CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — As the new school year begins, Corpus Christi ISD is making changes to how school libraries operate — in response to Senate Bill 13.
The district is now required to form a Library Advisory Council, made up of at least five parents of currently enrolled students who are not employed by the district. These councils will be appointed by school board members.
The goal, according to CCISD Library Specialist Lauren Smith, is to ensure school libraries reflect community and school values.
"They'll be in charge of recommending to the board what books to purchase, remove, and update policies. Everything will be the final say of the school board, but they're mainly an advisory role,” she said.
But the change is sparking concern among some community members. Marilena Garza, a community advocate, worries this could lead to restrictions on student access to diverse and important reading materials.
"Students should have free access to knowledge, to cultural enrichment, to seeing a broader viewpoint that maybe they would never have access to,” said Garza.
Garza says books were vital in helping her understand difficult topics like LGBTQ+ identity, sexual abuse, and racism, especially growing up in a small town.
"Coming from a small town, I didn't have the same opportunities as some of the kids here in Corpus Christi,” said Garza.
Smith emphasized transparency and parental control, pointing to a new online portal that will allow families to see what books their children are checking out—and block access to specific titles if they choose.
"They'll be able to see what books their child has checked out, the past history of checkouts for the entire school year, and be able to block or restrict titles that they may not want their individual child to read or use in the library,” said Smith.
As the district prepares to launch this council, Garza hopes it includes diverse voices and protects students’ freedom to learn.
"The people, the parents and the students — we are watching,” said Garza.
CCISD officials say they plan to form the Library Advisory Council in the next few months. We’ll continue to follow the story and keep you updated as it unfolds.
***This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.***
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