Associated Press - October 21, 2009 12:14 PM ET

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Coeur d'Alene School District officials say the district will rely on teachers and parents to help pick books to be used in classrooms.

A memo sent to district employees from Superintendent Hazel Bauman and Director of Secondary Education Rosie Astorquia said the way novels and other books had previously been picked wasn't working, the Coeur d'Alene Press reported. Under that process, novels are recommended by teachers and are reviewed by a committee of patrons before undergoing a 30-day public comment period.

Administrators said the new process would still respect parental and community input, but would no longer substitute lay opinion for professional judgment.

In the past three years, books such as Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and David Guterson's "Snow Falling on Cedars" have been banned from classrooms under the review process.

Information from: Coeur d'Alene Press, http://www.cdapress.com

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.