How Do I Review Books for Compliance? (V2)

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How to use the Compliance Triage Queue to find flagged books, make vetting decisions, and track challenged or banned titles.

Why This Matters: Reviewing books isn't just about applying labels — it's about building a defensible process. OnShelf validates your collection against state mandates so you can move forward with confidence, knowing your library is compliant and your students are protected.

1. Finding the Compliance Triage Queue

Step 1: Navigate to the Library

Click Library in the top navigation bar.

Step 2: Filter for Pending Review

Use the status filter dropdown and select Pending Review. This shows any books flagged and waiting for your vetting decision.

If the count shows zero, all books have already been reviewed — great news!

Tip: If your Pending Review count is zero, take a deep breath! This means your collection is fully vetted against current criteria. You don't need to do anything until new books are added or regulations change.

2. Identifying a Flagged Book

When a book has been flagged from external sources — such as banned book lists — it will display a flag indicator on the Book Intelligence page.

Books that have not been flagged will show a green "No Flags Detected" badge instead.

3. Submitting a Vetting Decision

Step 1: Open the Book Detail Page

Click on the flagged book to open its detail page.

Step 2: Click Set Status

Click the Set Status button.

Step 3: Choose a Status

Select one of the following:

Allowed — Approved for circulation
Limited Access — Restricted availability
Don't Show — Hidden from the catalog entirely

Tip: The Book Intelligence tab provides subjects, character lists, and synopsis information to help you make an informed decision.

Important — Sync Times: Once you set a status (e.g., changing a book to "Allowed"), the system updates the risk detection immediately. However, the visual "Pending Review" tag or status badge may take up to 24 hours to update across all Classroom views. If you don't see the change instantly, don't worry — it's processing!

4. Tracking Challenges and Bans

Step 1: Navigate to Reports

Click Reports in the top navigation.

Step 2: Open Circulation Reports

Select Circulation Reports and look for the Flagged Books report. This shows books flagged from external banned or challenged book lists.