Library materials are selected in accordance with the following objectives, as outlined in KSD Regulation IIAC-R1:

1. Provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the pupils served.

2. Provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.

3. Provide background information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.

4. Provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical reading and thinking.

5. Provide materials representative of the contributions to our American heritage from the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups.

6. Place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library.

7. Use existing special criteria for the selection of all kinds of materials, such as films, CDs, tapes and books, for all subject areas. The general criteria that may be applied to all acquisitions are as follows:

   • Material should have permanent or timely values.

   • Information should be accurate.

   • Material should be presented in a clear manner.

   • Material should be authoritative.

   • Material should have significance.

Library media specialists throughout KSD help students and families find books that suit their interests and needs.  Librarians work to know students individually, talking with them about reading interests, offering suggestions, and assisting students with finding books that may be best suited to their age or reading levels.  Student requests and interest surveys often lead to books being added to our collections, once they clear our internal review/purchasing processes.

Librarians rely heavily on commercial reviewing journals, such as Kirkus, School Library Journal, Horn Book Review, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist, and will frequently seek opinions of colleagues.  Any book that contains topics, illustrations, or language that may be considered to be controversial is reviewed with additional scrutiny.  These can be purchased for inclusion in our libraries if they are recommended in reviewing journals and meet the evaluative criteria listed in our policies.

If you opt your child out of one or more books, your child's Destiny account will be flagged with a notification that alerts the librarian and/or assistant to restrict checkout privileges to any book noted in the account.  Any person who may support student checkout will be able to view the alert (this could include teachers, parent volunteers, and substitutes).  Students with a flag in Destiny will also not be allowed to use self-checkout, if their library allows this option.

Student-specific information flagged in Destiny will carry over from year-to-year and across schools (i.e. elementary to middle school).  Restrictions will therefore remain in place for given books unless parents/guardians contact the school with a request to modify these.

Inclusion on a Top 10 list does not imply that ALA or the Kirkwood School District believes these books are inappropriate for student use.  Kirkwood's school librarians are committed to the selection of materials that address the needs of teachers and students, in accordance with KSD Policy IIAC and Regulation IIAC-R1.  Listed titles that are available in KSD libraries were selected with purpose and intention, aligned with curricular goals and/or identified student needs/interests.  Many titles are well-reviewed by a range of professional journals that our library media specialists use to inform book selection, such as Kirkus, School Library Journal, Horn Book Review, Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist.

All KSD students currently have access to Sora, an app from OverDrive that provides access to a wide range of ebooks and audiobooks through our partnerships with MOREnet, the St. Louis County Library system, and the public library consortium (including Kirkwood Public Library).  While filters are in place to limit student access to categories of books (i.e. juvenile, young adult, general adult), we are not able to filter or restrict a student's access to a single book.  Any family choosing to restrict their student's access to a printed book will also need to restrict access to all resources within Sora.  This can be done using a school-specific Opt Out Request Form.

We encourage families to contact classroom teachers if there are concerns about a book that may be assigned for a class. 

Independent reading is an important part of our work in classrooms, especially but not limited to English courses.  If a student self-selects a book for independent reading that a parent does not approve of, that student is free to choose any other book without penalty.

Kirkwood's  Library Media Procedures Manual outlines our reconsideration process.  You are encouraged to reach out to your school principal if you feel it appropriate to formally challenge a given book in your library.