Fleming County High School Collection Development Policy

Fleming County High School SBDM Policy 9.4

Library Collection Development Policy

The purpose of this policy is to adopt criteria for selection, removal, and replacement of library materials at the Fleming County High School. The principals, set forth in the American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, guide this policy and its interpretation of school libraries. A library collection development is the ongoing process of identifying strengths and weaknesses of the school’s library collection in terms of students needs.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Fleming County High School Library is to provide the information tools necessary for success in school and also in life. The primary purpose of the library is to provide materials needed to enrich and support the curriculum and to provide a wide variety of reading materials for students and staff.

Our mission is to teach 21st Century Learner Skills so that students can successfully organize, analyze and interpret information for class work. These skills are for a student’s preparation for higher education and/or as a future member of the workforce. Finally, our mission is to involve students in, and be advocates of, the art of literature, reading, writing, and lifelong learning.

Vision

That students and staff utilize our resources and opportunities in order to become effective communicators, critical thinkers, and productive citizens who are ethical users and creators of information. Our key objective is to provide support for curriculum standards, as well as the educational, recreational, and informational needs of all of our stakeholders.

We believe in the freedom to read, choose, and learn information that can be found inside these walls. Beyond them is our belief that, through teacher and librarian collaboration, support and information can be given more effectively. We uphold and support the goals and objectives in the FCHS curriculum and effectively use technology to enhance that curriculum. It is our responsibility to inform students, parents, and the community about program and materials that are available through this library.

Library Usage

Students are welcome in the library at all times. It is open before school and after school in addition to the regular class periods. Students may come to the library individually during these times or as a class. There are certain things required of the students who use the library:

Students are responsible for the books they borrow from the library. If a book is lost, the student will be required to pay for it.
Books are checked out for a period of two weeks and may be rechecked twice. This gives the student six weeks to use a book.

Books are stamped with the due dates and books kept after those dates are fined at the rate of 5 cents per school day. There is no set limit on the number of books a student may check out. However, it is advised that a student take only the books that will be used in a period of two weeks. Students must behave in an acceptable manner while in the library. There is to be NO disruptive behavior. An atmosphere suitable for studying will be maintained during class periods. Students who are disruptive in their behavior will be asked to leave and, in dire cases of misbehavior, will not be allowed to return. All school rules apply while visiting the library media center.

The library is meant to serve students and staff, and it is our hope that you will find the library both a useful and enjoyable place.

Services and Programs

The Fleming County High School Library is located in Flemingsburg, Kentucky. This is the only public high school in the county. This library serves approximately 800 students in grades 9-12. This library will ensure equality, fair use, and fair access to all materials. It will promote flexibility in scheduling and present diversity with a range of possible viewpoints. The library media specialist will work with faculty and staff to form a collection that will meet a variety of learning styles. It is the responsibility of the library media specialist to demonstrate professional standards and regularly participate in professional development.

Description of Current Collection

The collection at the Fleming County High School Library currently has approximately 8,000 books, 25 DVDs, 20 audio books, 45 magazines, and 3 newspaper subscriptions, and 1,000 paperback books. Most items in the collection are in English with a small collection of Spanish non-fiction resources. The collection has a strong fiction collection, organized by genre, with many current titles. Each year the FCHS Library collection grows by approximately 300 books, 15 audio books, and possibly subscriptions to databases, magazines, and newspapers.

Collection Priorities

The library collection priorities include continuing to buy best sellers, reference resources, and young adult titles. The library makes it a priority to be centered on learning to meet the needs of students, faculty, and the community and to provide the programming needed for success. It is a priority of this library to select and maintain materials that promote intellectual freedom, support and enhance school curriculum, meet the needs of students, and provide equal access to information. It is a priority to obtain materials that will be utilized by students and teachers to focus on life-long learning. The library’s overall collection is weak in providing non-fiction titles. The library will continue to evaluate the non-fiction collection and purchase key titles to meet its priorities.

Responsibility for Selection

The Fleming County High School Library Media Specialist is the expert when materials are considered for collection. However, the media specialist works in collaboration with teachers, special education teachers, and others in the learning community to make purchasing decisions. Attached to this document is a form that parents, students, and others may file out to have materials considered for selection. When materials are ready for purchase, the final purchase order must be approved by the school superintendent.

Criteria for Selection

The following criteria will be used in selecting FCHS library materials:

Materials should support the school’s and the districts educational goals and policies, including the advancement of literacy
Materials should be selected to support, enrich, and extend the school’s curriculum and to encourage informational, educational, and recreational reading, viewing, or listening
Consideration should be given to diverse user interest, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, languages, and maturity levels. Materials intended for student use should be appropriate for the subject area and for the age. Social development, ability levels, special needs, and learning styles of students should also be considered by the collection
Materials should represent various viewpoints on controversial issues so that students learn to explore, analyze, and make intelligent judgments with open minds
The value of a work should be examined as a whole and given greater weight than individual words, phrases, or passages contained in work.
In order to ensure quality selection the following additional factors will be weighed as they apply:
Educational significance and/or contribution to the curriculum
Informational recreational interest
Reputation and significance of the author, producer, editor, and/or publisher
Degree of potential user appeal
Contribution to the variety of viewpoints offered on controversial issues
Accuracy and currency of information
Arrangement and organization of the material
Artistic quality, literacy style, or production values
Readability/Lexile levels
Quality and variety of formats
Need for duplicate copies of extensively used materials
Need to replace a central/required worn, damaged, or missing materials
Value commensurate with cost and/or need

Gifts and Donations Policy

The Fleming County High School library encourages and welcomes gifts and donations to be used to benefit the library vision. However, donated materials or gifted materials must go under the same selection policy as all other materials that are added to the collection. Gifts that are considered inappropriate or unacceptable will be respectfully declined. The library accepts books, DVDs, audio books, magazines, etc. at any time, but they will be added to the collection only when they are needed.

Chronological Age

The materials included in the library collection are considered by the current media specialist to be very old in regards to publication. The plan for the next 10 years in the FCHS library is to refresh the collection with a variety of new materials that will ensure that the needs of students and faculty are met. The collection weeding policy has been revised to remove materials that are considered out of date in that they provide inadequate information or are damaged beyond repair. Some publications that are retained in the collection that are considered older resources will only be kept if they are adequate sources of knowledge and have accurate information.

In the last year at FCHS the SIG Grant has dramatically transformed the library collection. The average age of the collection has increased and should continue to do so as out-of-date materials are removed.

Multiple Copies

The decision to purchase multiple copies of materials is based on the demand of the material at the FCHS library. If a resource is in high demand, the decision to purchase multiple copies is the decision of the school library media specialist. The works of popular authors and materials that are used heavily during the year for curriculum-based projects are the most commonly duplicated resources in the library. The FCHS library purchases, as budget allows, multiple copies of frequently checked out materials that are in high demand by faculty and students.

It is an ongoing goal of the library program to begin purchasing at least one classroom set of books each year. Teachers need these materials in RTI and ESS programs. The demand for classroom sets of books at FCHS is high. It should also be taken into consideration each year to purchase materials for only teachers to use.

Formats

The Fleming County High School Library collects the following formats: books, periodicals, newspapers, software, DVD’s, CD-ROM’s, Playaways, and online databases. The library has no collection of microfilm or photo slides. Most materials purchased for the library should be hard-back or library bound to ensure their use for years to come. The majority of books in the FCHS library are hardback books or library bound; approximately less than 5% of the books in the collection are paperback. Paperbacks are only purchased for multiple copy sets of books.

Various other formats of materials are purchased to meet the needs of the student body; the need for specialized materials should be discussed with the media specialist. Through interlibrary loan, several large print materials can be obtained as well as small collections of brail materials. Every year the formats are accessed by the library media specialist, teachers, and special education teachers, in the school and district, to ensure that the needs of IEP students can be met.

Preservation and Maintenance

It is the responsibility of the library media specialist at Fleming County High School to educate students and staff on preservation of the collection. Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure the materials in the library are kept in good condition. Materials should be kept away from directed heat and light, kept properly on shelves in the upright position when possible, stored in a climate-controlled environment with little exposure to heat and moisture, and handled with care and respect.

Materials should be repaired when possible; this is the responsibility of the media specialist. Non-acidic tape or glue may be used with care. Book jackets should be laminated or covered with Mylar and attached firmly to books to prevent damage. Non-print materials and technologies should be maintained, dusted regularly, and fixed when necessary.

Weeding and De-Selection

De-selection and weeding are part of the library process and essential in maintaining a relevant and attractive collection. The library media specialist is responsible for weeding and deselecting materials methodically and in an on-going basis according to accepted professional practices. Materials considered for weeding include items that are in poor physical condition or have been superseded by more current information. Those that contain subject matter no longer needed to support the curriculum, receive little use, are proven wrong, are outdated, contain inaccurate information, or encourage stereotypes or biases will also be considered for weeding.

Due to current space limitations, the library staff will conduct a collection wide weeding project beginning November 2014.

Censorship and Challenged Materials

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people within the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to them.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

The Fleming County High School library will follow the following procedure if a patron has a complaint about library materials:

The concerned patron will be offered the opportunity to discuss his/her concern with the Library Media Specialist responsible for selection. If the patron is dissatisfied with the discussion and wishes to pursue the issue, he/she will be required to complete and submit a Statement of Concern form to be mailed to the FCHS Principal.
The Principal will review the complaint and Statement of Concern form, and will respond in writing.
If the issue is still not resolved to the patrons’ satisfaction, the complaint will be taken to the Fleming County Board of Education, along with any supporting documentation from the patron and or Library Media Specialist. The board will prepare a written response to the patron.

This library strives to uphold the copyright laws. The following guidelines have been developed in correlation with the US Code:

• School employees, students, and others must adhere to the Copyright Act of 1976, Title 17 of the US Code.

• School employees must conform to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

• Illegal copies of materials may NOT be used on school equipment.

• The school principal will be responsible for establishing policies that enforce the copyright laws.

• The Fleming County School Board is responsible for enforcing and upholding copyright laws and policies.

Policy Implementation, Evaluation and Revision

This policy will be reviewed every three years by the Fleming County High School Library Media Specialist and the Fleming County High School Principal. The policy will be reviewed every five years by the Fleming County Board of Education. The action to adopt this policy should be recorded in the minutes of an official meeting and signed by the appropriate persons.

Date Policy Adopted by Council: November, 2014

Vendors

The following is a list of vendors commonly used by the Fleming County High School Library when ordering materials. Other vendors can and should be used as necessary.

Follett

1340 Ridgeview Drive

McHenry, Illinois 60050

Telephone: 1-888-511-5114

Fax: 1-800-852-5458

Customer Service: 1-800-435-6170

Web Site: fir.follett.com

Booksource

1230 Macklind Ave.

St. Louis, MO 63110

Telephone: 1-800-444-0435

Fax: 1800-647-1923

website:

Benchmark Education

145 Huguenot St 

New Rochelle, NY 10801

Telephone: (877) 236-2465

Fax: (877) 732-8273

CoffeeTree Books

159 E. Main Street 

Morehead, KY 40351

606-784-8364

DEMCO

P.O. Box 7488

Madison, WI 53707

Telephone: 1-800-356-1200

Fax: 1-800-245-1329

Perma Bound

617 East Vandalia Road

Jacksonville, IL 62650-3599

Telephone: 1-217-243-5451

Fax: 1-217-245-2105

E-mail:

Web Site:

BTSB

1800 West Morton

Jacksonville, IL 62650

Telephone: 1-800-637-6586

Fax: 1-800-747-2872

Web Site:

Brodart

Clinton County Industrial Park

100 North Road, P.O. Box 300

McElhattan, PA 17748

Telephone: 1-800-265-8470

Fax: 1-800-363-0483

Web Site:

Highsmith

W5527 Highway 106

P.O. Box 800

Fort Atkins, WE 53538-0800

Telephone: 1-800-558-3899

Fax: 1-800-835-2329

Web Site:

The Library Store, Inc. 112 E. South St Tremont, IL 61568

Phone: 1-800-548-7204 Fax: 1-800-320-7706

Website:

Office Depot

2200 Old Germantown Rd.

Delray Beach, FL 33445

1-800-GO-DEPOT

Website:

Quill

P.O. Box 37600 

Philadelphia, PA 19101-0600

Telephone 800-982-3400

Fax 800-789-8955

References

American Library Association. (1996). Library bill of rights. Retrieved October 8, 2007, from

Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices and information

sources, 4thed. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.