Mass. General Laws c.71 § 82B

School library collection development policies; annual reporting

This is an unofficial version of a Massachusetts General Law.

Updates

• Added by St. 2026, c. 189, § 1, effective November 8, 2026

Section 82B

(a)

Each school district, charter school and local education agency shall establish a written policy for its school library for: (i) the selection of school library materials, including textbooks, instructional materials, books or other library resources; (ii) the use of library materials and library facilities; and (iii) responding to challenges requesting to remove or restrict library materials. The written policy shall: (A) be in accordance with standards adopted by the American Library Association; (B) be posted on the school district, charter school or local education agency’s website; and (C) provide that if material selected by the school library teacher is the subject of a challenge requesting to remove or restrict its use, such material shall remain on the shelves of the school library pending a vote of the school committee or the board of trustees of a charter school made during the process for responding to such challenge in accordance with subsection (b) of section 82A. The board of library commissioners through its affiliate, the Massachusetts Library System, shall: (1) make resources available to help school committees or other administrative authority of a school library create or modify written policies for the selection of library materials and the use of materials and facilities in accordance with the standards adopted by the American Library Association; and (2) make sample policies available on its website.

(b)

Annually, school districts, charter schools and local education agencies shall submit a report to the department, which shall include information on all complaints and challenges requesting to remove or restrict educational materials from its schools during the previous school year. The report shall include, for each complaint, challenge or attempt to remove or restrict school library materials, the: (i) school name and location; (ii) title and author of the school library materials; and (iii) outcomes of such complaint, challenge or attempt to remove or restrict school library materials.

Last updated:	August 10, 2026