Tracy Area Public Schools Policy 605.1
Adopted: April 19, 2010
Original: April 19, 2010
605.1 MEDIA CENTER COLLECTION MAINTENANCE
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to set forth the philosophy of the Medica Center and its collection maintenance.
- GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY
Freedoms of inquiry and access to information are fundamental to the development of our society and are the rights of all students. Any abridgement of those rights is solely between an individual student and the parents(s) of the student. The promotion of intellectual inquiry and comprehensive information shall govern the selection of library/media center resources.
- DEFINITIONS
A. The term “materials” refers to any resource(s) with instructional or recreational function in a media collection. Materials may include both print and non-print formats.
B. The term “selection” refers to the ongoing process of evaluating and acquiring materials; removing materials which are no longer appropriate, due to low use, outdated references, educational suitability, age or condition; and replacement of materials which are lost or damaged.
IV. SELECTION OF MEDICA CENTER MATERIALS
A. The board of school directors assumes legal responsibility for the selection of materials in the district’s library/media centers. The school board subscribes in principle to the statements of policy on library philosophy as expressed in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, a copy of which is appended to and made a part of this policy. Responsibility for the selection of all media center materials is delegated to the professional library staff through the building principal(s.) The selection process involves open opportunity for consultation with administrators, faculty and students.
B. Library/media materials should support and enrich the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning styles and maturity levels of students served.
C. Library/media center materials should stimulate growth in factual knowledge, critical analysis of differing sides of issues, literary appreciation, esthetic values, and recognition of various societal values.
D. In selecting materials, library staff, administrators, and faculty are guided by the principles incorporated in the School Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read Statement, standards adopted by the American Association of School Librarians, and the American Library Association.
V. CRITERIA FOR COLLECTION MAINTENANCE
A. Material should support and be consistent with the district’s general education goals
and objectives of our individual schools and specific courses.
B. Materials should be selected to enrich and support both the curriculum and thepersonal needs of our students and faculty, taking into consideration diverse interests, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, maturity levels, and students’ extracurricular interests. Material selected should encourage an appreciation for both informational and recreational reading, viewing, or listening.
C. Care will be taken to select materials meeting standards of high quality in regards to:
- presentation
- physical format
- educational significance
- readability
- authenticity/accuracy
- artistic quality or literary style
- factual content
- treatment that is clear, comprehensible, skillful, convincing,
well-organized, and unbiased
- special features, such as useful illustrations, photographs, maps,
charts, graphs, etc.
10. technical production/construction that is well crafted, durable,
manageable, and attractive.
D. Material should be considered relating to their overall purpose and the direct
relationship to instructional objectives and/or the curriculum. Selected materials should support needs in the content areas and be appropriate to the variety of ages, developmental stages, ability levels, and learning styles represented by the particular facility for which they are chosen.
E. Materials should be selected representing opposing points of view on controversial
issues, encouraging individual analysis.
F. The literary style of a work should be appropriate and effective for the subject matter
and its intended readers or viewers.
G. The value of any work must be examined as a whole. The impact of an entire work will be considered, transcending individual words, phrases and incidents.
H. Resource sharing will be considered in purchasing decisions. Materials may be
purchased or not purchased based on networking and collaborative relationships with other collections and depending upon extent of need.
I. Materials will be purchased in a variety of formats with efforts made to incorporate
emerging technology when they meet the criteria outlined above.
J. Gift material will be evaluated by the criteria outline above and shall be accepted or
rejected in accordance with those criteria.
K. Special consideration is given to treatment of the following elements: religion,
cultures, ideologies, sex education, sex, profanity, and science:
- Religion – When appropriate, factual unbiased material which represents major religions is included in the collection.
- Cultures – Factual, unbiased information used in portraying ethnic groups or cultures is include in the collection.
- Ideologies – Factual information on any ideology or philosophy which exerts a strong force in society is included in the collection.
- Sex Education – Specific guidelines established by the State Department of Education require that materials on sex education for classroom use be evaluated by the School Board or its designee. Resources may also be available for personal information.
- Sex – Pornographic or sensational materials are not included but the inclusion of sexual incidents in the material does not automatically disqualify them.
- Profanity – The fact the profanity appears in material does not automatically disqualify a selection. Care is taken to exclude materials using profanity in a lewd or detrimental manner.
- Science – Factual information about medical and scientific knowledge and theory is included in the collection without any biased selection of facts.
- PROCEDURES FOR SELECTION
The media center professional, in conjunction with teachers and administrators, will be responsible for the selection of materials. In coordinating this process, the media specialist will do the following:
A. Arrange, when possible, for firsthand examination of items to be purchased.
B. Use reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids when firsthand
examination of materials is not possible. Among the sources to be consulted are:
Basic Book Collection for Elementary Grades
Basic Book Collection for Junior High Schools
Basic Book Collection for High Schools
The Best in Children’s Books
Book Report
Booklist
Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books
Children’s Software Review
Hornbook
Kirkus Review
Multimedia for Schools and Libraries
Multimedia Schools
Novelist
Reference Books for School Librarians
School Library Journal
Technology Connection
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocate)
Other sources as appropriate
C. Consider recommendations from faculty, staff, students and parents
D. Judge gift items by standard selection criteria and, upon acceptance of such items,
reserve the right to incorporate into the collection only those meeting the
above criteria.
E. Purchase replacements for worn, damaged, or missing materials basic to the
collection and/or in high demand.
F. Determine a procedure for preventative maintenance and repair of material.
VII. OVERDUE, DAMAGED AND LOST MATERIALS
Returning materials on time ensures that the information will be available for the use of others. Therefore, prompt return of materials is strongly recommended. A student will be charged for lost or damaged materials at replacement cost.
VIII. WEEDING
The collection of the media center will be continually reevaluated in relation to evolving curriculum, new formats of materials, new instructional methods, and the current needs of its users. Materials no longer appropriate should be removed. Lost and worn materials of lasting value should be replaced. Weeding is essential to maintaining a relevant, attractive collection. Materials considered for weeding should include items:
A. in poor physical condition
B. containing obsolete subject matter
C. no longer needed to support the curriculum or student/faculty interests
D. superseded by more current information
E. containing inaccurate information
F. no usage over five years
IX. PROCEDURE FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY/MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS
The following procedures will be followed when an individual challenges the
appropriateness of an item in the collection:
A. Treat each complaint courteously and confidentially with no commitments made.
B. Each complainant will be directed to the professional media person or designee.
C. If complainant wishes to pursue the challenge, the professional media person will
invite the complainant to complete and return a “Request for Reconsideration of Library Media Center Materials”.
D. The completed request will be forwarded to the Superintendent, who will appoint a
Chairperson to convene Committee for Reconsideration of Library Media Center
Materials.
E. The building principal, the Superintendent, and the professional media person
will be promptly informed of the completed request. The professional media person will send the “Acknowledgement of Completed Request for Reconsideration of Library Media Materials” form to complainant.
F. Use of challenged materials shall not be restricted during the reconsideration
proceedings.
G. The chairperson of the Committee for Reconsideration of Library Media Center
Materials will:
1. Notify committee members of the challenge and set up meetings.
2. Discuss the challenge with the professional media person.
3. Obtain reviews of the materials being challenged.
4. Inform the complainant and the professional media person of the meeting time
and place of the reconsideration.
H. The ad hoc committee for Reconsideration of Materials will:
1. Meet only between September and May inclusive.
2. Thoroughly study all resources and read the professional reviews.
3. Attempt to complete the reconsideration process within a 6-8 week period.
4. Give consideration to educational suitability, learning styles and the maturity
level of students served.
5. Weigh values and faults against each other and form opinions based on the
material as a whole.
6. Discuss the material, review the complainant’s objections, make a decision by
public vote, and complete the “Report of Committee for Reconsideration of Library Media Center Material” form.
7. Vote only to retain or remove the resource by simple majority.
8. Send copies of the reports to the complainant, the building principal, the
superintendent, and the professional media person. This report will reflect the decision of the committee.
I. The Committee for Reconsideration of Library Media Center Materials will consist of
seven voting members of School District 2904 and a nonvoting chairperson:
1. The building principal
2. Two teachers
3. One professional media person
4. Three parents
5. At the first meeting, the above will elect a recording secretary.
6. A replacement will be appointed by the superintendent or designee.
J. Parameters to consider:
1. All testimony must be about the specific questioned material.
2. Decide in what order the individuals will testify.
3. Emphasize that this is not a debate and any attempt to debate will be put out
of order.
4. The Committee will predetermine a time limit for speakers from the floor.
5. Once the Committee begins discussion, the audience may participate only at
the request of one of the Reconsideration committee members and only
to respond to a question of clarification.
6. Freedom of inquiry is vital to education in a democracy.
7. Evaluations should be based on the resource as a whole.
K. In deliberations a committee should consider:
1.The attitudes of other teachers, within the same subject area, toward the
materials.
2. The opinions of other competent authorities.
3. Reviews of the materials by the American Library Association and other
reputable reviewers.
4. The media person’s rationale for selecting the material.
L. A report from the building or district level committee shall be submitted to the
superintendent for action or for submission to the School Board. A written response shall be forwarded to the objecting party after the decision is made. Any restriction of use placed on the challenged materials will be done at the direction of the superintendent.
Additional forms attached:
INITIAL RESPONSE TO COMPLAINANT
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COMPLETED REQUEST FOR RECONDISERATION OF LIBRARY
MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS
CHECKLIST FOR THE COMMITTEE FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
MATERIALS
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER
MATERIALS
The AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES “SCHOOL LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS
The AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION “LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS”
The ALA DIVERSITY IN COLLELECTION DEVELOPMENT: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE
LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS
(THIS LETTER IS TO BE SENT ON SCHOOL LETTERHEAD)
INITIAL RESPONSE TO COMPLAINANT
Date
Name and address of complainant:
Dear (Complainant):
I have been informed of your concern about the Library Media Center resource entitled, . The Tracy Area School District Materials Selection Policy outlines the procedures for addressing these concerns. As the media specialist I am responsible for coordinating the review of any challenged materials.
The Committee will convene to review the questioned material when we receive from you, a completed copy of the enclosed Request for Reconsideration of Library Media Center Materials form. Enclosed also, for your information is a copy of the Tracy Area School District Materials Selection Policy.
Thank you for your prompt reply. I will be communicating with you at a later date.
Sincerely,
Media Specialist
Encl.
(THIS LETTER IS TO BE SENT ON SCHOOL LETTERHEAD)
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS
Initiated by Date
Address Telephone
Representing:
Self Organization or Group
(name)
Material in question
Author
Title Copyright date
Type of Material
(book, dvd/video, audio CD, etc.)
Location: Elementary Jr. Sr. High
Please respond to the following questions. If sufficient space is not provided, please use an additional sheet of paper.
1. What brought this item to your attention (reviews, lists, word of mouth, material
checked out by child, etc.)
2. Did you read/hear/view the entire work?
- If not, which part did you read/hear/view?
- Specifically, what part of the material did you find objectionable? (Please cite
pages, passages, frames, sections, etc.)
- Have you read the district’s procedure for “Selection of Media Center Materials”
- What do you believe is the theme or purpose of this material?
- What do you feel might result from use of this material?
- Are you aware of any professional reviews of this material? (please list)
- What action do you recommend that the school take on this material?
- What material of equal value would you recommend in place of this one that
would provide adequate information on the subject?
/
(date) (signature)
Please return this form to the building principal in a sealed envelope.
(THIS LETTER IS TO BE SENT ON SCHOOL LETTERHEAD)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF COMPLETED REQUEST FOR
RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS.
Date
Name and address of complainant:
Dear (Complainant):
I have received your completed Request for Reconsideration of School Materials from for the item entitled, . The Tracy Area School District Selection Policy now directs me to convene the Library Media Resources Committee.
Each Committee member will review the material in its entirety. The principal will then report the Committee’s decision to you in writing within a six to eight week period.
If you have further questions, please contact me at phone number 507 629 5500.
Sincerely,
Media Specialist
CHECKLIST FOR THE LIBRARY MEDIA RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Title
Author
Source of material (Use for Internet of on-line materials)
A. Purpose
1. What is the overall purpose of the material?
2. Is the purpose accomplished?
Yes No
B. Authenticity
1. Is the information authored or otherwise sourced?
2. What is the reputation and significance of the author and publisher/producer
in the field?
3. Is the material up-to-date?
Yes No
4. Are information sources well documented?
Yes No
5. Are translations and retelling faithful to the original?
C. Appropriateness
- Doe the material promote the educational goals and objectives of the curriculum?
Yes No
- Is it appropriate to the level of instruction?
Yes No
- Are the illustrations appropriate to the subject and age level?
Yes No
D. Content
1. Is the content of this material well presented by providing adequate scope, depth, and continuity?
Yes No
2. Does the material present information not otherwise available?
Yes No
- Does this material give a new dimension or direction to its subject
Yes No
- Is factual information part of the story and is it presented accurately?
Yes No
- Are concepts presented appropriate to the ability and maturity of the potential reader?
Yes No
- Do characters speak in a language true to the period and section of the country in which
they live?
Yes No
- Is there a preoccupation with sex, violence, cruelty, brutality, and aberrant behavior that would make this material inappropriate for the maturity of the potential reader?
Yes No
- If there is use of offensive language is it appropriate to the purpose of the text and in relation to the maturity of the potential reader?
Yes No
- If there are graphics or photographic reproductions, are they appropriate to the purpose of the text and in relation to the maturity of the potential reader?
Yes No
- Does the material give a broader understanding of human behavior without stressing differences in class, race, sex, education, religion, or philosophy in any adverse way?
Yes No
- Is the material well written or produced?
Yes No
- Does the material make a significant contribution to the history of literature or ideas?
Yes No
(THIS LETTER IS TO BE SENT ON SCHOOL LETTERHEAD)