Mission of the Library Media Center
The mission of the Library Media Center is to make available to faculty and students a collection of materials that enrich and support the curriculum and meet the needs of the students and faculty served. In concordance with the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights, materials selected will support the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction.
Instruction
National School Library standards as set forth by the American Association of School Librarians shall be the basis for all library instruction within the West Warwick School Department.
Criteria for Selection of Materials
Selection criteria will be based upon the School Library General Criteria set forth by the American Library Association.
Support and enrich the curriculum and/or students’ personal interests and learning
Meet high standards in literary, artistic, and aesthetic quality; technical aspects; and physical format
Be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles, and social, emotional, and intellectual development of the students for whom the materials are selected
Incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources
Earn favorable reviews in standard reviewing sources and/or favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel
Exhibit a high degree of potential user appeal and interest
Represent differing viewpoints on controversial issues
Provide a global perspective and promote diversity by including materials by authors and illustrators of all cultures
Include a variety of resources in physical and virtual formats including print and non-print such as electronic and multimedia (including subscription databases and other online products, e-books, educational games, and other forms of emerging technologies)
Demonstrate physical format, appearance, and durability suitable to their intended use
Balance cost with need
Selection Policy
While the West Warwick School Committee is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the West Warwick Schools, the responsibility for the selection of library materials is delegated to the certified school library media specialists, whose training qualifies them to perform this function.
Reconsideration Policy
The WWPS Reconsideration Policy is based on American Library Association’s recommended guidelines in the event of a complaint about a library resource.
The School Library Media Specialist will provide a copy of the library’s collection development policy and reconsideration form.
The SLMS and the building principal of the challenged material, and the Media Services Coordinator, will read the full text of the challenged material, as well as available reviews.
The committee will review library policies and professional guides. They will also consult standard evaluation aids and selection policies.
Challenged materials will not be removed from the collection while under reconsideration.
Passages or parts should not be pulled out of context. The values and faults should be weighed against each other and the opinions based on the materials as a whole.
Complainants will be notified in writing whether the material will be removed.
References:
"Challenge Support", American Library Association, December 8, 2016. http://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport
Adoption Date:
5/14/2019