; where the first two reviewers disagree, a blind third reader serves as…
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