Adopted 4-28-2010
606 TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE
MATERIALS SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS
I. PHILOSOPHY
A. The Library Media Center is an integral part of the curriculum, paralleling it at all points in all departments. The center exists primarily for educational purposes. It offers enrichment for the students and resource material for the faculty. Its materials are selected from all forms of media available for interest, vocabulary, maturity, and ability levels of all students within the school served.
B. The Library Media Center provides additional materials to attract students to reading, viewing and listening as sources of pleasure and recreation over and above needed subject content.
The mission of the Hiawatha Valley Education District Media/Technology Program is to ensure that students acquire the skills to effectively and efficiency find, use, evaluate, and communicate information, and to become lifelong readers and learners.
II. GENERAL POLICY
A. For the purpose of clarification the following vocabulary may be used interchangeably:
Media Center, Media Resource Center and Library.
B. Although application of this procedure refers primarily to material/media/resources in the
Library Media Center, the procedure may be applied to a review request for web based and other electronic resources and to any materials used in a classroom.
C. The legal responsibility for materials in the Library Media Center rests with the education district governing board. Responsibility for the final selection shall be delegated to personnel who know the course of study, the methods of teaching, and the individual differences of the pupils in the schools for which the materials are provided, such selecting to be in accordance with the statement of specific policy given below.
D. The selection of school resource materials shall be in accordance with the following:
To enrich the curriculum.
To further the development of youth intellectually, emotionally, and culturally.
E. The education district board subscribes in principle to the statements of policy on library philosophy as expressed in the American Association of School Librarians' School Library
Bill of Rights, a copy of which is appended to and made a part of this policy.
606-1

Adopted 4-28-2010
III. SELECTION
A. Instructional materials selection shall be a cooperative, continuing process in which administrators, teachers, Library Media Center, Media Center personnel, and students should participate. The basic factors influencing selection shall be the curriculum interests, abilities, the backgrounds of the students and personnel using the center and the quality and accuracy of available materials.
B. The following evaluative criteria are used as they apply:
1. The materials meet high standards of quality in factual content and presentation and are appropriate to the ability and needs of the pupils in the various subject areas.
2. The materials are selected because of the content and the value of the work as a whole.
3.
4.
The materials contribute to literary appreciation or have aesthetic value.
The authors are competent and qualified in the field.
5.
6.
The materials are objectively and impartially selected to provide a balanced collection for the library.
The materials present information for which the student is socially and emotionally prepared.
C. Materials should appear in one or more of the recognized professional media or approved lists (such as professional media selection aids, basic general lists, current general lists, special bibliographies for reference materials and for subject fields, and media reviewing journals). No one publication need determine selection. Refer to Appendix A, Resource
Selection Tools, Resources and Procedures
Additional suggestions for media may come from the exchange of materials with other resource centers, visits to media exhibits and displays, publishers' samples, texts and courses of study approved for use within the district, teachers, students, educational organizations, and individuals of the community. These must be evaluated with special care according to the criteria set forth in Section B above. When possible, non-print and electronic materials should be previewed before purchase.
D. The Library Media Center welcomes donations provided:
1. They meet the same standards of selection as those applied to original purchases.
2. They can be integrated into the collection and not need special storage or equipment.
606-2

Adopted 4-28-2010
2.
3.
E. The Library Media Center welcomes commercially sponsored materials provided:
They meet the same standards of selection as those applied to original purchases.
3.
1.
The media staff may dispose of the gift at its discretion if it is out-of-date or in poor physical condition, not warranting the cost of repair.
They are of real value to the instructional program of the school with a purpose to educate rather than just promote sales.
2. They are free from advertising which is excessive, obtrusive, or objectionable.
IV. PROCEDURE FOR HANDLING OBJECTIONS
The review of questioned materials will be treated objectively and as an important routine action.
Every effort will be made to consider objections, keeping in mind the best interests of the students, the school, the curriculum, and the community. Since differences of opinion do exist in our society, the following procedure shall be observed to recognize those differences in an impartial and factual manner.
1. All criticism shall be presented in writing to the principal who will forward a copy to the
Library Media Center Specialist. The CITIZEN'S REQUEST FOR RE-EVALUATION
OF LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER MATERIALS form (approved by the American
Library Association) shall be used. It should be filled out as completely as possible and shall be signed and identified so that a proper reply can be made.
The material in question will be kept in the collection until it is read or reviewed and discussed by a reconsideration committee, which will be convened by the principal and the media specialist within 15 days of the receipt of the request. Committee make-up would include a member of the subject specialist faculty of the area so questioned, a member of the administrative staff, a community member of the District Wide Curriculum Advisory
Committee, the media specialist, a student, and a member of the Board of Education.
The committee will review the questioned material and all critical evaluations available.
General acceptance of the material shall be checked by consulting authoritative lists in light of the selection policies of the school district. A thorough review of questioned materials shall be treated objectively: (example: passages shall not be taken out of context and the material shall be evaluated as an entity).
4.
5.
6.
The final decision of the committee shall be implemented by the principal and the Library
Media Center specialist within 30 days of the receipt of the request.
The complainant shall be sent a written copy of the evaluating report and decision.
An appeal of the committee’s recommendation may be made in writing to the executive director within ten days of the receipt of the recommendation.
606-3

Adopted 4-28-2010
7. The executive director may consider the appeal of the recommendation and render a decision within ten days of the receipt of the appeal.
8. An appeal of the decision of the superintendent may be made to the education district board as a whole within ten days of the receipt of the decision of the executive director.
9. The education district board will render its decision within 30 days of the receipt of the appeal. The decision of the education district board is final.
V. DISCARDING OF MATERIALS
Because judicious discarding is as important as media selection in collection development and assuring accuracy of information, continuous and systematic weeding of obsolete materials by media personnel (subject area teachers may be consulted) will be done according to these considerations:
1. Media that is outdated shall be weeded.
2. Media that is in poor physical appearance shall be weeded.
3. Media with poor content and format shall be weeded.
4. No longer meets curriculum needs. Weeded materials are discarded Exceptions: Materials about local history and interest are generally not discarded.
606-4

Adopted 4-28-2010
6.
4.
5.
3.
1.
2.
LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS
The Council of the American Library Association reaffirms its belief in the following basic policies which should govern the services of all libraries.
As a responsibility of library service, books, and other library materials selected should be chosen for values of interest, information and enlightenment of all the people of the community. In no case should library materials be excluded because of the race or nationality or the social, political, or religious views of the authors.
Libraries should provide books and other materials presenting all points of view concerning the problems and issues of our times; no library materials should be proscribed or removed from libraries because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Censorship should be challenged by libraries in the maintenance of their responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
The rights of an individual to the use of a library should not be denied or abridged because of his age, race, religion, national origins or social or political views.
As an institution of education for democratic living, the library should welcome the use of its meeting rooms for socially useful and cultural activities and discussion of current public questions. Such meeting places should be available on equal terms to all groups in the community regardless of the beliefs and affiliations of their members, provided that the meetings be open to the public and follow the facility use guidelines approved by the school board.
606-5

Adopted 4-28-2010
CITIZEN'S REQUEST FORM FOR RE-EVALUATION OF
LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS
THIS REQUEST IS INITIATED BY: ______________________________________________
TELEPHONE: (________) ________ -____________________
ADDRESS: _____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
REPRESENTING:
SELF: ________
ORGANIZATION/GROUP: _______________________________________________
SCHOOL: ______________________________________________________________
MATERIALS QUESTIONED:
BOOK:
AUTHOR: _____________________________________ COPYRIGHT DATE: (________)
TITLE: _______________________________________________________________________
AV MATERIAL: Identify
606-6

Adopted 4-28-2010
Please respond to the following questions. If sufficient space is not provided, please use an additional sheet of paper.
Have you seen or read this material? _____________________________________________
To what do you object? Please cite specific passages, pages, etc. _______________________
What do you believe is the main idea of this material? _______________________________
What do you feel might result from use of this material? __________________________
What reviews of this material have you read? __________________________________
For what other age group might this be suitable? ________________________________
What action do you recommend that the school take on this material? ________________
In its place, what material do you recommend that would provide adequate information on the subject?
_________________________________________________________________
DATE: ________/________/________ SIGNATURE:
606-7

Adopted 4-28-2010
APPENDIX A
Resource Selection Tools, Resources and Procedures
School media specialists are responsible for the selection of books and electronic resources in Winona
Area Public School Media Centers. Electronic resources include videos, DVD’s, web sites and subscription databases. Materials will generally be ordered “shelf ready” with MARC records and standard processing to ensure standardization and quality.
Selections will be primarily made from

Professional review Journals

Meetings with vendors to examine books and other resources

Trial/preview examinations

Recommendations from other media specialists (including postings on MEMO-L or LM_ NET)

Recommended reading lists

Staff recommendations and requests
Media Secretaries and Media Specialists will work together to

Maintain files of requests and ideas

Prepare orders
Media Specialists will

Finalize and sign-off on all orders

Determine processing specifications (if not on file with the vendor)

Submit orders to the curriculum office
Suggested review sources
606-8

Adopted 4-28-2010

Wilson Standard Catalog series

Booklist

School Library Journal

LMC Connection

School Library Media Activities Monthly

Multimedia & Internet @ Schools

Teacher Librarian

VOYA

Professional Journals such as: Oasis, Instructor, Mailbox

Award winner lists such as: Newberry, Caldecott, Maud Hart Lovelace, ALA

Reading lists such as Accelerated Reader, NCTE lists, International Reading Council
606-9