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Collection Development Policy
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.
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? _________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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