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Parents press board over Overdrive consortium holdings as board approves renewal
Summary
At the July 16 meeting Parkland parents pressed the board for clearer oversight of the Carbon-Lehigh IU Overdrive consortium and whether Parkland can remove specific titles; the board approved renewal of the consortium agreement despite those concerns.
Parkland School District parents used the public‑comment period at the July 16 board meeting to press the board for clearer information and control over the Carbon‑Lehigh Intermediate Unit No. 21 Overdrive consortium, which provides digital library content to member districts. The board then approved the district’s renewal of the Overdrive consortium agreement (agenda item 8.03) for July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025.
Laura Warm Kessle, an audience member who identified her concern during public comment, said she had asked school leaders earlier about the consortium and received little information. “We are buying into a system that we don't even know how we're managing,” she said, citing the book All Boys Aren’t Blue as an example she considered age‑inappropriate and asking whether Parkland could remove specific titles for its community while the consortium retained them.
Other residents echoed that request. David Horvath urged the district to offer an online searchable listing of titles available to students so parents can determine what is accessible locally and to improve transparency about how selections are made.
Board members and administration responded that the district participates in the Overdrive consortium through the Intermediate Unit to gain broader access to digital resources at lower cost and that the consortium works with library professionals who vet material. “We have a process in place just like we do for our curriculum and our other supplemental resources to vet those out,” said board member Mr. David J Hein, describing the existing challenge procedure and the role of administration and teachers in age‑appropriateness reviews. He invited concerned parents to use the formal challenge process and to meet with district staff.
Despite the public comments, the administration’s recommendation to renew the Carbon‑Lehigh IU Overdrive Consortium agreement was moved, seconded and the motion carried. The agenda text lists an annual fee of $2,275 for the district’s participation for July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025.
What comes next: board members encouraged parents to pursue the district’s formal review process for specific titles and said administration could provide more information on the local cataloging and challenge steps if requested.
