NEPN/NSBA Code:  IJL

LIBRARY MATERIAL SELECTION AND ADOPTION 

Purpose 

The Lewiston school libraries have two major purposes: 1) to support and enrich  the curriculum, and 2) to provide materials for personal interests and recreational  reading. It is the policy of Lewiston Public Schools to provide a wide range of  instructional materials in its libraries on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of  appeal, and the presentation of different points of view. 

Furthermore, the School Department endorses the American Library Association “Library Bill of Rights” and the American Association of School  Librarians/American Library Association “Access to Resources and  Services in the School Library; An Interpretation of the Library Bill of  Rights”. All library materials – print, non-print, and electronic – will be  selected in accordance with the philosophies of these two documents. 

Definitions 

1.   For the purposes of this policy, a school library is  defined as an area or areas in the school where a full  range of information sources, associated equipment and services from library staff are accessible to students and  school personnel. It shall also include resources  made  available to the school community –on and off-site – through the school library’s Consortium  

2.  Selection is defined as the decision which must be made to  add materials in any format – print, non-print and electronic  – to the library collection. 

3.  Library materials are defined as print, non-print, and  electronic materials purchased by or housed in the school  libraries, or available through the library’s Consortium.  

Responsibility for Selection of Library Materials 

Although the Lewiston School Committee is legally responsible for all  matters relating to the operation of the school system, it delegates the  responsibility for selection of library materials to the certified library  personnel employed by the school system. For the purpose of this rule, the  term “librarians” will be used to indicate Maine Department of Education  certified library personnel among the library staff.  

Selection of materials for the school libraries involves many people:  building administrators, teachers, content leaders, staff, students, and  community members. The responsibility for the coordination of the  selection of library materials and the recommendations to purchase  rests with the professionally trained, certified library personnel.

The School Committee recognizes that the final authority as to what  materials an individual student will be exposed rests with that student’s  parents or guardians. It will allow the review of allegedly inappropriate  library materials through its established procedures. However, at no time  will the wishes of one child’s parents/guardians to restrict his/her reading  or viewing of a particular item infringe on other parents’/guardian’s rights  to permit their children to read or view the same material. 

Criteria for Selection 

Selection of library materials will address one or both of the two purposes  for the school libraries stated above: to supplement and enrich the  curriculum of the school and to provide material for personal interests and  recreational reading. 

Materials for purchase are considered on the following basis: overall  purpose; consistency with the objectives of specific courses; timeliness or  permanence; ability to represent differing viewpoints on controversial  subjects; importance and relevance of the subject matter; ability to  stimulate creativity; aesthetic, literary, or social value; quality of the  writing/production; readability and popular appeal; authoritativeness  through the display of adequate documentation; reputation of the  publisher/producer; reputation and significance of the  

author/artist/composer/producer; and the price. 

Gift materials are judged by the same standards and are accepted or  rejected by those standards. Multiple copies of outstanding and much-in demand materials are purchased as needed. 

Selection is an ongoing process which includes the removal of materials  no longer accurate and which provides for thereplacement of lost and  worn materials still of educational value. Criteria for the removal of  materials may include:materials having inaccurate or outdated  information; materials depicting negative role stereotypes; materials no  longer supportive of the curriculum or current recreational reading;  materials not circulated for a number of years; or materials in poor  physical condition. After the weeding process is over, all withdrawn  materials will be considered essentially valueless and will be removed  from the collection. 

Although the School Committee recognizes that any item may offend  some individuals, selection of materials on controversial topics will be  made on the merits of the materials and their value to the collection and to  the library users rather than on the basis of any anticipated approval or  disapproval. 

Procedures for Selection 

In selecting the materials for purchase, the professional library personnel  evaluate the existing collection, assess recreational needs, consult reputable  professionally-prepared selection aids; and seek recommendations from content  areas, grade level teachers, and students.  

Whenever possible, purchase of non-print materials shall be done after  personal evaluation by the librarian. Reviewing aids may be used in lieu  of personal evaluation. 

Cross Reference: American Library Association “Library Bill of Rights”,  January 29, 2019. 

American Association of School Librarians/American Library  Association “Access To Resources and Services in the School  Library”, July 1, 2014 

IJNC-E1 – Library Bill of Rights 

IJNC-E2 – Access To Resources and Services in the School Library Adopted: June 7, 2000 

Reviewed: September 10, 2012 

Revised: November 13, 2017 

Revised: December 13, 2021