Monarch PK-8 Library - Library Resources Selection and Use

Library Resources Selection and Use

As the governing body of the Boulder Valley School District, the Board of Education is legally responsible for the selection of all Instructional Materials. Since the Board is a policymaking body, it delegates to professional personnel of the School District the authority for the selection of Instructional materials and library resources in accordance with this policy. When educators use their professional discretion and base decisions on the criteria in this policy. BVSD educators can be confident that they will be supported by the Board.

Funds to purchase adopted instructional materials and library resources shall be made available on an equitable basis to all schools in the District based on pupil counts and other relevant factors.

All instructional materials and library resources shall be reasonably available for inspection by Boulder Valley School District community members, including students, parents/guardians of current students, and residents of the School District.

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Purpose and Criteria :

Library resources means material, both print and non-print, found in a public school library that supports curricular or personal information needs. Print items include books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, microfiche, or microfilm. Non-print items include e-books, streaming resources, films, disc records, filmstrips, slides, prints, audiotapes, videotapes, compact discs, computer software, library programs, and exhibits. Library resources do not include materials in an individual classroom library.

The Board delegates to School District and school staff and teacher librarians the authority to select (and deselect) materials for the School District’s library resource collections in accordance with professional practice and considering as general criteria for selection (and deselection) that library resources:

…will provide equitable access to current and relevant library resources to nurture information-fluent students and community members who read for learning and pleasure.
…will feature a range of books and other library resources for the interest, education, and enlightenment of all students.
…will provide staff and students with materials that enrich and support the curriculum and meet the needs of the learning community.
…will enable students to study issues that have political, economic, or social significance, and that allow for critical analysis of issues.
…will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, and aesthetic values.
…will present a wide variety of perspectives and experiences to engender empathy and understanding, including for populations addressed in Board Policy AC and state and federal law.
…will provide students with a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, in various languages, and as appropriate to the maturity and ability levels of the student population.
…will include up-to-date, high quality, varied literature to develop and strengthen a love of reading.
…will exemplify a range of genres and literary styles.
…reflect desirable attributes of literary value, formatting and text layout, accuracy, authoritativeness, and aesthetic characteristics.

The selection of resources for the school library collection is a process that includes review of state academic standards, School District curriculum, student needs, ongoing review of the many resources available in the marketplace, and periodic assessment of the changing nature of print and digital resources. Recommendations from students, staff, curriculum content teams, and community members shall be sought and considered.

Tools used to select school library materials will include

a. professional journal reviews;
b. award lists;
c. recommendations from teacher librarians and district personnel;
d. recommendations from students, staff and community members; and,
e. school library collection analysis.

Library resource displays shall reflect the criteria in this Policy.

Materials donated or gifted to a school library shall be accepted or rejected in accordance with this Policy and the ALA/AASL national standards.

LEGAL REFERENCES

CROSS REFERENCES

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