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Board discusses new library procurement process, public comment urges review of books
Summary
During public comment trustees heard calls to review library titles; staff described a new procurement process under SB13 with a 30-day public review window, roughly 25,000 titles added annually and an internal reconsideration form for materials already in collections.
Clear Creek ISD trustees spent a substantial portion of the Oct. 27 meeting on library materials and the new procurement and reconsideration procedures. Public commenters encouraged residents to review lists and submit reconsideration forms ahead of board action.
Thomas Davis urged parents to use resources such as ratedbooks.org to evaluate library material and cautioned trustees that some traditionally endorsed publishers no longer meet certain community standards; he noted the board was likely to vote on the November library list on Nov. 17 and called attention to a subset of authors that have been frequently challenged.
District library staff (Miss Farrell) explained the two related processes: (1) the TA reconsideration form used for materials already in campus collections and (2) the newer procurement process that brings proposed new titles to the board. Farrell said the district’s checkout systems allow parents to make selections for their child, that certified librarians manage collection development, and that the procurement cycle is still being refined. She told trustees there is a "30 day review period that the, that's per SB 13," and that the district has so far added about 25,000 titles a year with about 4,000 in the first procurement round under the new system.
Trustees asked how many formal complaints the district had received under the new procurement process; staff replied they have not yet received completed procurement‑process reconsideration forms. Trustee Larson asked for a breakdown of where titles are allocated across elementary, intermediate and high school collections; staff said they would provide that data later. After discussion the board voted to approve the superintendent’s recommendation to adopt the proposed new library materials list.
