Efforts continue to review books for appropriateness for Katy ISD school libraries, the district’s library programs coordinator told school trustees Monday.

In response to a question from Position 1 Trustee Victor Perez, Sofia Darcy said the district calls its librarians to ask whether a particular book meets the criteria for approval, and then checks again upon receiving the purchased book.

Darcy said when the district considers whether to purchase a book, it first confirms that the book has received a minimum of two positive reviews from professional journals. She said the district uses all available journal reviews to determine age appropriateness and uses multiple resources to screen content for appropriateness. Orders then get submitted to the library services department for purchase, she said.

Darcy said the district gathers input and feedback for purchasing books from different sources. These sources include professional publications, professional learning networks, professional library conferences, and student and staff requests.

The district’s efforts to screen books for school libraries has been an ongoing issue for debate in the Katy ISD community. Last December, the district launched an app, called “Partner with Parents Online Book Review,” that was intended to enable parent feedback on books the district purchases for its school libraries. District officials will use the feedback to decide whether a particular title is suitable for school libraries.

Books under review will continue to be available until officials decide whether to keep it. The district said it hoped to have a decision on a given book in 30 days.

The district at the time said parents and guardians can be notified of any library book their student or students check out from a school library.

Monday’s report and discussion followed an extended public comment portion of the meeting in which several Cinco Ranch High School students urged trustees to broaden the policy to include students in the book review process.

Students also urged trustees to change the policy in which books under review remain available until a decision to remove—if it is to be removed—is made. That has not been the case, some said.

The district keeps a list of books it has removed from shelves on its website, the URL for which is katyisd.org/Page/4311. As of Tuesday, district officials have deemed 10 books for removal, all due to pervasive vulgarity. Here is the list:

• Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison; removed October 2021.
• Losing the Girl, by MariNaomi; removed October 2021.
• Me Earl and the Dying Girl, by Jesse Andrews; removed October 2021.
• Out of Darkness, by Ashley Hope Perez; removed October 2021.
• The Nerdy and the Dirty, by B.T. Gottfred; removed October 2021
• Forever for a Year, by B.T. Gottfred; removed November 2021.
• Jack of Hearts, by L.C. Rosen; removed November 2021.
• All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson; removed December 2021.
• The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy, by B.T. Gottfred; removed January 2022.
• A Court of Mist and Fury, by Sarah J. Maas; removed February 2022.