Reading is a fundamental skill for success in school and in life. To create a lifelong love of reading and learning, Dearborn Public Schools provides 30 media centers (school libraries) for our students to borrow materials that interest them to grow a love of reading and learning. The district has also developed a comprehensive guideline for how materials will be added and, when necessary, removed from our school media centers.
When building their school libraries, our highly trained media specialists consider a host of factors like the relevancy of the material, readability and educational significance. All material is also verified for age-appropriateness. All of our media specialists are certified teachers who also have a master’s degree in library science.
Parents can see what resources are available at their child’s media center through our digital catalog system.
The Sora reading app also allows Dearborn Public School students to browse, check out and read online by signing in through Clever, as they do for other online programs. Sora books are provided through the Wayne County Consortium of schools and have been vetted for age appropriateness by the district’s media specialists. Students whose parents have provided them with a Dearborn Public Library Card can use that card on Sora to also access the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services (Dearborn Public Library) collection. The Dearborn Public Library is not part of the Dearborn Public Schools.
Parents or guardians who want to restrict what books their child can check out can complete an Opt Out of Media Material form. This form lets the parents select specific titles they do not want their child to check out, or it can be used to bar a student from checking out any materials in person or online. We would encourage parents to talk to their child’s teacher, the school principal or the media specialist before barring students from taking out any books.
Parents, students or staff members interested in filing a Book Challenge to ask that a book be removed from a school library should start by contacting the school’s media specialist. More details about that process are included in the Guidelines for the Selection and Review of Media Materials linked below.
Related Resources
One-page explanation of the media process for parents (English and Arabic) – This flyer provides a brief overview for parents who may be concerned about materials in our media centers.
Opt Out of Media Materials form – This form allows parents or legal guardians to prevent their student from checking out certain titles either by entering specific books or by requesting their child not check out any book that has been challenged in the district. The form can also be used to keep their child from checking out any items from their Media Center. We would encourage parents to talk to their child’s teacher, the school principal or the media specialist before barring students from taking out any books.
List of challenged books – This documents provides a list of books that have been challenged in the district and the results of those challenges including which books were allowed to remain, which were removed, and any that were restricted to a certain level.
School libraries Frequently Asked Questions
Guidelines for the Selection and Review of Media Materials – This document spells out how and why items are selected for the media center, explains the parents option to opt-out their child, and details the Book Challenge and Book Reconsideration processes.
Media center catalogs – Find the full list of materials available at your child’s media center.
Book Reconsideration Committee volunteer form – Parents, students, staff and district community members interested in helping hear appeals about books parents would like removed from the school libraries can volunteer to serve on the Book Reconsideration Committee. Volunteers agree to read the entire book in question, and participate in an evening meeting to discuss the book. Please read the full Guidelines for the Selection and Review of Media Materials before volunteering, to better understand the process and what you are volunteering for.