Library Materials - Access, Selection, Reconsideration

Per Senate Bill 13 (September 1, 2025), there are three components that must be addressed to provide parents and guardians with the information about what is available for your child in their public school library. 

Access to Online Catalogs

All HEB ISD catalogs are available online and do not require a username/password to access.  Please refer to the instructions below on how to access this resource.

• Print Instructions
• Video Instructions

Access to Materials that YOUR Child has Checked Out 

• Print Instructions
• Video Instructions

Ability to Restrict Certain Titles for YOUR Child

Please contact your child’s school librarian via email using THIS LIST and provide the following information on each book that you wish to be restricted for your child:

• Parent Information
  • Full name (first and last)
  • Telephone number (in case the librarian has questions about a specific book)
• Child Information
  • Full name (first and last)
  • District ID number
  • Current grade
• Restricted Title(s)  (each book must have all three pieces of information)
  • Title
  • Author
  • Barcode #

Note:  This information must be provided for each child individually and specific titles must be provided.  Listing book subjects (magic, dogs, etc.) is NOT acceptable. 

In compliance with state law, HEB ISD must provide a public list of all materials that have been donated to, or are proposed to be procured by a school library, to be accessible for a public comment period of 30 days before final board approval. Each list is for that level only, meaning that any books showing on the high school list will NOT be purchased at the elementary or junior high level. All books are chosen by certified, masters-degreed school librarians following the TSLAC Mandatory Collection Standards, EFB Local school board policy and the HEB ISD Library Book Selection Criteria.  

• THERE IS NO CURRENT LIST UNDER CONSIDERATION.

Under Texas Education Code (TEC) §33.027, a parent, district employee, or person residing in a school district may submit a written challenge to any library material in a school’s library catalog.  This may be done by submitting your concerns through this feedback form. All comments received within the 30-day comment period will be reviewed and considered prior to finalizing the purchase.

The HEB ISD Library Materials Selection and Purchasing Process brochure also provides additional information.  
 

HEB ISD Board Policy allows parents, staff and community members to formally object to library materials currently available to students. Titles may be challenged if an individual believes the title does not meet the TSLAC mandatory collection standards or District policies related to library materials selection.

This policy is adopted to ensure the District protects the First Amendment rights of its students. In accordance with established Supreme Court decisions, a District cannot remove a library book that has been selected from the collection without first reviewing the title. The District’s policy is designed to ensure an appropriate review is conducted prior to any title being removed from the collection so the requirements of the First Amendment are satisfied. However, the policy is also designed to ensure that materials that do not meet the TSLAC mandatory collection standards are removed upon completion of review.

Following Board policy, the District or campus will strive to resolve any objections informally. They will explain the selection process and discuss the intended purpose for the library material. The librarian or administrator will offer a concerned parent or guardian an alternative library material to be used by the child in place of the material. Concerned parents can restrict their child’s access to that material by contacting their child’s school librarian.

If the concern can not be resolved informally, the parent or guardian, staff, or community member may submit a formal request using the Library Materials Challenge Form.

Reconsideration Process:

• The District or campus administrator will work with Library Services and the campus librarian to appoint a challenge committee following Board policy.
• The committee members will read and review the material under challenge to determine whether it meets the TSLAC mandatory collection standards.
• All meetings will comply with the meeting requirements under Education Code 33.025(g) and (h) including required notices, minutes, and recordings as well as submission of the same.
• A report will be submitted to the requester within 90 days of the challenge submission. The requester may appeal the decision following established Board policy.
• If a challenge to a library material results in the removal of the library material from the school library catalog, each teacher at that level (elementary, middle, or high) will be notified and instructed to remove any copy of that material from the classroom library.

Accessible PDF