Recommendations for Working With School Boards
Most school library issues can be resolved at the local level if school board members desire to represent the local parents' interest.
Family Friendly Libraries recommends the following steps for addressing school library concerns at the local level:
1. Review existing school library policy.
2. Begin attending local school board meetings regularly and develop a good working relationship
with board members.
3. If the problem isn’t resolved to your satisfaction by the school staff, take your concern to the
school board. School libraries are governed by the local school boards comprised of appointed
or elected members.
4 Gather support for your point of view and ask otherparents to help lobby school board members
for the policy changes you desire.
5. Contact each member of the school board individually and state your concern in a calm,
constructive matter. A personal phone call is best, or a handwritten letter. Ask for their help in
resolving the issue to your satisfaction. Do not begin by sending an angry or insulting e-mail.
6. Address the school board during the public comment time before regularly scheduled meetings.
State your concerns clearly and calmly and provide a written copy of your comments to every
school board member. Ask the school board to enter your comments into the recorded
meeting minutes.
7. Stay until the end of the meeting to speak individually with board members.
8. If your concern is not resolved to your satisfaction, follow the appeals process. School library
concerns are usually appealed to the State School Board.
9. Make every effort to educate the public about the school library problem. Consider writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper, starting a petition, or documenting problems on a
website.
10. If you have reached this point without resolving your concern, it is time to begin lobbying
elected officials (if they appoint school board members) or and school board candidates
themselves (if they are elected).
School library records are also governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Family Friendly Libraries Guidelines for Lobbying School Board Candidates
