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LIBRARY MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY
Library materials shall include all items, both print and non-print, of an instructional or recreational nature purchased for the libraries of the District.
The Board recognizes that it is the primary objective of the library media centers in our schools to implement, enrich, and support the educational programs of the schools. It is the duty of the library media centers to provide a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal and the presentation of different points of view. Such materials shall be selected on the basis of educational suitability, appropriateness to age and grade level, relevance, and good taste.
To this end, the Board asserts that the responsibility of the School library media centers, subject to the criteria set forth in the preceding paragraph, and taking into consideration the needs of the individual school library, based upon knowledge of the curriculum and existing collection, is:
1. To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the student served.
2. To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.
3. To provide a background of information, which will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily life.
4. To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis of all media.
5. To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contribution to our American heritage.
6. To place principle above personal opinion, and reason above prejudice, in selection of materials of the highest quality, in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library media centers.
In addition, the Board recognizes that the final decision, as to what library media-center materials an individual student will be exposed, rests with that student’s parents or guardians. However, at no time will the wishes of one child’s parents, to restrict their child’s reading or viewing of a particular item, infringe on another parent’s rights to permit his/her child to read or view the same material. Library media-center materials, assigned to students by teaching staff for reading or review, are curriculum, and are not affected by this policy.
The Board is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the school system. The responsibility for the selection of materials for the library media centers is delegated by the Board to the library media personnel employed by the District.
Selection of materials for the library media centers may involve many people: Principals, teachers, department heads, students, and community members. The responsibility for the coordination of the selection of library materials and the purchase of such materials rest with the library media personnel.
Materials proposed for use in the library media centers may be reviewed and decided upon by the Board, upon request of the library media personnel. The Board, on its own and without formal request, may review materials proposed for use in the library media centers.
In selecting the materials for purchase, the library media-center personnel evaluates the existing collection, consulting reputable, unbiased, professionally-prepared selection aids and/or all grade levels.
Materials for purchase, subject to the guidelines of objectives of selection above, are considered on the following basis: overall purpose, timeliness or permanence, importance of the subject matter, quality of the writing/production, readability and popular appeal, authoritativeness, reputation of the publisher/producer, reputation and significance of the author/artist/composer/producer, etc., and format and price.
Gift materials are judged by the same standards, and are accepted or rejected by those standards. Multiple copies of outstanding or much-in-demand materials are purchased as needed. Worn or missing standard items are replaced periodically. Out-of-date or no-longer-useful materials are withdrawn from the collection.
Whenever possible, purchase of non-print materials shall be done only after personal evaluation by the librarian/media specialist or other professional staff. Reviewing-aids may be used in lieu of personal evaluation. Books and other print items should be purchased only if favorably reviewed in two or more of the selection aids or if they have been personally reviewed.
Approved: 11/22/82
Reviewed: 12/8/97