Library Exposed Documents 100 Titles in Rockwood School District Libraries
Over a span of 17 months, Library Exposed documented 100 books available within Rockwood School District libraries that contain material parents have identified as controversial. The titles span a wide range of age levels—from books intended for early elementary students to works traditionally marketed toward older teens and adults.
Reaching this milestone reflects significant time and research devoted to reviewing, documenting, and publishing excerpts for community review. Each featured title includes publicly available district location information and selected passages so families can examine the content directly.
At the same time, documenting 100 titles has underscored the breadth of concern expressed by some parents regarding library oversight and access policies. As the second-largest district in Missouri, serving nearly 20,000 students, Rockwood maintains diverse library collections. Within a district of that size, disagreements about age-appropriateness and content standards are perhaps inevitable.
Rockwood emphasizes values such as strong character, ethics, integrity, and shared responsibility for student growth and safety. For some families, the presence of certain titles has prompted questions about how those values are applied in library selection, review procedures, and parental communication.
Conversations surrounding opt-in versus opt-out access for library materials have also been part of this broader discussion. While district policies remain unchanged in this area, the topic continues to generate debate among engaged parents and educators.
Library Exposed was created to document—not speculate. By recording titles, dating documentation, and providing excerpts, the project aims to equip families with direct information so they can make decisions in alignment with their own standards and expectations.
As long as questions about library content and transparency remain part of the community dialogue, the project will continue to document publicly available materials for review.