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Request for Reconsideration of Material

Image by Scott Graham

Policy

The Webster Parish Library System selects materials with great care, using established criteria and giving full consideration to the varying age groups as well as differing education and cultural backgrounds of patrons the libraries serve. The selection criteria are described in detail in the ‘Collection Development Policy’.

 

INDENTIFICATION OF MATERIALS

 

Any Webster Parish Library System cardholder may request that an item in the library’s collections be reviewed to ensure it complies with community standards. Once a reconsideration request has been made on a material, that material will be marked identifiably as having had a request for reconsideration and checkout ability by restricted card holders may be revoked. This is to ensure that future patrons are aware that someone within the community has previously deemed this material as ‘inappropriate’ for some audiences since what is ‘appropriate’ is a subjective, opinion based label.

 

PROCEDURE

 

The procedure for reconsideration of material is as follows:

 

  • All requests for reconsideration shall be submitted in writing to the library on a ‘Request for Reconsideration of Material Form’. The form must be completed entirely and submitted to any Webster Parish Libraries service desk.

  • Requests for reconsideration may be made by any library patron. Library patron is defined as ‘a person residing in the parish in which the parish or municipal library is located who has reached the age of majority and who holds a library card from the library.’ [R.S. 25:225 B (2)]

  • The patron seeking the reconsideration must read, view, or listen to the entirety of the work before requesting reconsideration of library material.

  • Pursuant to LA R.S. 25:225, if reconsideration is based on sexually explicit content, the Library Board of Control will review the material in question and determine whether or not the material meets the definition of sexually explicit material by majority vote in an open meeting.

  • The library shall make a written determination and notify the library patron.

  • The library will identifiably and physically mark the material as having had a request for reconsideration from a library patron.

  • Appeal(s) of these determinations can be made to the Library Board of Control within thirty days of the notification of determination.

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Board Approved November 3, 2023

 

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