[CASL-L] public access to our online catalog

[Elaine Shapiro]

I think this is an important question.  I would bet that public schools
cannot restrict public access to library catalogs.  There is a link to our
catalog on our school's website, but I admit I have stopped short of
advertising to parents that they use it (if book challenges were not a
threat, I love the idea of involving parents in the search for books their
children might like to read).
 I suggest asking CEA Legal for advice.  Our district recently had a
Teachers and the Law workshop with them, and I was impressed with the
breadth of knowledge the lawyer presenter had.

Elaine Shapiro, Broad Brook Elementary School

On Wed, May 3, 2023 at 8:55 AM Stieber, Rachel <rstieber at windsorct.org>
wrote:

> Hi Casey,
>
> Students access our Destiny catalog and Sora website though Classlink, so
> only staff and students can access without asking. We just recently had a
> parent request access through our Humanities Director. We were happy to
> send a link to Destiny so they could search for the books that they were
> looking for. They were prepared to draft a Freedom of Information Request
> to the Board Office, but it never came to that.
>
> Rachel Stieber,
> Sage Park Middle School, Windsor
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 2, 2023 at 12:32 PM LaPlante, Casey via CASL-L <
> casl-l at mylist.net> wrote:
>
>> Our Curriculum Director says the catalog is NOT public information, but
>> our administration wonders if that is correct. That's why I'm asking if
>> anyone knows if legally we MUST make our catalogs available to the public.
>> Or if I have to make it easy for them...like can I hand them a binder of
>> 15,000 titles? If we still had card catalogs in drawers they wouldn't be
>> able to demand to come in and search the drawers as easily as they can an
>> online catalog.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Casey
>>
>> On Tue, May 2, 2023 at 12:14 PM Barbara Johnson <
>> bajohnson at colchesterct.org> wrote:
>>
>>> We do have our destiny catalog out in the public in Colchester.
>>> Students do need to log in in order to access electronic materials and
>>> our databases per our contract requirements.
>>> However anyone is able to search for books and see what's in my
>>> collection.
>>> This is our Board policy... I would check with your curriculum director
>>> and your Board.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, May 2, 2023, 12:09 PM LaPlante, Casey via CASL-L <
>>> casl-l at mylist.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Esteemed Colleagues--
>>>>
>>>> I should probably know this, but does the public have a right to access
>>>> our online catalog, or can we password protect it just for members of our
>>>> school community? I've made our Destiny Catalog unavailable online unless
>>>> someone logs in, but the admin is wondering if the catalog falls under FOI.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> Casey
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Casey LaPlante
>>>> Library Media Specialist
>>>> Granby Memorial High School
>>>> Granby, CT
>>>>
>>>> Currently Reading
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Casey LaPlante
>> Library Media Specialist
>> Granby Memorial High School
>> Granby, CT
>>
>> Currently Reading
>> <https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/5658136?utm_medium=reading_link&utm_source=email_signature>
>> [image: Book Cover]
>> <https://www.goodreads.com/user/email_signature_destination/5658136?utm_medium=cover&utm_source=email_signature>
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>> <https://www.goodreads.com/?utm_medium=gr_logo&utm_source=email_signature>Get
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>>
>>
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>> attachments, is privileged and confidential and is intended only for the
>> use of the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended
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>
>
> --
>
> Rachel Stieber
>
> *She/Her(s)*
>
> Library Media Specialist
>
> Sage Park Middle School, 25 Sage Park Rd., Windsor, CT 06095
>
> rstieber at windsorct.org <rbray at windsorct.org> 860-687-2030 Ext.3165
> <(860)%20687-2030>
> *https://sites.google.com/a/windsorct.org/sage-park-library/
> <https://sites.google.com/a/windsorct.org/sage-park-library/>*
>
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