Parents, librarians urge Kirkwood R-VII to restore automatic public-library access in Sora and enable closed captions

Parents and library advocates urged the KIRKWOOD R-VII Board of Education on Feb. 2 to restore students’ automatic access to regional public-library ebook and audiobook catalogs through the Sora app and to enable closed captioning by default for instructional videos.

Kristen Rig, who introduced herself as representing a group of parents working with North Kirkwood Middle School families, said the district recently moved access to public-library catalogs from an automatic, opt-out model to an opt-in model that now requires parents to obtain library cards in person and to reconnect students’ district devices. "This can present barriers for a variety of reasons, including lack of reliable transportation, conflicts with library operating hours, language barriers, or instability in the home," Rig said, asking the district to partner with libraries to offer library card registration at school events and to help students reconnect Sora on district devices.

Fay Kaplan, who identified herself as a college educator and a member of the Kirkwood Public Library Board, called the change "significant" and said the district did not communicate the rationale to families before implementation. "Previously, students had access to three major library consortiums through Sora. Now that access is restricted unless families take additional steps to opt back in," Kaplan said, adding that extra steps will disproportionately harm students who need alternative formats or who lack adult help at home.

Mary Fitzgerald, a disability advocate and parent, urged the board to require closed captioning for instructional videos, saying captioning improves comprehension for students with learning differences, English learners and others. Fitzgerald cited federal accessibility requirements when she said uncaptioned instructional videos used in class can violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and IDEA when the content is part of general instruction.

Board materials show the district already uses Sora on school-issued devices but does not list public-library consortiums as default for all students under the new configuration. Speakers asked the board to take immediate steps to reduce the administrative burden on families — for example, by offering library-card enrollment at school events — and to restore the previous default access model or a comparable district-managed process to ensure equity.

The board did not take an immediate formal vote on Sora access or captioning during the Feb. 2 meeting; the comments were made during the public-comment portion and the items were not listed on that night’s action agenda. Board members and staff acknowledged receiving the feedback and the record shows the district will continue to the discussion in follow-up communications.