SCHOOL LIBRARIES / MEDIA CENTERS

SELECTION OF MATERIALS

I. Philosophy of Selection

The primary objective of the school’s library/media center is to implement, enrich, and

support the educational program of the school. We believe the purpose of education is to help all students acquire the skills, understandings, and attitudes that will promote sound character, responsible citizenship, intellectual proficiency, and personal fulfillment in our ever-changing society. Materials selected for the library/media center shall support this purpose.

II. Objectives of Selection

The primary objective of the school’s library/media center is to implement, enrich, and

support the educational program of the school. To this end, the Board embraces the School Library Bill of Rights and encourages local school library/media specialists to adopt and operate by their principles and objectives as outlined below:

1. To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into

consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the students

served.

2. To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary

appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.

3. To provide a background of information which will enable pupils to make intelligent

judgments in their daily lives.

4. To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young

citizens may develop the practice of critical analysis of all media.

5. To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural

groups and their contributions to our American heritage.

6. To place principles above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in selection

of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection

appropriate to the users of the libraries/media centers.

Ill. Responsibility for Selection of Materials

Selection of materials may be a cooperative process involving parents, principals, teachers, supervisors, students, and library/media center specialists. The responsibility for coordinating the selection of instructional materials and mailing the recommendation for purchase rests with the professional trained library/media center personnel employed by the School System, with the final responsibility being vested in the Board.

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SELECTION POLICY

A. Criteria for Selection

Needs of the individual school based on knowledge of the curriculum and of the existing

collection are given FIRST consideration. Requests from faculty and students are to be

given consideration.

Each item purchase is to be considered on the basis of the following:

1. Central purpose

2. Timeliness or permanence

3. Importance of the subject matter

4. Quality of the writing/production

5. Readability and popular appeal

6. Authoritativeness

a. Reputation of the publisher/producer

b. Reputation and significance of the author/artist/composer/producer, etc.

7. Format and price

B. Procedures for Selection

When selecting materials for purchase, the library/media specialist is to evaluate the

existing collection and consult the following sources:

• Reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids.

• Specialists from all departments and/or grade Levels.

• The library/media committee, when there is one, appointed by the principal to serve in

an advisory capacity in the selection of materials.

In specific areas library/media center personnel should follow these procedures:

1. Gift materials are judged by basic collection standards.

2. Multiple items of outstanding and much-in-demand media are purchased as

needed.

3. Worn or missing standard items are replaced periodically.

4. Charge made for lost items is the replacement cost of that item.

**See Section VI. Weeding: Rationale and Criteria

IV. Interlibrary Loans

Libraries/media centers in the School System will share materials through interlibrary loans.

V. Challenged Materials

Occasional objections to a selection will be made by the public, despite the care taken by highly-qualified professional staff who select valuable and functional materials for student and teacher use.

The principles of freedom to read, see, and hear are the professional responsibility of the staff and must be defended, rather than the material.

This procedure is for the purpose of considering the opinions of those persons in the schools and community who are not directly involved in the selection process.

Informal Request:

1. The principal or certified staff member will give the complainant the option of

returning the book and selecting another one.

2. The complainant may request an informal meeting to discuss the merits of the

challenged material with a school administrator and the certified staff member.

3. Documentation will be kept during this meeting and filed in a Reconsideration File.

The complainant will be invited to file his/her objections in writing and will be

supplied with a “Request for Reconsideration Questionnaire” (FILE: IFBD-RR). If

this questionnaire is not returned to the school administrator within five (5) days,

the complaint is invalid.

Formal Request for Reconsideration

1. When the “Request for Reconsideration Questionnaire” is returned to the school

administrator, it will be placed in the Reconsideration File and considered to be a

formal request for the reconsideration of the listed book/material.

2. The school administrator will then inform the school media committee who will:

a. Read and examine materials referred.

b. Check general acceptance of the materials by reading reviews.

c. Weigh values and faults against each other and form opinions based on the

materials as a whole and not on passages pulled out of context.

d. Meet to discuss the material and to prepare a report.

e. File a copy of the report in the Reconsideration File.

3. A copy of the committee’s report will be sent by registered mail to the complainant

within five (5) days of the decision.

Appeals Process

1. Upon receipt of the committee’s decision, the complainant has ten (10) days to

appeal to the ECBOE.

2. Upon receipt of a request for formal reconsideration of a learning resource, the

County Superintendent shall:

a. Appoint a County reconsideration committee including the following

membership as appropriate:

• One member of ECBOE Central Office staff chosen by the

Superintendent,

• One member of the school teaching staff chosen by the school staff;

• One member of the ECBOE media center professional staff;

• Two parents whose students attend the school,

• Two students chosen by the principal (optional),

• A school administrator.

b. Arrange for a county reconsideration committee meeting within ten (10)

working days after the appeal is received.

c. The county reconsideration committee may choose to consult district

support staff and/or community persons with related professional

knowledge.

d. The county reconsideration committee shall review the challenged material

and the Reconsideration File prepared by the school and judge whether it

conforms to the principles of selection outlined in the district Selection

Policy.

3. Resolution

(1) The county reconsideration committee shall:

a. Examine the challenged resource;

b. Determine professional acceptance by reading critical reviews of the

resource;

c. Weigh values and faults and form opinions based on the material as a whole

rather than on passages or sections taken out of context;

d. Discuss the challenged resource in the context of the educational program;

e. Discuss the challenged item with the complainant when appropriate;

f. Prepare a written report.

(2) The written report shall be discussed with the complainant, if requested.

(3) The Superintendent and the school principal will retain the written report.

(4) Written reports, once filed, are confidential and available for examination by the

members of the Elmore County Board of Education only.

(5) The decision of the County reconsideration committee is binding for the individual

school.

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION

NOTE: No materials will be reviewed until the entire form is completed.

PLEASE PRINT:

Initiated by ____________________________________________________________

Telephone_________________ Address___________________________________

Teacher ___________ Parent__________ Other___________

Representing:

Self _______________ Organization_____________________________________________

(Identify Please)

Materials Questioned: (Check the type of material)

Book: Author_______________________________ Title________________________________

__________________________________________ Copyright date_______________

AV Material: Kind of Media _________________________________________

(Videos, CD’s, audiocassettes, etc.)

Title__________________________________________________________________

1. Did you read or view the entire material? _____________________________

If not, what parts?

___________________________________________________________________

2. What reviews of this material have you read?

__________________________________________________________________________________

3. To what do you object? Please be specific.

__________________________________________________________________________________

4.

__________________________________________________________________________________

5. What do you feel might be the result of reading or viewing of this material?

________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

6. For what age group would you recommend this material?

_________________________________

7. What are the good points of this material? ______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

FORM: Page 1 of 1

(Revised November, 2000)

SOURCE: Elmore County Board of Education, Wetumpka, AL

ADOPTED: August 20, 1990

AMENDED: November 20, 2000