Media Selection Policies for School Library Centers: Tailoring Collections to Community Needs

1. Media Selection Policies and Procedures

2. The Same…but Unique • No two library centers will have the same collection and they shouldn’t! • The media center should reflect the specific needs of the school it serves. • But all media centers share three basic goals….

3. Library Media Center’s Three Primary Goals • Satisfy the needs of students for curriculum related materials. • Fulfill students’ wishes concerning materials for recreational purposes. • Provide teachers with professional information.

4. To Reach These Goals • Coalesce all decisions into a policy manual to serve as guide. • What do you need in order to make decisions?

5. You Need Background Knowledge • Community • Students • Faculty • Curriculum • Media • Bibliographic and Review aids • Existing collection • Budget

6. Knowledge of Community • Community • Ethic and religious background • Occupations • Economic, educational status • Business and transportation • Libraries and cultural resources

7. Knowledge of Students • Students • Age groups • Reading ability • Test scores • Technology skills • Interest and activities • Hobbies • Sports • Jobs?

8. Knowledge of Faculty • Teaching assignments • Classroom use of media/technology • Teaching methods • Media center use by department • In-service needs

9. Knowledge of Media • Availability and Use of: • Educational and Technology materials • Characteristics • Strengths • Limitations • Potential • Site Licenses for Integrated Library System like Follett?

10. Knowledge of Bibliographic Tools • Bibliographies • American Historical Fiction • Basic Book Collection for Elementary Grades • The Best in Children’s Books • Children and Books • Children’s Catalog • Elementary School Library Collection • European Historical Fiction and Biography • Guide to Sources in Educational Media • Junior High School Catalog • Reference Books for School Libraries • Subject Guide to Children’s Books in Print • Subject Index to Books for Intermediate Grades • Subject Index to Books for Primary Grades

11. Knowledge Reviewing Tools • Current reviewing media: • AASA Science Books and Films • American Film & Video Association Evaluations • Booklist • Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books • Horn Book • Kirkus Reviews • School Library Journal

12. Knowledge of Existing Collection • Size • Strengths and weaknesses • Age and physical condition • Basic usefulness • How to find out?? • Use computer shelf list and inventory records to ascertain. • Browse the shelves

13. Knowledge of the Budget • Budget allotments for the current year • Additional funds? • Federal, state and local • Plan expensive purchases especially on a 3 -5 year schedule?

14. Knowledge of Databases and Research Sources • Do you need full-text periodical databases like ProQuest or Ebsco? • Site Licenses

15. Overall the Media Specialist at the school level should: • Organize and administer the reviewing procedures at the school. • Route catalogs, bibliographies and other selection aids to faculty asking for purchase suggestions • Involve as many people as possible • Attend faculty and departmental meetings • Conduct interest surveys and inventories of students and faculty • Maintain a file of current commercial catalogs of materials and equipment

16. Why Create a Media Selection Policy? • It is the foundation of the media center program, it serves many purposes: • Criteria and selection procedures for the collection • Blueprint for future growth of the collection • Prevents haphazard collection development • Prevents unnecessary disputes involving controversial material

17. What Should the Policy Manual Contain? • The selection policy should include: • Mission/philosophy statement of school • Goals and objectives of the school • Broad universal principals of the profession • Freedom to Read Statement (ALA) • The School Library Bill of Rights (AASL) • All groups affected by the policy should participate in its formation. • Faculty, administration, students and the community (PTO) • It should be officially adopted by these groups

18. Materials Selection Policies • Elements are listed in the Morris text on page 302. • Websites: • ALA Componets of Selection Policy http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=Dealing_with_Challenges&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11173 • Policy Manuals for School Libraries http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/libpolicy.htm

19. Standards • Specify norms for quantities and in some cases, quality of the center’s collection • SLMS should be familiar with at the State federal, and district levels • Should be included in the policy if appropriate

20. Selection Aids • Both primary and secondary sources • Primary – the item itself is examined before purchase • Preview materials from publishers • Preview materials at conventions and exhibits • On approval purchases **The explosion of information and materials make hands-on examination neither possible nor practical for the vast majority of LMS’s!

21. Selection Aids • Secondary selection aids – reviewing sources • Bibliographies • Catalogs • Indexes • Review periodicals • Best lists “The proper interpretation, evaluation and understanding of these aids is one of the essentials of effective selection.”

22. Retrospective aids • Very helpful in building the initial collection and in filling in gaps in the existing collection. These contain time tested general recommendations for general and specific needs. • Children’s Catalog • Senior High School Library Catalog (Wilson) • Middle School Library Catalog • Elementary School Library Collection (Brodart)

23. Current Selection Aids • Primarily for new materials: • Booklist (ALA) • School Library Journal (ALA) • English Journal (NCTE) • Baltimore County Public School, Resources for Information Specialist Role http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/office/infospec.html

24. Criteria for Choosing Selection Aids • Authority • Who are the reviewers and their qualifications • Scope • What types of material are listed? • Books, AV software, equipment • For adults, children, or everyone • Certain ages, languages, time periods • How often up-dated • Directions for use

25. Criteria for Choosing Selection Aids • Arrangement • Alphabetical, classification or subject • Index • Annotations or Reviews • Descriptive, critical or both • Detailed or broad • Basic to collection or supplemental • Consistent in treatment • Comprehensive • Reviewer checked for accuracy and reliability

26. Practical Points to Aid Selection • Participation in the Selection Process • Input from you the LMS is essential • Diversity in Material – get something on everything • Diversity in Students – get something for everyone – including Non-users • Selection, Not Censorship!

27. Practical Points to Aid Selection • Subjectivity vs Objectivity • Make purchases from the user’s point of view…. not only what the student should be reading or using but also what the student wants and is capable of using. • Media and Messages • Is the medium the most appropriate to convey the contents to the student? • Duplication • User demand

28. Practical Points to Aid Selection • Use many selection aids • Cooperative Acquisitions • Schools within a district decide areas of concentration • Out of Print Materials • If still needed for faculty & students, find a source. • Publishers’ and Manufacturer’s Catalogs • Use cautiously

29. Practical Points to Aid Selection • Gifts and Free materials • Policy should clearly state: • Only items appropriate to the collection will be kept • LMC may dispose of the material in any way. • Professional Library • Sample textbooks, workbooks • Curriculum guides • File of web sites for lesson plans

30. Practical Points to Aid Selection • Local History Collection • Internet Resource Materials • How web sites will be selected • http://207.238.25.30/library/libraryinfo/InternetCollection.htm

31. Censorship and the SLMC • Complaints involving out of date material at the school level are not usually subject for concern and settled easily. • Complaints from parents or groups are more complex and not easily solved. • Usually involves sex, race, religion, profanity, drugs or sex-role sterotypes.

32. Dealing with Censorship • A sound Selection Policy • Committe appointed by superintendent to hear complaints • PTA • Teacher, LMS, administrator, community • Educational personnel

33. Dealing with Censorship • Citizen’s Request Form for Reevaluation of Learning Resource Center Materials • Identify complainant, group or organization • Identify the work in question • Statement that the complainant has read or seen the work in question • Identify or supply critical reviews of the work in question • Recommendation of the eventual disposition of this material • Signed by complainant

34. Sequence of Steps to Follow in Handling a Complaint • Explanation of the selection procedures and policies • Criteria used in selection • May supply reviews or recommendations • If it is still not resolved, then the complainant should file the full complaint form. • Do not remove the item in question during this reevaluation process. • Refer to the reevaluation committee with all pertinent data and reviews. • Decision of the committee is usually sent to the superintendent for review. • Decision is given to the complainant. • Include a regulation that the item will not be reevaluated for a given period – usually three years.

35. Court Decisions • To prevail you must have: • Detailed, explicit and widely distributed set of policies and procedures. • The support of the school board and administrators at all levels.