Collection Development

Selection of Books and Materials:

--TPS has a Materials Selection Policy and a supporting Regulation which outline criteria for selecting materials for the library media centers:  TPS Board Policy 6110 and TPS Regulation 6110-01.

• From Regulation 6110-01:  "Instructional resources enrich and support the educational program and serve as valuable tools for achieving continuing objectives.  Instructional resources provided must include a wide range of topics on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and presenting different points of view." 

• This policy and regulation supports the tenants of the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement and  its Library Bill of Rights.  See also, this brochure from ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom.

--When selecting materials, consider the DIVERSITY of your student population.  Be inclusive.

• The Importance of Multicultural Literature

• Here is a link to a brief list of articles and resources available online recommending diverse children's books and/or providing rubrics for selection.  Information about the need for books from “diverse” points of view and books that reflect the diversity of readers. 

• Diverse Book Finder   --  Identify and Explore Multicultural Picture books:   https://diversebookfinder.org/first-time-here-welcome-to-diverse-bookfinder/

• We need diverse books:  https://diversebooks.org/resources/where-to-find-diverse-books/ 

• DIVERSE books Awards List & Anti-Racist Children's Literature Resources with links to the lists

• Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Sexism and Racism

• Books written in Spanish - from Lorito Books, Pinata Books, Latinxs in KidLit

--Use Follett's TitleWave for finding reviews and order information specific to our accounts.

• Topeka Public Schools has accounts set up for each school library media center.  Login information is available from Diane Leupold.  These accounts are set to reflect discounts and expenses when ordering for the TPS library media centers.  

• Information available includes partial reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, Horn Book, Kirkus, etc.  Publication data, grade levels, language can be used to narrow searches for specific topics and titles. 

--Use standard selection aids to find REVIEWS of books.  

• Don't rely on vendor and publisher catalogs as they are designed to sell the products they list.  Standard selection publications for school libraries include Booklist (and associated publications), School Library Journal, Horn Book, Kansas Reading Circle.

--Use respected websites and social media sites to find REVIEWS of books. 

• Click here for a beginning list of resources.

--Consider selecting from Award lists like the ALA Youth Media Awards, the William Allen White Master Lists, the Bill Martin Jr. Reading List.

--Use H.W. Wilson's online Core Collections to support "selection" decisions.

• Alternately to use Children's Core Collection (formerly the Wilson's Children's Catalog), Middle and Junior High School Core Collection, Senior High School Core Collection and the Graphic Novels Core Collection, Log into the TPS network as the "Cplus" user and click on the Wilson icon in the "Reference-Library" folder of the application launcher.:

Weeding/Discarding books and materials:

 --Weeding the collection is as important as selecting new books and materials.

• Use the same criterion for weeding as you do for selecting materials.  These criterion and how to do the physical discarding is outlined in this TPS Media Services Weeding Procedures document.

• Use this "classic" advice for weeding (deselecting) materials in your collection.  Weeding Guidelines by Subject Librarians’ guide to de-selecting titles from library collections. Adapted in great part from CREW: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew (Texas State Library and Archives Commission) Based on the CREW system (Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding). Additionally, other contributors include the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Compiled by Ed Sadowski, Reference and Instruction Librarian Arapahoe Community College Library, Littleton, Colorado.  Even though it is 10 years old the advice for specific sections of study are very helpful.

--Use H.W. Wilson's online Core Collections to support "weeding" decisions.

• Alternately to use Children's Core Collection (formerly the Wilson's Children's Catalog), Middle and Junior High School Core Collection, Senior High School Core Collection and the Graphic Novels Core Collection, Log into the TPS network as the "Cplus" user and click on the Wilson icon in the "Reference-Library" folder of the application launcher.

--Professional Rebinding of books is not recommended at this time as it has become too expensive.