Burrell School District

Selection Policy for Library Media Centers

Burrell School Board Policy Manual - Library Materials

I.  Philosophy

The philosophy of the Burrell School District Library Media Centers is for librarians to collaborate with faculty in teaching and learning activities and to provide a wide variety of resources necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives of the school district.  This philosophy further acknowledges the uniqueness of each student by providing materials for various levels of learning.  The goals of each library media center focus upon working with faculty and students, providing resources to support the curriculum, and encouraging the independent study and personal reading of students.

The Burrell School District supports the principles of intellectual freedom inherent in the Constitution of the United States, the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association, and the Students’ Rights to Read statement of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Goals of the Burrell School District Library Media Programs

The goals for all library media centers, elementary through high school, focus upon librarians working collaboratively with students and teachers to meet the goals of the Burrell School District.  The library media program contains many areas of instruction, service, and activities for children and young people.

The library media program should enable students to:

•     Derive the fullest benefit from their classroom instruction

•     Extend the boundaries of their knowledge and experience

•     Pursue self-directed learning of all kinds

•     Explore and satisfy their many curiosities and interests

•     Find enjoyment in the imaginative expressions of creative artists

•     Learn how to use libraries of all kinds and to evaluate the materials

•     Obtain materials to meet individual needs and abilities

•     Establish patterns of lifelong learning

The library media program, by providing materials that are easily accessible and efficiently organized, should enable teachers and counselors to:

•  Achieve their instructional objectives to the fullest degree

• Support course content

• Prepare learning experiences that meet the needs and abilities of individual students

• Motivate students to use materials for curricular and non-curricular purposes

• Have the materials needed to counsel students in many aspects of guidance

• Use materials directly with students in the classroom

• Teach students how to use materials and libraries of all kinds

• Keep abreast of the best ideas and practices in education

• Use materials to broaden their own knowledge and to derive personal enjoyment

II.  The Purposes of the Collections

The collections of the Burrell School District library media centers provide resources for teachers and students that:

• Are selected in compliance with basic written selection principles

• Support the curriculum and the individual needs, interests, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and learning styles of the students served

• Encourage growth in knowledge and develop literary, cultural, and aesthetic appreciation, and ethical standards

• Reflect the ideas and beliefs of religious, social, political, historical, and ethnic groups and their contribution to American and world culture, thereby enabling students to develop an intellectual integrity in forming judgments

• Help students develop critical thinking, information literacy, and lifelong learning skills

III. The Purposes of the Materials Selection Policy

This policy is designed to:

• Provide a statement of philosophy and goals for the guidance of those involved in the procedure for selection

• Define the roles of those who share in the responsibility for the selection of materials

• Outline the procedures for application of the criteria

• Set forth criteria for selection, evaluation, and reevaluation of materials

• Provide a procedure for the consideration of objections to the use of particular materials

• Clarify for the community the philosophy and procedures outlined in this materials selection policy

IV.  Responsibility for Selection

The Burrell School District is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the Burrell School District library media centers, including the selection and purchase of materials.  The selection process may involve the input of many people, including library media specialists, teachers, support staff, administrators, students, and community members.  The final responsibility for coordinating and recommending the selection and purchase of materials rests with the designated library media specialist for each school in the Burrell School District.

V.  Procedure for Selection

School staff, students, and community members are encouraged to submit recommendations for purchase.  The library media specialist consults professionally recognized selection sources to evaluate and select materials in relationship to curricular and personal needs of the school community.  Preview of materials is encouraged.

VI.  Scope of the Collection

Resources shall:

• Meet the curriculum goals and objectives of the Burrell School District

• Meet the needs of specific subject areas for teachers and students

• Promote a lifelong interest in reading

• Provide for student differences in age, ability, reading level, learning styles, and emotional and social development

• Be selected in formats that meet the needs of all students

VII.   Criteria for Selection

A.   General Statement

The success of the library media program in meeting the needs of the students and teachers depends to a great extent upon the quantity, scope, and quality of the materials available in the collection.  The foremost consideration for any item is whether it contributes to the fulfillment of the curriculum and meets the individual needs of the students and teachers of that particular school.

It is the obligation of the library media center to provide a diversity of points of view so that users may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis.

Each item shall be considered individually.  Materials should be selected for their strengths, based on criteria that are most applicable for that particular format and subject.

B.    Criteria for Evaluating Media Presenting Information

• Authoritativeness/reputation of the author and/or publisher

• Timeliness, permanence, and relevance of the item to the curriculum

• Accurate content

• Logical organization and presentation of information

• Level of reading difficulty/vocabulary/use of illustrations to clarify content

• Readability and popular appeal

• Impartiality/point of view/freedom for bias/presentation of various points of view depending on need

• Avoidance of stereotyped images of any group, individual, or institution

• Reflection of variety in individual physical and emotional development as well as addressing difference in student learning styles

• Value commensurate with cost and/or need

• Appropriate format

C.    Criteria for Evaluating Fiction

Fiction has an important role as an educational medium; it supports the curriculum and encourages and develops the reading interest of students.  The treatment of significant historical, social, and personal issues in fiction can contribute to the understanding of human problems and human relations.  The criteria established for the selection of fiction are complementary to the criteria established for the selection of media presenting information.  The following criteria should be given consideration:

• Readability and effectiveness in sustaining the reader’s interest

• A plot that is believable within its own framework

• Convincing characterization

• Effective use of language

• Presentation of human emotions, values, and ideas

• Originality, literary merit, and aesthetic values

D.    Criteria for Evaluating Materials in Controversial Subject Areas

Materials on controversial issues should represent various points of view and a sincere effort should be made to select representative materials.

Materials on controversial topics may be included if they meet the above criteria, if they are relevant to the curriculum, and if they are consistent with the philosophy of the school system.  The work, including controversial language and/or illustrations, must be judged as a whole according to its intended purpose.

VIII.  Reevaluation of the Collection

The selection process begins with the evaluation of materials before purchase and is completed with the evaluation of materials for discard.  Weeding of the school library media center collection materials that are factually inaccurate is important.  How rigorously and how often a collection is weeded depends on considerations of curriculum requirements and the needs unique to each library media center.  The weeding of print and nonprint materials is an ongoing process in collection development, as carried out by the library media specialist and approved by the school board.

Some suggested criteria for weeding out undesirable materials are as follows:

• Currency:  If the subject matter is out of date, factually inaccurate, or no longer relevant to the educational program or no longer meets the criteria established for selections; if illustrations are outmoded or perpetuate sexual, racial, or cultural stereotypes.

• Technical quality:  In multi-media materials, if visuals are poor or faded; if sound reproductions are faulty or inferior.

• Dispensability:  If it is a duplicate copy or duplicates materials no longer needed in the collection.

• Physical condition:  If it is worn, torn, soiled; if pages or parts are missing.

• Record of use:  If the item has not circulated in ten years or more.

IX.  Gift Policy

Frequently, community organizations and individual citizens may wish to contribute funds, gifts, or memorials.  The Burrell School District welcomes such involvement; however, the gifts and memorials must meet the same criteria as those applied to the selection of other materials.

Materials contributed shall be integrated into the library media center collection at the discretion of the library media specialist.  Gifts of money will be used for the purchase of educational materials.  The library media specialist will select the specific items.  The Burrell School District shall accept monetary gifts and memorials with proper resolutions recognizing the donors for their generosity.  Every effort shall be made to place labels of recognition in these materials.

The library media center personnel may accept commercially sponsored materials, provided that they meet the same criteria as those applied to the selection of other materials.

X.  Procedure for Handling Challenged Materials

The Burrell School District recognizes the rights of individuals and groups within the community to challenge materials included in the library media collections.  In the interest of handling all complaints fairly and expeditiously, the following procedures will be used:

• Most difficulties can and should be resolved informally at the building level by the library media specialist and the principal.  The materials should be read/viewed/listened to by all parties.  Every effort should be made to resolve the matter amicably and expediently.

• If all parties cannot reach agreement, the complainant should be requested to complete the Reconsideration Form and to submit it to the building principal within ten school days.  Access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.

• Upon the receipt of the written complaint, the building principal shall inform the library media specialist, the superintendent, the coordinator of library media services, and appropriate members of the administrative staff.

• Within five school days of receipt of the formal complaint, an ad hoc committee will be appointed by the principal to evaluate the materials. 

Members of the committee should include:

a.   The building library media specialist

b.   The library science department head

c.   Two teachers from the building

d.   The appropriate curriculum coordinator

e.   Three community representatives

Prior to the first committee meeting, individual members shall read/view/listen to the challenged materials in their entirety and examine professional reviews of those materials.

The  committee should meet within ten school days of its appointment to reconsider the materials and, if possible, consult with the person or committee who made the original selection and clarify the procedures followed.

At a subsequent meeting, the complainant and other interested persons may be given the opportunity to share their views and explain the information included on the Reconsideration Form.  At this meeting, the committee shall make its decision based on simple majority in either open or closed session.

This decision shall be one of the following:

• The material is compatible with the philosophy and criteria of this policy and should not be restricted or removed.

• The material is not compatible with the philosophy and criteria of this policy and should be restricted or removed.

• The material should be limited to conditions specified by this committee.

The principal shall forward the committee’s decision to the superintendent and notify the complainant in writing.

If any person is not satisfied with this decision, that person may appeal the decision to the superintendent within ten working days.  The superintendent will render a decision within ten working days.

Material that has undergone a challenge may not be challenged again within three school years of the reconsideration committee.