Media Center Policies

• Speak respectfully and use appropriate language

• Control the volume of your voice and the volume on your phone

• Sign out on Securly if you need to leave study hall

• Clean up messes and throw away garbage

• Keep furniture where it belongs and do not alter library/art displays

• Lunch in the media center is for seniors only and only in the senior lounge area

• The tea/hot chocolate area is for study hall students only

• If you are not in study hall or accompanied by a teacher, you will be asked to leave the media center

As a collaborative instructional partner and a hub of learning and inquiry, the Wheeler Middle High School Media Center (“the Library”) aims to be more than a space that simply houses books. In curating the library collection, which includes books in both print and digital formats, periodicals, online research databases, and makerspace materials and technology, the Library is guided by three core principles:

Instructional Support: All materials provided by the Library are continually evaluated on their ability to align with Wheeler’s academic expectations: analysis, collaboration, communication, and literacy. As curricular needs change, materials will be added and/or removed from the collection in order to better support classroom instruction and facilitate student learning.

Creative Exploration: The Library provides free and unfettered access to a variety of materials, tools, and resources that encourage creative inquiry, collaborative problem solving, and free play. The library staff is committed to staying informed about creative and technological trends, weighing student benefit against sustainability and budgetary limitations in order to make informed decisions about incorporating new materials and resources.

Equity: Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 10-15 c, the Library is committed to providing equitable access to library materials for all students, regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. Given the wide range of ages, reading levels, backgrounds, and personal interests across the WMHS student population, the library collection is thoughtfully curated so as to provide ample opportunities for all students to access, understand, and enjoy its materials.

How many books can I borrow at a time?

• As many physical books as you'd like!

• 1 Kindle e-reader

What are the borrowing periods for books and other materials?

• Books: 3 weeks (renewable twice)

• Kindle e-readers: 2 weeks (renewable twice)

Items are renewable up to two times if there are no holds placed for another student.

How do I request a renewal on items I have borrowed?

Ask Mrs. Mowry and she'll renew it for you.

What are the overdue charges on materials?

There are no fines for overdue materials, however if books are not returned by the end of the school year, you will be charged a fee to replace it.

What if our library doesn't have the book I want?

We can probably get it through Wheeler Library's interlibrary loan program. You can browse their collection here. Mrs. Mowry can help you order it from Wheeler.

In order to curate and maintain a relevant, engaging, and high-quality collection, the Library utilizes the following criteria when considering materials for acquisition:

General Selection Criteria 

• Appropriateness of subject and style for intended audience 

• Relevance to assessed school community needs 

• Importance as a document of the times 

• Relation to existing collection and other material held on the subject

• Potential user appeal and/or continued demand of material

• Prominence/credibility of author/publisher

• Favorable assessments by reputable critics, reviewers, or professionally recognized publications; reviews from trusted sources and diverse publishers and formats

• Suitability of physical form, content, and style for Library use 

• Cost and availability of materials

• Alignment with library’s mission

Fiction Selection Criteria

The Wheeler Middle High School Library collection provides classic, critically acclaimed, current, and popular works of fiction in print and digital formats according to the following criteria:

• Accurate representation of peoples, cultures, trends, and movements 

• Vitality and originality

• Artistic style and presentation

• Anticipated potential for long-term student interest

• Effective characterization 

• Authenticity of historical or social setting

Non-fiction Selection Criteria

The Library’s non-fiction collection includes material on topics of interest or concern to the Wheeler Middle High School community, including those that overlap with Wheeler’s curriculum and those that do not. The Library attempts to collect materials representing all significant points of view on current and historical questions and controversies, including legal, constitutional, political, economic, medical, ethical, religious, social, and other issues. Inclusion of material representing a certain belief, opinion, or viewpoint in the Library’s collection does not constitute endorsement by the Library.

• Authority 

• Comprehensiveness and depth of treatment 

• Objectivity 

• Clarity, accuracy, and logic of presentation 

• Currency and historical significance

• Representation of various, including underrepresented and marginalized, groups and challenging points of view

• Value as resource material

• Local origination or particular relevance to North Stonington and/or the region

Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 10-15 c, the Library is committed to providing equitable access to library materials for all students, regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

Selection of materials is based on the professional knowledge and judgment of Library staff who have been trained in the art curating a library collection that is not only diverse, engaging, relevant, but also fosters the intellectual and personal growth of its patrons. Suggestions from students and staff are always welcome and are given serious consideration.

As directed by the Board of Education and the Superintendent, the school library media specialist will review library materials on an ongoing basis using professionally accepted standards, taking into account the material’s relevance and physical condition, the availability of newer, more accurate, or more developmentally appropriate replacement materials, as well as the demand from students and staff for the material in question.

Any librarian or staff member of a public library who, in good faith, implements the policies described in this policy shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding that results from such implementation.

The North Stonington Board of Education understands that, on occasion, a member of the public will wish to lodge a complaint against materials available in the school library/media center. Consideration of requests to reconsider and remove material, displays, or student programs is limited to individuals with a vested interest.  An individual with vested interest may challenge any library and other educational materials, display or student program by initiating a review of such material via the submission of a request for reconsideration form.

It shall be the policy of the North Stonington Board of Education that the removal, exclusion or censoring of any book shall not occur on the sole basis that a person with a vested interest finds such book offensive. No library and other educational material, display, or program shall be removed from library media centers, or programs be canceled, because of the origin, background, or viewpoints expressed in such material, display, or program, or because of the origin, background, or viewpoints of the creator of such material, display, or program. Library and other educational materials, displays, and student programs shall only be excluded for legitimate pedagogical purposes or for professionally accepted standards of collection maintenance practices as adopted in the collection development and maintenance policy or the display and program policy. 

Until a final decision is made by the review committee, any library and other educational material being challenged shall remain available in the school library media center according to such material's catalog record and be available for a student to reserve, check out, or access. 

A school district may consolidate any requests for review and reconsideration of the same challenged library and other educational material. Once a decision has been made by the review committee on any library and other educational material, such material cannot be subject to a new request for review and reconsideration for a period of three years. 

Through this policy, the Board of Education ensures that all library materials shall be evaluated and made accessible in accordance with the protections against discrimination set forth in sec10-15c of the general statutes, including, but not limited to, discrimination based on race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. The Board shall review and update this policy as necessary every five years.

Definitions

"Library and other educational material" means any material belonging to, on loan to or otherwise in the custody of a school library media center, including, but not limited to, nonfiction and fiction books, magazines, reference books, supplementary titles, multimedia and digital material, software and other material not required as part of classroom instruction.  

"School library staff member" means a school library media specialist, school librarian, any certified or non-certificated staff member whose assignment is in the school library or any individual carrying out or assisting with the functions of a school library media specialist or school librarian. 

"Individual with a vested interest" means any school staff member employed by a local or regional board of education, parent or guardian of a student currently enrolled in a school at the time a reconsideration form is filed, or any student currently enrolled in a school at the time a reconsideration form is filed.

"Remove" means deliberately taking library material out of a library's collection. "Remove" does not include the process of clearing such collection of any materials that are no longer useful.

Material Review and Reconsideration Procedure

The Board of Education has established the following procedure for addressing complaints regarding the utilization of library and other educational materials:

1. Individuals with a vested interest may initiate the review or reconsideration of any library and other educational materials, display, or student program by submitting a request for recommendation form to the principal of the school in which the library and other education materials are being challenged. 

2. The Principal, or the Principal's designee, shall promptly forward the request for reconsideration to the Superintendent of Schools for the school district. 

3. The Superintendent, or the Superintendent's designee, shall appoint a review committee consisting of:  

a.  The Superintendent, or the Superintendent's designee;

b.  the Principal of the school in which the library and other educational material is being challenged, or the Principal's designee; 

c.  the Director of curriculum, or a person in an equivalent position; 

d.  a representative from the local or regional board of education; 

e.  at least one grade-level-appropriate teacher familiar with the library material provided, the teacher selected is not the individual who submitted the form; 

f.  a parent or guardian of a student age thirteen years or younger enrolled in the school district, provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the form; 

g.  a parent or guardian of a student aged fourteen years or older enrolled in the school district, provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the form; 

h.  a certified school librarian employed by such board or employed by another board of education in the state. 

4. In cases where such form is submitted by a student enrolled in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, and when appropriate and at the discretion of the superintendent, a student enrolled in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, may serve on the review committee if such student did not submit the reconsideration form, provided the superintendent consults with the principal of the school involved in such reconsideration request prior to making this determination whether to include such student on the review committee.

5. The review committee shall evaluate the request for reconsideration form by reading the challenged material in its entirety and evaluating the challenged material against the school district's Collection Development and Maintenance Policy.

6. The review committee shall make a written decision on whether to remove the challenged material within sixty school days from the date of receiving such request and provide a copy of the committee's decision and report to the individual with a vested interest who submitted the form and to the principal of the school.

7. The individual with a vested interest who submitted the request for reconsideration form may appeal to the review committee's decision to the local or regional board of education for the school district. The Board shall determine whether the reconsideration process was followed and publish the decision on the school district's website.

General Provisions

Any school library media specialist or school library staff member who, in good faith, implements the policies described in this section shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding that results from such implementation.

Legal Reference:  Public Act 25-168 An Act Concerning the State Budget for the Biennium Ending June 30, 2027, and Making Appropriations Therefore, and Provisions Related to Revenue and Other Items Implementing the State Budget 

Connecticut General Statutes

Section 10-15c Discrimination in public schools prohibited

Policy adopted:  September 10, 2025

Donations of books or other materials are welcomed by the Library but will be evaluated based on the same criteria used with purchased materials, as outlined in the Collection Development Policy. Materials that meet these standards will be processed into the collection and will become the property of Wheeler Middle High School Media Center. Those materials that do not meet these standards may be gifted to other libraries or otherwise donated.

The Library recognizes that not all patrons will agree on the appropriateness of all materials within the collection. In making materials selections, the Library does not take into consideration possible public approval or disapproval but rather evaluates the materials in the collection based on how closely they align with school and media center values and objectives. In accordance with S.B. 1271, the Connecticut Freedom to Read Act, no book will be removed, excluded, or censored in any way based solely on an individual’s disapproval of its contents. Even in the event that an author or publisher decides to withdraw a title from the marketplace, the Library is not obligated to remove it from the collection. 

The Library is a neutral institution that does not approve or disapprove of the viewpoints expressed within the titles held in its collection. The decision to remove a title from the library lies with the library media specialist and the building principal or principal’s designee. If necessary, the Superintendent and members of the Board of Education may be consulted.

Weeding is the process of removing materials from the library collection in order to maintain the health of the collection and keep it in compliance with its stated goals. The media center staff does this on a continual basis, evaluating the materials in its collection using the MUSTIE method:

M  Misleading: Is this content misleading or inaccurate?

U  Ugly: What is the physical condition of the item? Is it scratched, ripped, stained, or has a broken spine? Can it be repaired or is the damage too extensive?

S  Superseded: Has the content of this title been superseded by a newer edition or new scientific discoveries?

T  Trivial: Is the content of this item trivial or useless?

I   Irrelevant: Is this item relevant for the Wheeler Middle High School community’s needs?

E  Exists elsewhere: Is this item or its contents easily available from other sources? 

Library staff also rely heavily on usage statistics to determine how often the material in question is circulated. A title is not automatically weeded if it’s rarely circulated, however; usage is just one of many factors considered. In the case of digital resources, usage statistics as well as feedback from teachers, students, and administrators will be weighed against the subscription cost of the resource when deciding whether or not to renew. Any physical books that are weeded from the collection will be donated, sold, recycled, or discarded, depending on the book’s contents and condition. This process is undertaken by the library media specialist and overseen by the building principal.