This selection policy is provided by Becky Stephens of Hearn Elementary School in Frankfort, KY.
LIBRARY MEDIA
CENTER SELECTION POLICY
March
2002
The
objective of the Hearn Library Media Center is to instill in students a
life-long love of reading and to provide the knowledge, tools, and technology to
research for personal interests and educational needs encouraging students to
make research and reading a life-long skill.
The
library media specialist has primary responsibility for selecting materials with
input from administration, staff, and students. The Hearn Site-based Council has ultimate authority over
expenditures of all school funds and may review orders for materials at any
time.
Orders for materials will be placed as early in the school
year as possible to allow students maximum use of current year funds.
The
library media specialists’ primary objective in developing a selection policy
is to assist in the implementation, enrichment, and support of the educational
program of the school system by selecting and providing:
·
Educational materials that reflect today's society
·
Educational materials in all formats (printed, nonprint, electronic) on all
levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, which reflect a variety of
viewpoints
·
Educational materials that satisfy the curricular needs as well as the
individual recreational and research needs of the student, faculty and staff
GENERAL SELECTION CRITERIA
Media Center materials support the educational goals of the school district and the objectives of the board-approved curricular offerings.
Media Center materials are selected for a reason and purpose. The materials are evaluated as to their aesthetic, literary and social value, appropriateness to student age and emotional maturity and relevance to the curriculum.
Media
Center materials reflect sensitivity to the achievements, needs, and rights of
men and women, various ethnic groups, and other cultures.
The selection of media center materials about political theories and ideologies, religion, public issues and controversial topics is directed toward maintaining a balance representing various opinions.
Media
center materials are judged as a whole, considering the author's/producer's
intent rather than focusing solely upon individual works, phrases, pictures or
incidents taken out of context.
SPECIFIC SELECTION CRITERIA:
Materials are further selected with an eye toward:
AUTHORITY - refers to the
qualifications and credibility of the
persons
accountable for the creation of the
material.
SCOPE - refers to the overall purpose and coverage of the material.
FORMAT & TECHNICAL QUALITY -
refers to the physical character and
creation standards evident in the
work.
AUTHENTICITY - refers to the validity, reliability and completeness of
the material as well as the degree of bias or objectivity presented; accuracy
and timeliness are important considerations here, also.
TREATMENT & ARRANGEMENT -
refers to the clarity, logical
development and flow of the content.
AESTHETICS - refers to the material's appeal to the imagination, senses, and intellect so that the user's discernment and sense of artistic appreciation will be developed.
PRICE - refers to the value of
the contemplated selections relative to existing
budget limitations and other
priorities.
SUITABILITY - refers to the appropriateness of the material to the
prevailing maturity level of the students who will be utilizing the resource and
its application to the school district's educational objectives and curriculum.
SPECIAL FEATURES - refers to any
distinctive or unique characteristics of
one material that may be absent from
others on the same subject.
Library Media Specialists will consult respected review sources as guides such as:
Booklist, School Library Journal,
Library Talk
as well as professional development presentations,
bibliographies from curricular texts and professional education journals.
Recommendations from staff, parents, and students will be purchased if at
all possible if appropriate. All
Caldecott and Newbery Medal books will be purchased.
All gifts are appreciated and will be accepted if they meet
selection policy standards. Otherwise
they will be disposed of appropriately.
Worn or missing items are replaced periodically.
Materials that are out of date or no longer used are to be withdrawn from the collection.
Any resident, employee of the Franklin County school district, or parent/guardian of an enrolled child may formally or informally challenge instructional materials used in the school's educational program on the basis of appropriateness.
PROCEDURE
A. Informal Reconsideration
The school library media specialist shall explain to
the complainant the school's selection procedure, criteria, and
qualifications of those persons selecting the material(s).
The school library media specialist or the classroom teacher shall explain the particular place the questioned material occupies in the educational program, its intended educational usefulness, and additional information regarding its use.
B.
Formal Reconsideration
If
the complainant wishes to file a formal challenge, the complainant must
personally obtain a copy of the school’s "Request for Reconsideration
of Instructional Materials" which is kept on hand in the school library media center.
The form shall be fully completed, signed, and dated by the complainant and filed with the principal with a copy to the library media specialist.
The
material in question will not be
pulled from the instructional
program during
the reconsideration time.
C.
Guidelines for the Reconsideration
Committee
The library media specialist will alert the principal when a written complaint is submitted. A District Reconsideration Committee, appointed by the Elementary Supervisor, will include a school library media specialist, two classroom teachers, a parent, a district-level administrator, and a student (with signed parental permission). These participants will be neutral parties i.e. not from the school where the challenged material is in question.
At
the first organized meeting, the committee members will receive a copy of
the challenged material.
Within thirty working days of the initial meeting, the District Reconsideration Committee will convene and prepare a written recommendation to the Elementary Supervisor for the disposition of the complaint.
The Elementary Supervisor will notify the site-based school council, in writing, of the committee’s decision with a copy to the media specialist and the principal.
The
Site-based Council will vote to accept or reject the decision of the
District
Reconsideration Committee and will notify the complainant
in writing of the Council’s Decision.
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION
OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL
School_____________________________ Date ______________
Address______________________________ Phone______________
City_____________________________
State ______ Zip_________
I. OBJECT OF CHALLENGE
Title ______________________
Copyright/Issue Date_____________
Author/Performer(s) _________________________________________
Publisher/Producer __________________________________________
Print: __ Book
__ Textbook __ Magazine __ Newspaper __ Pamph. __
Play __Student Publn.
Nonprint: ___Artwork
___Film __Photo
___Sound Recording __ Video __CD-ROM
__LDisc
Or: __Collection
__Computer Software __Exhibit
__Performance __Speech
__ Other
II. INITIATOR OF
CHALLENGE
Request Initiated By:
Name____________________________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________________________
City
_________________________
State ________ Zip
_____________
Phone (
)__________________________________
Do you represent:
Yourself
__________________________________________________________
An Organization (Name, please)
_______________________________________
Other Group (Name, please)
__________________________________________
III.
COMPLAINT RESPONSE (Please comment on each question.)
1. Have you been able to discuss this work with the teacher or school library media specialist who ordered, used or assigned it? _____ Yes _____ No
Please explain:
2. How did you learn of this work?
3. What do you understand to be the general purpose for using this work?
4. Does the general purpose for the use of this work, as described by the teacher or school library media specialist, seem a suitable one to you? ___ Yes ____No
Please explain:
5. What do you consider to be the general purpose of the author/producer of this work?
6. To what do you object? Please be specific. Cite pages, illustrations, audiovisual section, etc.
7. Did you read/view the entire work? ____ Yes ____ No
Please explain:
8. In what way do you think a work of this nature is not suitable in a learning situation?
9. What do you feel might be the result of exposure to this work?
10. What did you find positive about this work?
11. Have you been able to determine the student's(s') responses to this work?
What responses did the student(s) make?
12. For which age group would you recommend this work?
13. Are you aware of the judgement of this work by reviewers or critics? __Yes __No
Please list the findings:
14. In its place, what work would you recommend that could convey as valuable a perspective of the subject?
15. Do you have other comments concerning this request?
_____________________________________
Signature of Complainant
______________________________
Date