2530 - PROCEDURES FOR SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Objectives of Selection

The primary objective of the school’s educational media center is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school. It is the duty of the center to provide a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and the presentation of different points of view.

To this end, the Board of Education of Southern Local reaffirms the objectives of the standards for school media programs, prepared jointly in 1969 by the American Association of School Librarians and the Department of Audiovisual Instructions, and asserts that the responsibility of the library media center is:

1. to provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the students 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 contributions to our American heritage;

6. to place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library media center.

Responsibility for Selection of Materials

The Southern Local Board of Education is legally responsible for all materials relating to the operation of Southern Local Schools.

The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained personnel employed by the school system.

Selection of materials involves many people: principals, teachers, supervisors, and media specialists. The responsibility for coordinating the selection of instructional materials and making the recommendation for purchase rests with the professionally trained media personnel.

Criteria for Selection of Instructional Materials

Needs of the individual school based on knowledge of the curriculum and of the existing collection are given first consideration. Materials for purchase are considered on the basis of:

1. overall purpose

2. timeliness or permanence

3. importance of the subject matter

4. quality of the writing/production

5. readability and popular appeal

6. authoritativeness

7. reputation of the publisher/producer

8. reputation and significance of the author/artist/composer/producer, etc.

9. format and price

Request from faculty are given consideration.

Procedures for Selection

In selecting materials for purchase, the media specialist evaluates the existing collection and consults:

1. reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids;

2. specialist from all departments and/or all grade levels;

3. the media committee appointed by the principal to serve in an advisory capacity in the selection of materials.

In specific areas the media specialist follows these procedures:

1. Gift materials are judged by basic selection standards and are accepted or rejected by these standards.

2. Multiple items of outstanding and much in demand media are purchased as needed.

3. Sets of materials and materials acquired by subscription are examined carefully and are purchased only to fill a definite need.

4. Salesmen must have permission from the principals office before going into any of the schools.

Weeding the Collection

The collection should be evaluated on an ongoing basis, a section at a time, for accuracy and timeliness. Books which are out of date should be removed when replacements are available. Books too badly worn to be rebound or mended should be removed. These books can be offered for sale, given away, or discarded.

Challenged Materials

Occasional objections to a selection will be made by the public, despite the care taken to select valuable materials for student and teacher use and the qualifications of persons who select the materials.

The principles of the freedom to read and of the professional responsibility of the staff must be defended, rather than the materials.

A file is kept on materials likely to be questioned or considered controversial.

If a complaint is made, the procedures are as follows:

1. Be courteous, but make no commitments.

2. Invite the complainant to file his/her objections in writing and offer to send him/her a prepared questionnaire such as the one prepared by the National Council of Teachers of English, so that s/he may submit a formal complaint to the media committee.

3. Temporarily withdraw the material pending a decision of the media committee.

4. Inform the Superintendent and the media supervisor.

5. The media committee will:

   1. read and examine materials referred to it;

   2. check general acceptance of the materials by reading reviews;

   3. weigh values and faults against each other and form opinions based on the material as a whole and not on passages pulled out of context;

   4. meet to discuss the materials and prepare a report on it;

   5. file a copy of the report in the school and administrative offices.