Mason City Community School District is grappling with the task of evaluating an extensive range of titles to ensure compliance with the new guidelines. Recognizing the impracticality of reviewing each book manually, the district has turned to AI technology to identify potentially non-compliant texts. Bridgette Exman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at the district, acknowledged the overwhelming nature of the task, noting that the district’s libraries hold diverse collections acquired through various means, making comprehensive manual assessment infeasible.
The process involves the creation of a “master list” sourced from various references, which includes titles that may have faced complaints about sexual content in the past. The identified books are then subjected to scrutiny by AI software that assesses whether they contain explicit sexual content. This AI-driven approach helps the district navigate the challenge of screening numerous books while adhering to legal requirements.
