Library Services

Our Leander ISD Library Services Mission is to lead our school communities in an environment that challenges students to IMAGINE possibilities, EXPLORE opportunities, and CONNECT with the future and the world. Since our school libraries serve a variety of grade levels, library materials are selected to benefit a wide range of student reading levels, interests, and needs, as well as support any specific curriculum needs. 

The following Leander ISD Board Policy is referenced when purchasing library materials. Library materials may meet one or more of the following Objectives, Instructional or Selection Criteria:

• Leander ISD Selection Policy EF Local Objectives
  • Enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration students’ varied interests, abilities, learning styles, and maturity levels;
  • Foster growth in the graduate profile and the ten ethical principles of the District;
  • Stimulate growth in factual knowledge, enjoyment of reading, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and societal standards;
  • Present multiple viewpoints related to controversial issues to foster critical thinking skills and encourage discussion based on rational analysis;
  • Represent many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and their contributions to the national heritage and world community; and
  • Provide a wide range of background information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.
• Leander ISD Selection Policy EF Local Instructional Criteria:
  • Support and are consistent with the general educational goals of the state and District (including the vision, mission, core beliefs, and District guiding documents), as well as individual schools and specific courses with the District and campus improvement plans;
  • Meet high standards for artistic quality and/or literary style, authenticity, educational significance, factual content, physical format, presentation, readability, and technical quality; 
  • Are appropriate for the subject area, age, ability level, learning styles, and social and emotional development of the students for whom they are selected; 
  • Containing sensitive content or addressing sensitive issues, including but not limited to sexuality, violence, or profanity shall be subject to careful scrutiny and review; 
  • Are designed to help students gain an awareness of our pluralistic society;
  • Are designed to provide information that will motivate students and staff to examine their own attitudes and behavior; to understand their duties, responsibilities, rights, and privileges as citizens participating in our society; and to make informed choices in their daily lives;
  • Conform with requirements of state law and regulations. 
• Leander ISD Selection Policy EF Local Selection Criteria:
  • Are consistent with selection criteria for instructional resources;
  • Are integral to the instructional program;
  • Are appropriate for the reading levels and understanding of students;
  • Reflect the interests and needs of the students and faculty;
  • Are included because of their literary or artistic value and merit; and 
  • Present information with the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity

Leander ISD Librarians also reference the following Leander ISD Guiding Document components:

• Alignment to the Leander ISD Core Beliefs; each and every student is at the heart of our decisions
• Alignment to the Leander ISD Mission where life changers cultivate each individual student by knowing and appreciating them
• Connecting to the Leander ISD Graduate Profile where learners are empowered to enrich our world and excel in a rapidly changing global society through a life-long journey of character development, academic success and fulfillment by being compassionate community contributors who value diverse perspectives and share their unique gifts with the world

Additional factors influencing consideration for the purchase of library materials include: 

• Receive favorable professional library reviews from sources such as but not limited to School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book Guide for Children’s Books, and Young Adult Library Services Associations (YALSA) to access content quality, topics, and estimated age appropriateness
• Demonstrate literary merit, quality, value and significance
• Are highlighted on state and national award lists or cited on recommended reading lists
• Fill known gaps in topics, authors, series, or genres to cultivate a diversity of thought
• Incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources
• Exhibit a high degree of potential user appeal
• Provide a global perspective and promote diversity of thought by including materials by authors and illustrators of all cultures
• Comprise a variety of resources in physical and digital formats including print and non-print such as electronic and multimedia (i.e. subscription databases and other online products, e-books, educational games, and other forms of emerging technologies)
• Demonstrate popularity across other school libraries
• Represent diverse viewpoints and culture to ensure the collection embodies the unique backgrounds of our student population

Administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members may recommend titles for selection. Gifts must be evaluated against these criteria and accepted or rejected in accordance with board policy.

With a wide range of ability, maturity and backgrounds among students, not all materials will appeal to, or be appropriate for, all students. In alignment with policy EF (LOCAL), every parent reserves the right to guide what his or her own student reads and to select reading or instructional materials that support their family’s unique set of views and opinions. No student shall ever be required to choose a library item that conflicts with their personal values and beliefs. We encourage parents and children to talk together about the materials students are reading and welcome parents to visit with their campus librarian to discuss any specific needs for their family.

For additional questions, please visit the Leander ISD Library Services webpage, contact the campus librarian or Becky Calzada, Leander ISD District Library Coordinator.

Are there standards on how school libraries should function?
Yes, school libraries follow the School Library Program Standards and Guideline for Texas.

What are the qualifications of school librarians?
School librarians must have at least 2 years of teaching experience, have completed a school librarian certification program, have a Master’s degree, and have successfully passed a librarian certification test. Link: Texas Administrative Code for School Librarian Certification

What’s the difference between a library book and an instructional resource?
While instructional materials and library books are both considered instructional resources, they are not the same and the terms should not be used interchangeably.

Since school and classroom libraries are viewed as places for voluntary inquiry, library books are treated differently from instructional materials used in classroom instruction.This distinction has legal significance and is explained on the TASB Instructional Materials and Library Books in Texas Public Schools document in the “Additional Considerations” section.

How do I access titles in my student’s library to find out what is available?
To view titles in a campus library, go to the campus library catalog https://leanderisd.follettdestiny.com/ and click on your student’s campus link > Catalog tab.

To view titles in the Sora digital library, go to https://soraapp.com/welcome and log in with your student’s login credentials to view titles in the Sora collection. Please note: students only have access to check out titles in the grade-banded area they belong to. 

How do I find out what my student currently has checked out?
Current library checkout information is housed in Destiny, our library management system. To access, go to the Leander ISD Destiny link:  https://leanderisd.follettdestiny.com/, click on your student’s campus link and login via the Sign in With Google link.

Current Sora checkout information can be accessed by going to Sora (login directions) and logging in with your student’s login credentials and going to the shelf > loans tab. Please note: students only have access to check out titles in the grade-banded area they belong to.  

How do librarians select books to purchase for the school library?
School librarians undergo yearly training and review LISD Board policies EF Legal & EF Local. They also abide by the the following practices: How School Library Materials Are Selected in Leander ISD

I have concerns about a book. What is my first step?
Please contact your student’s librarian and/or campus administrator to express your concern. Often initial conversations are enough to diffuse concerns, but if you wish to continue a formal challenge, contact the campus administrator.

Why doesn’t the school district remove a book from the library collection while under formal reconsideration?
Per EF Legal, a district possesses significant discretion to determine the content of its school libraries. A district must, however, exercise its discretion in a manner consistent with the First Amendment.

Per EF Local, access to a challenged resource shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process, except the District may deny access to a child if requested by the child’s parent.

I’ve visited with my librarians and/or campus administrator and still have concerns. What are the next steps?
If there are still concerns after the material has been informally reviewed, please complete the Request for Reconsideration form. Once received, one of our employees will review the request and reach out about next steps in the reconsideration process. If we have not heard back within two weeks, we will assume you no longer wish to file a formal complaint.

What is a graphic novel?
A graphic novel is a format in which a story is told comic book style.