Megan Navarro
DRIPPING SPRINGS — New books and resources will be coming to libraries across Dripping Springs ISD’s campuses.
This follows the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approving an extensive list of library titles at its Monday, Nov. 17, meeting, as the Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill (SB) 13 during the 89th Legislative Session, establishing new procedures for the review, approval and purchase of library materials in public schools.
Under SB 13, the board of trustees must approve the purchase or acceptance of any new or donated library materials before they can be added to a campus library. Books that are already part of a campus library collection do not require board approval for continued use or replacement, however, prior to board consideration, all proposed titles must be posted for a 30-day public review and comment period.
Other implementations from SB 13 include:
Dripping Springs ISD has established the School Library Advisory Committee (SLAC) to support implementation of SB 13. The committee is responsible for the following: reviewing titles proposed for addition to campus libraries; collecting and reviewing public comments submitted during the 30-day posting period; and providing recommendations to district leadership and the board of trustees for final approval.
Parents and guardians may restrict their child’s access to specific titles and review the list of materials their child checks out from the library. They may exercise these options by creating an account through the Destiny Portal accessible within DSISD’s library catalog system.
SLAC is an optional committee for school districts to host or not, but DSISD elected to do it because it values community partnership engagement and communication with parents, explained director of Curriculum and Instruction Alicia Maphies.
Board president Stefani Reinold asked how often they should expect to see lists of library titles throughout the year, to which Maphies responded that, “We can set our own cadence for meetings. The minimum requirement is two meetings a year; we wanted to meet more than that, so we have set four meetings for this year. So, you can expect lists like this to come around quarterly.”
Trustee Shanda DeLeon asked if there were any public comments on the proposed titles when SLAC posted them. There were not any public comments or concerns on the titles, Maphies said, but the committee was trained in the procurement of the resources and thorough in its research.
Another trustee, Kim Cousins, asked if the books on the list were donations or recommendations by teachers and librarians.
“These are recommendations from our [librarians]. These are not donations,” Maphies responded.
All of the books that are on the list are completely new, Maphies said, as, under SB 13, if a book already exists in one of DSISD’s libraries, then the other libraries at the same level would be able to purchase that same title. Only new purchases will come to the board for consideration.
The full list of library titles can be found on the SLAC’s website at www.dsisdtx.us/page/slac. Parents can access the Destiny Portal to view online catalogs, see what their students have checked out and more at bit.ly/4o4rZfU.
The DSISD board meets next at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15.
