KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins Monday announced a pause in funding pending an investigation into a platform that provides content to K-12 school libraries across the state.
In his announcement Monday, Hoskins took aim at a program called OverDrive, which provides K-12 students access to ebooks, audiobooks and magazines through their school library.
Hoskins based his decision on “allegations regarding inappropriate materials accessible to minors.”
Hoskins release did not provide any additional information regarding the allegations in the news release.
“Our priority is protecting Missouri’s children while holding taxpayer-funded vendors accountable,” Hoskins said Monday. “We expect OverDrive to clarify its policies and demonstrate how it is ensuring appropriate access to content.”
In a statement provided to KSHB 41 News on Tuesday, the Missouri Library Association said it “is confident the findings of the Secretary of State’s investigation will result in a timely reinstatement of funding.”
The MLA says at issue is a platform on OverDrive called Sora, which provides eBooks and electronic materials for school libraries. The MLA says materials accessible within Sora are “individually selected by Missouri librarians for K-12 students.”
The association goes on to point out that because the materials are electronic, librarians are able to categorize access based on a student’s age, such as an elementary school student being unable to access electronic content meant for older students.
The MLA says school districts have the option at the local level to “remove or change the access of resources as appropriate to meet the needs of their school community.”
“If there are concerns about any materials, MLA urges the Secretary of State to talk with librarians and the professionals curating these collections,” the group said Tuesday.
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