(a) Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, each school operated by an LEA and each public charter school shall maintain a current list of the materials in the school’s library collection. The list must be posted on the school’s website.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-6-3803

  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Library collection: means the materials made available to students by a school operated by an LEA or by a public charter school, but does not include materials made available to students as part of a course curriculum. See Tennessee Code 49-6-3802
  • Materials: means books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, films, prints, documents, microfilm, discs, cassettes, videotapes, videogames, applications, and subscription content in any form. See Tennessee Code 49-6-3802
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) By the 2022-2023 school year, each local board of education and public charter school governing body shall adopt a policy for developing and reviewing school library collections. The policy must include:

(1) A procedure for the development of a library collection at each school that is appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and that is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school;
(2) A procedure for the LEA or public charter school to receive and evaluate feedback from a student, a student’s parent or guardian, or a school employee regarding one (1) or more of the materials in the library collection of the student’s or employee’s school; and
(3) A procedure to periodically review the library collection at each school to ensure that the school’s library collection contains materials appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and that is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school.
(c) If an LEA or public charter school receives feedback on material in accordance with the procedure established pursuant to subdivision (b)(2) and the LEA or public charter school does not reach a resolution on the material with the person who provided feedback on the material, then the local board of education or the public charter school governing body shall evaluate the material to determine whether the material is appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, and to determine whether the material is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school.
(d) If the LEA or public charter school, including the local board of education or public charter school governing body, determines that material contained in the school’s library collection is not appropriate for the age and maturity levels of the students who may access the materials, or is not suitable for, or consistent with, the educational mission of the school, then the school shall remove the material from the library collection.
(e) The procedures adopted pursuant to this section are not the exclusive means to remove material from a school’s library collection, and do not preclude an LEA, a school operated by an LEA, a public charter school, or the governing body of a public charter school from developing or implementing other policies, practices, or procedures for the removal of materials from a library collection.
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