Public commenter raises library-catalog concerns; district says titles visible but content inaccessible
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Summary
A member of the public told the board he found allegedly objectionable titles visible through the district library catalog; Superintendent Rizzo Saunders said the statewide catalog exposes titles but district filters prevent student access to underlying content and that the administration considers its review exhaustive and the matter closed.
A community member raised concerns at the Jan. 12 Kennett Consolidated School District board meeting about titles he said appear in the district library catalog and described some as inappropriate for school access.
The speaker, Mr. Bochanski, directed the board to the district catalog (catalog.kcsd.org) and the Pennsylvania Access PA/Empower Library catalog, saying the titles are visible and questioning whether district Wi‑Fi blocks access. He said his contacts in the technology department told him the links are not blocked on KCSD Wi‑Fi.
Superintendent Dr. Rizzo Saunders responded that the issue is one of title visibility versus access. She told the board that the statewide union catalog shows metadata and titles for libraries across Pennsylvania, which does not equate to students being able to access full content through the district network. She said the district's exhaustive review with technology staff concluded students cannot access the materials and that any change to a statewide catalog would require coordination with the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Office of Libraries. The superintendent said the administration considers the matter closed and will not continue responding to repeated inquiries that divert resources.
The board thanked the commenter for raising the issue and moved on to closing items; no further action or policy change was announced.