9130.01 - LIBRARY SELECTION/DESELECTION

The following objectives are considered in the selection of library materials. The library attempts to:

1. Participate effectively in the school program as it strives to meet the needs of students and teachers.

2. Provide students with the library materials and services most appropriate and meaningful for their growth and development as individuals.

3. Stimulate and guide pupils in all phases of their reading so that they may find increasing enjoyment and satisfaction, and may grow in critical judgment and appreciation.

4. Provide an opportunity through library experiences for students to develop useful interests, to make satisfactory personal adjustments, and to acquire desirable social attitudes.

5. Help students become skillful and discriminating users of libraries and of printed and non-printed materials.

6. Work with teachers in the selection and use of all types of library materials which contribute to the teaching program.

7. Assist the administrative and teaching staff in planning and developing curriculum for the school.

The library should provide a wide variety of books, pamphlets, periodicals, discs, tapes, slides, pictures, filmstrips, and realia adapted to the interests and needs of pupils for reference use, for use in connection with classroom work and for personal enjoyment and recreational use. In selecting library materials, the certified library/media personnel will consult faculty members and professional selection aids. The criteria for selecting materials are enumerated below:

1. Is the book, pamphlet, filmstrip, recording, etc., needed by the school?

2. Is it the best of its kind available for its intended use?

3. Does it meet the specific needs of our students and our curriculum?

4. Are its format and contents suitable for the grade in which it will be used?

5. Does it have literary merit and artistic integrity? In the case of non-fiction, is the information current and valid?

6. Will it appeal to the youth for whom it is intended?

7. Does it appear in one (1) or more selection tools or reviewing media?

Gifts of books or other materials must meet the selection criteria before they will be considered for the library collection.

Occasional objections to library materials will be made despite the quality of the selection process. When materials are questioned, the principles of intellectual freedom and the right of access to materials as expressed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as well as the integrity of the certified library/media personnel, must be defended.

Subjects which come under frequent attack are sex, profanity, religion, ideology, and science. The policy regarding materials on these subjects is set out below:

1. Sex and profanity: Books or materials of an obscene nature are not selected for inclusion in the library. Materials presenting accents on sex should be subjected to a stern test of literary merit. The sensational or over-dramatic should not be included, but the fact of sexual incidents or the appearance of profanity should not automatically disqualify the material. Factual material of an educational nature on the level of the reader should be available in the school media collection.

2. Religion: Materials representative of the many religious groups, their beliefs, and their contributions to our American heritage should be provided.

3. Ideologies: Teachers and school media personnel should select reading material which is carefully balanced to include various points of view on any controversial subject.

4. Science: Medical and scientific knowledge should be made available without any biased selection of facts.

The following procedures will be implemented for handling library materials which are questioned by individuals or groups within the community.

1. Complaints will be referred to the principal, who will inform him/her of the selection/deselection procedure.

2. Request that the complainant complete one (1) copy of the "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials" form.

3. Forward photocopies to the Superintendent and to the appropriate building principal and librarian.

4. Keep challenged materials on the shelf during the reconsideration process.

5. Upon receipt of the completed form, the principal requests review of the challenged material by an ad hoc committee within fifteen (15) working days, and notifies the Superintendent that such a review is being done. The review committee is appointed by the principal and shall include a media professional, teachers, and at least one (1) student and one (1) parent.

6. After receiving the challenged materials the review committee takes the following steps:

   1. reads, views, or listens to the material in its entirety;

   2. checks general acceptance of the material by reading reviews and consulting recommended lists;

   3. determines the extent to which the material supports the curriculum and/or supports the stated objectives of the library;

   4. completes the appropriate "Checklist for Ad Hoc Review Committee’s Reconsideration of Material."

7. Present written recommendation of the review committee to the Superintendent.

8. Retain or withdraw the challenged materials as determined by the Committee in consultation with the Superintendent.

9. Complainants who wish to appeal the Committee’s ruling will direct a written request to the Superintendent for a hearing with the School Board. The Superintendent will notify the complainant of the time and place of the hearing.