Elliott Elementary Media Selection Policy
Lincoln Public Schools
Elliott Elementary Mission Statement
The Elliott Community: mastering learning and life skills, for today and tomorrow.
Lincoln Public Schools Library Media Services Philosophy
The mission of the Lincoln Public Schools Library Media Services Department is to provide a facility and
program to empower the 21st century learner with the ability to access and process information and ideas,
and to support the educational goals of the school community. (Lincoln Public Schools, 2009)
Elliott Elementary Library Mission Statement
The Elliott Elementary Library Media Center encourages lifelong learning by providing services and
resources to the school community that promotes reading opportunities and the appreciation of literature,
support for curriculum and learning, and skills to develop information literacy to be independent, effective,
and responsible users of ideas and information. (Lincoln Public Schools, 2009)
Lincoln Public Schools Library Media Center Goals
The Library Media Program:
• supports student achievement of curricular goals and objectives.
• strengthens effective teaching and learning through collaboration.
• empowers students to become readers, information users, critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and
lifelong learners.
• provides students and staff access to diverse sources of information, ideas, and knowledge.
• provides resources to meet a broad range of individual learning styles, abilities, interests, and curriculum
needs, including multicultural and equity education.
• stimulates and promotes the literacy's of reading, listening, viewing, and communicating for
both pleasure and information.
• extends beyond the library media center to provide learning opportunities and resources in schools across
the district and in the community.
• utilizes continually changing technologies to address expanding information needs.
• promotes intellectual freedom and equitable access to information and ideas.
(LPS Library Media Program Description, 1998)
21st Century Learner Standards
Learners use skills, resources, and tools to:
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Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.
Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new
knowledge.
Share knowledge and participate ethically and productive4ly as members of our democratic
society.
Pursue personal and aesthetic growth (American Association of School Libraries, 2007)
I. Selection Policy and Procedures of the Library Media Center and Lincoln Public Schools*
*Policies of Lincoln Public Schools will appear in red font. The Elliott Library Policies will correspond
and/or expand upon the Lincoln Public Schools policies and will appear in black font.
Policy
6440
INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
Curriculum Decisions
The Lincoln Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent to establish procedures to provide schools
with the classroom and library media center materials, supplies and equipment for implementing the
District curriculum.
Classroom and library media center materials that support the curriculum and promote the stated goals of
instruction will be made available to the extent resources permit. Adoption of instructional programs shall
take into account the availablility of appropriate materials and the capability of the Lincoln Public Schools
to supply them in sufficient quantity for the curriculum and instruction to be successful.
The Lincoln Public Schools will support the Curriculum and Instruction program by providing classroom
and library media center materials which will meet the following expectations:
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Stimulate growth of studetns in knowledge, literacy appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical
standards,
Enable students to cope with realities and to make informed judgments in their daily lives.
Reflects a variety of views on controversial issues to encourage critical reading and thinking, and
Are representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups and their contribution to our
American heritage.
Regulation
6440.1
Criteria for Selections of Curriculum Materials and Supplies
Curriculum materials shall be selected in accordance with District procedures and criteria noted in 6420.1.
(District objective writing)
Selection shall be based upon personal inspection and/or preview of new materials and on information
obtained from standard selection catalogs, book and nonprint reviews and/or selected bibliographies.
Selection is a cooperative process involving, as much as feasible, those who will use the materials. When
basic textbooks or other major items are to be chosen, representative commitees usually are established to
review and evaluate available materials.
Elliott Additional Selection Criteria
Books will be purchased from reliable sources only. Sources include Follet publishers, Scholastic, and
Usbourne Books. The District has an arrangement with Follet that includes cataloging, material preparation
, and reduced shipping.
In addition, teachers will be given the opportunity to form a committee to help the library select books that
will support their classroom. The committee will form in January in order to prepare for the March annual
ordering.
Preview of Curriculum Materials
The Library Media Services Department previews print and nonprint library media and supplementary
classroom materials. The preview process is initiated by staff members who wish to personally evaluate
materials prior to purchase using school funds or who wish to suggest purchase of materials for the District
staff library media or film/video collections. Requests for preview materials are also inititated by
administrators and consultatns for ongoing District curriculum development efforts. Staff members who
submit preview requests should check with the appropriate funding source, school or central office, before
preview requests are submitted.
The Curriculum Department is responsible for the review of textbooks and related classroom materilas
purchased with district funds.
Preview of Curriculum Materials Additional Details
The Elliott Library will receive two Preview books quarterly to review and rate. The librarian will also use
reviews by other librarians to make critical selections about materials. The District makes older reviews
available via Docushare for more consideration.
Instructional Considerations
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Reliability The author/artist/composer/editor is reputable, qualified and experienced, and the
publisher responsible.
Currency Content should be up-to-date and reflect the most recent information available on the
topic.
Appropriateness. Media, subject matter, vocabulary, and approach should be suitable for
experience and maturity of the intended learners abd for intended use of the materials. There
should be balanced treatment of controversial matters.
Correlation of Curriculum Objectives. The material should support curriculum objectives for
instructional purposes, including personal reading needs.
Style. Style of presentation should be clear, understandable, creative and stimulating.
Accuracy. Facts should be distinguished from opinions and accurately presented.
Organization. Presentation should be well-organized, logical and easy to follow. Illustrations,
charts and graphs should be used to present data where needed. Index, footnotes, glossary and
references should be adequate.
Teaching strategy. Educational philosophy should be acceptable. Objectives should be clearly
defined and consistent with local goals. Learning activities should be interesting, challenging and
productive. Materials should be suitable for individualization.
Teaching/Learning styles. Materials should represent a variety of teaching and learning styles.
Effectiveness. Evaluation reports should provide evidence of effectiveness or professional reviews
should be positive.
Teaching aids. Teachers’ manuals and supplementary materials should be adequate.
Provisions for student evaluation. Tests and other provisions to evaluate student learning should
be adequate.
Literary value. Materials should foster appreciation of literature and aesthetic values.
Creativity. Material should encourage self-instruction and provide a stimulus to creativity.
Technical Considerations
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Printing, production, manufacturing, construction, design, fprmat, and presentation should be good
quality and cost-effective.
Format should be imaginative and appealing.
Size and design should be appropriate and eassy to use.
Social and Equity Considerations
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Illustrations in books and supplementary materials should be representative of the cultural/racial
diversity as well as the roles open to both men and women in today’s society.
Persons with disabilities should be represented.
Women and men, diverse cultural/racial groups and people with disabilities should be in both
active and passive roles.
Men and women should be shown in both traditional and nontraditional roles.
Books and supplementary materials should be free of ethnocentric or sexist language patterns
which may make implications about persons or groups solely based upon their culture, race,
gender, sexual orientation or disability.
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Books and supplementary materials should include units/activities which explore the importance
of curriculum skills in broadening career opportunities and enhancing furite earning capacity.
Books and supplementary materials should tend to counteract stereotypes about cultural/racial
groups, men and women, sexual oreientation or the disabled.
Examples, word problems, and stories should be representative of the cultural/racial diversity in
today’s society.
Elliott Selection Policies in Addition to District Policies
The Elliott library will abide by all District policies as well as the Library Bill of Rights as written by the
American Library Association. Selection will be based upon curriculum needs first and circulation records
secondly. For example, there are several grade levels that research animals for the major Writing project.
Many varied nonfiction animal books need to be available at multiple reading levels in order to suit the
needs of all grade levels. As far as selections made due to circulation, a popular series like “Diary of a
Wimpy Kid” will have numerous copies purchased to fulfill requests and holds.
Damaged books will be replaced based upon circulation as well: if a book is damaged and widely
circulated, it will be replaced promptly but if damaged and not widely circulated, it will be placed upon a
“wish-list” of lower priority.
The school will purchase all Golden Sower nominees each year so students may be involved in statewide
voting as per Library District Media policy. Student requests for books will be examined promptly and
given a priority rating based upon curricular support and library needs. Books that do not meet District
standards or are deemed inappropriate for the age group will not be considered. For example, a student
might request the Elementary Library carry the “Hunger Games” series. While they are examples of
enjoyable reads and have literary merit, their place in an elementary library is questionable due to graphic
violence. The librarian will explain this to the requesting student, stating that while the student may be
mature enough to handle the material, most others are not. The student should be encouraged to continue
reading at such a high level and offer discussion of the books read.
Selection Tools
1)
Preview Book Reviews by other District Librarians
2)
Library Sparks magazine, provided by the District, includes book reviews and activities
3)
Book lists provided on Titlewave by the District
4)
Booklist
5)
Trade magazines
6)
For non-media items, District recommendations and staff requests (when appropriate)
Gifts
Donations are accepted by the school. Books that meet the selection criteria will be accepted for
circulation. Books that are do not meet the selection criteria will be sent to the District office for recycling.
Books that meet criteria but are not in the shape to hold up to circulation will be sent to the District office
for donation to outside parties. Books that meet the selection criteria but are not appropriate for the grade
level served will be sent to the District office for redistribution to the appropriate age levels.
Donations that exceed $50 in value will have a gift form filled out by the receiving librarian. The gieft form
(Appendix A) will list the titles and value of titles donated. The School Board will review the donation and
approve or deny based on the District selection criteria. The librarian will send the appropriate Thank You
note and the School Board/District Office will send appropriate tax information.
Weeding and Replacement Policy
Weeding will take place on a continuous basis based on the following criteria:
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Books will be reviewed upon check-in for damage or extraneous wear-if wear exceeds acceptable
parameters, book will be weeded for replacement.
Circulation reports will be run yearly. Books that have not circulated for three or more years will
be considered for weeding.
Books with more than two copies will be considered for weeding. The District recommends that
Elementary Libraries carry no more than two copies of any book. (Besides that year’s Golden
Sower Nominees) However, circulation will be reviewed before final decisions are made. For
example, there are currently five copies of each Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in the series. There is
also a wait list for these books. These books would not be considered for weeding due to
circulation needs.
Gift books will be assessed upon receipt for District and Elliott selection criteria and the
appropriate actions taken at that time.
Encyclopedias and Alamanacs have historically been replaced every three years due to reliability
of aging information. However, with new technology available, including online encyclopedia
subscriptions, the District has made new reccomendations for replacement. One set of
encyclopedias will be kept in the library for teaching purposes. The age of the series should not
exceed five years, but will only be replaced if budget allows.
Any books that do not meet the current District/Elliott selection criteria will be removed
immediately whether circulated or not. Any books that portray any ethnic group in a negative or
stereo typical fashion will be removed if literary merit cannot be proven.
Professional Collection Policy
The Elliott Library will maintain a small Professional Development/Learning collection to be housed in the
Library. The collection will be varied and timely, to include all mandatory staff development titles. There
will also be a Parent collection maintained on a cart for the Parent Involvement Committee that includes
many parenting guides.
Many staff development volumes are available online for staff to access as needs arise. The Librarian will
make known how to access and use the materials on the Staff Development website.
II. Policy and Procedure for Challenged Materials*
*Policies of Lincoln Public Schools will appear in red font. The Elliott Library Policies will correspond
and/or expand upon the Lincoln Public Schools policies and will appear in black font
Regulation
6440.4
Objections to the Use of Curriculum Material
Objections to materials currently in use shall be handled at the school level, if possible, according to the
following procedures:
1)
If an individual telephones a complaint, administration should make no commitments, admission of
guilt or threats, but listen courteously and invite the complainant to meet with the teacher, department chair
and principal;
2)
If a complaint is in writing, the letter should be acknowledged promptly, including a courteous
invitation to the complainant to a conference at the school;
3)
A completed “Request for Reconsideration” form may be requested at an appropriate time.
4)
If the matter cannot be resolved satisfactorily at the school level, the principal shall:
a)
Offer to send the “Request for Reconsideration” form describing the situation to the associate
superintendent for instruction.
b)
Send a brief written statement describing the situation to the associate superintendent for instruction.
c)
Assure the complainant that he/she will be contacted promptly be the associate superintendent for
instruction.
d)
Explain that the materials will not be withdrawn while a decision is pending.
5)
Upon receipt of the “Request for Reconsideration” for, the Associate Superintendent for Instruction
shall take appropriate action to see that the material is reviewed. If warranted, a meeting of a curriculum
advisory committee shall be called.
a)
Committee members shall review the material in advance of the meeting.
b)
Committee members shall report their findings to the Associate Superintendent for Instruction;
6)
Upon receiving the advisory committee’s report, the Associat Superintendent for Instruction shall
make a decision, notify the complainant by letter and explain any appeal procedures.
Elliott Objections Procedures in Addition to District Policies
If the librarian receives the objection either in person or via telephone, procedure is to thank the person for
their concern, reassure them that you and the administration will look into the matter and get contact
information in order to have time to look at the materials. Then review the material that complainant
expressed concerns about. List (for school only use) the reasons the materials were chosen for the library. If
not initial purchaser, list reasons why you might purchase the materials today. Then turn all information
over to administrator and inform District Media personnel of complaint. If concerns are not during ensuing
meeting, then referral to the District will be necessary.
Plan for Adoption of Policy
Lincoln Public Schools uses “site-based decision -making” which allows each Library to make and
implement their own policies and programs. The District Media Program decides upon the Mission and
Goals of the entire Library system and provides monies and materials to each center to implement
them. The District maintains a SIM cycle (Study, Implement, Maintain) in which the program as a whole is
reviewed every nine years. (Lincoln Public Schools, 2010)
A policy put in place at the Library level will be reviewed by the Administration at each school. If no fault
is found, the policy is accepted and put into place immediately. The policy will be placed in the staff
handbook if accepted before start of term or relayed to staff via e-mail and hard-copy if during the school
year. If there is a major change in policy, there will be a staff meeting to announce said changes.
If a policy is perceived as unfair and revisions cannot be successfully made, the policy may be reviewed by
the School Board. The Board meets twice monthly, the policy will not be voted upon until it has been heard
at least twice (at two separate meetings). A vote will be taken at the second hearing and a majority vote will
decide the fate of the policy. The Board has an attorney review all materials presented to them to ensure no
discrimination takes place.
Appendix A
Appendix A Continued
References
American Association of School Librarians. (2007). Standards for the 21st century learner. Chicago:
American Library Association.
Lincoln Public Schools. (2011). Elliott Elementary webpage. Retrieved March 2, 2011, from
http://media.lps.org/elliott/
Lincoln Public Schools. (2011) Library Media Services webpage. Retrieved March 2, 2011, from
http://sites.lps.org/lms/stories/storyReader$28
Lincoln Public Schools. (2011). Policies and Regulations webpage. Retrieved March 4, 2011, from
http://www.lps.org/about/policies/