Acquisitions
Collection Development Materials Selection Policy
Policy IJL Media Materials Selection and Adoption
Issued 2/05
Purpose: To establish the board’s vision and the basic structure for the selection and adoption of the media center materials.
The function of the school media center is to support and enrich the instructional program of the school. The media center must provide a broad range of materials with a diversity of viewpoints, abilities and interests.
The board has the legal responsibility for the purchase of all instructional materials. The selection and ordering of media center books, audiovisual and other materials for the media centers are the responsibility of the school media specialists in accordance with this adopted policy.
Media specialists will identify, order and organize materials that will implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school district. Principals, teachers, supervisors and other school personnel will give suggestions, recommendations and other assistance.
The media specialist will evaluate the existing collection and consult reputable, unbiased professionally prepared selection aides, such as the following.
Materials Selection Criteria
The basic selection criterion is the appropriateness of the materials for use at the grade levels served. In addition, the media specialist will judge the materials using the following criteria.
Donated Materials Policy
The Learning Commons does accept donated materials (gifts) if the materials meet all selection policy criteria. Donated materials that are not accepted into the collection will be returned to the donor or passed on to a more appropriate recipient if the donor wishes.
Recommendations for Collection Size Based on School Enrollment
Information related to the appropriate and required size of the Learning Commons collection can be found on the South Carolina Department of Education’s website, specifically in the document South Carolina Standards for School Library Resource Collections (http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/36/documents/Standards_School_Library_Resource_Collections.pdf).
Challenged MaterialsProcess for Requesting Reconsideration of Materials
Administrative Rule KNBA-R Complaints About Instructional Material
Issued 9/89
Techniques for Handling Questioned or Challenged Materials
Despite the care taken to select valuable materials for student and teacher use and the qualifications of persons who select the materials, occasional objections to a selection will be made by the public.
Procedure if a complaint is made:
Review procedure:
Weeding/Repairing/DiscardingWeeding Guidelines
Materials in the Learning Commons will be weeded on an as-needed basis. The library media specialist will consider various criteria when weeding:
Rebinding Guidelines
Print materials are not usually rebound; instead, they are discarded, and a newer copy or version is purchased from the vendor. If rebinding is necessary, the library media specialist will consult a reputable vendor.
Discarding Guidelines
The library media specialist will ensure that discarded materials are donated to appropriate recipients.
Inventory Procedures
The library media specialist will conduct inventory annually. This procedure may be done in phases during the school year or all at once at the end of the school year.
Materials unaccounted for during inventory will be marked as lost. If a lost item is found/returned after the inventory is closed out, the library media specialist or library media assistant will update the record in the library catalog and refund any money collected for the book or material.
Materials marked as lost will keep this status for approximately one (1) school year. At that time, the copy will be deleted from the library catalog.
Budget Management
The Learning Commons will operate on funds from District funds, Book Fair profits, Birthday Book Club membership sales, and lost or damaged book fees. Additional funding may be requested from school administration or grants.
The Learning Commons finances operate from three accounts: a pupil activity account, a library supplies account and a periodical account.
Materials may be requested and purchased using a requisition form (PO form) or the school credit card, depending on the material(s). This decision will be made by the library media specialist and school bookkeeper.
The library media specialist will keep a detailed ledger for the Learning Commons account that includes all deposits and expenditures. The library media specialist will also keep records of any documents and/or receipts.
Automation System InformationService Contract
GPS uses the Follett Destiny system for our automation system. Any questions or concerns related to the automation system should be relayed to appropriate district personnel.
Help Desk Contact Information
Technical issues related to the automation system should be relayed to appropriate district personnel or directly to Follett Destiny.
Destiny - email: [email protected]
Follett Shelf - email: [email protected]
Customer Service - email: [email protected]
Policy IJL Media Materials Selection and Adoption
Issued 2/05
Purpose: To establish the board’s vision and the basic structure for the selection and adoption of the media center materials.
The function of the school media center is to support and enrich the instructional program of the school. The media center must provide a broad range of materials with a diversity of viewpoints, abilities and interests.
The board has the legal responsibility for the purchase of all instructional materials. The selection and ordering of media center books, audiovisual and other materials for the media centers are the responsibility of the school media specialists in accordance with this adopted policy.
Media specialists will identify, order and organize materials that will implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school district. Principals, teachers, supervisors and other school personnel will give suggestions, recommendations and other assistance.
The media specialist will evaluate the existing collection and consult reputable, unbiased professionally prepared selection aides, such as the following.
- Children’s Catalog
- List of Sources of Selection: Media Materials for South Carolina Elementary and Secondary Media Centers
- Elementary Library Collection
- Good Books for Children
- List of Books - SC Elementary Libraries
- School Library Journal
- The Horn Book
- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Materials Selection Criteria
The basic selection criterion is the appropriateness of the materials for use at the grade levels served. In addition, the media specialist will judge the materials using the following criteria.
- needs of the school and value to the collection
- validity, accuracy, objectivity, currency and appropriateness of text
- organization and presentation of contents
- clarity, adequacy and scope of text
- representatives of many viewpoints
- high artistic quality and/or literary style
- high degree of readability and/or comprehensibility
- reputation and significance of author and producer
- value commensurate with cost
Donated Materials Policy
The Learning Commons does accept donated materials (gifts) if the materials meet all selection policy criteria. Donated materials that are not accepted into the collection will be returned to the donor or passed on to a more appropriate recipient if the donor wishes.
Recommendations for Collection Size Based on School Enrollment
Information related to the appropriate and required size of the Learning Commons collection can be found on the South Carolina Department of Education’s website, specifically in the document South Carolina Standards for School Library Resource Collections (http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/36/documents/Standards_School_Library_Resource_Collections.pdf).
Challenged MaterialsProcess for Requesting Reconsideration of Materials
Administrative Rule KNBA-R Complaints About Instructional Material
Issued 9/89
Techniques for Handling Questioned or Challenged Materials
Despite the care taken to select valuable materials for student and teacher use and the qualifications of persons who select the materials, occasional objections to a selection will be made by the public.
Procedure if a complaint is made:
- The citizen should first contact the principal of the school involved. If he contacts anyone else he should be directed to the principal.
- The principal should assure the citizen that his opinion will be considered and that his interest is welcome. They should then discuss the complaint.
- If, after discussion, the citizen would like to continue with the complaint, the principal should explain this procedure adopted by Lexington School District One for handling such complaints. The citizen should be given four copies of “Citizens Request for Review or Withdrawal of Educational Materials.”
- The forms, completed by the citizen, will be presented to the principal who will send a copy to the superintendent and to the teacher or librarian whose material is under criticism.
- The material will be reviewed again in the light of the objections raised. During this period the questioned material will remain in circulation until a decision is reached. This reviewing will be done at the earliest possible time after the material has been questioned. A definite routine will be followed to insure that the incident is given due importance and treated objectively and unemotionally.
Review procedure:
- To reevaluate the challenged material, the principal of the school will appoint a review committee composed of the following (one member to be recorder):
- the assistant superintendent for instruction;
- the supervisor in charge of instructional material;
- the librarian in the school;
- a teacher in the school;
- a lay member of the School Improvement Council or a parent representing a school family selected by the School Improvement Council;
- the principal, serving as chairman.
- the assistant superintendent for instruction;
- Members of the committee will study all materials referred to them and will also read reviews of materials in question.
- The report of this review committee will be completed within 10 school days after the receipt of the complaint, and a copy in writing will be sent to the complainant and to the superintendent.
- This appeal must be in writing.
- The superintendent will act as a chairman. Other members will be the review committee and the complainant(s) (not to exceed a total of two complainants).
- After hearing the request for reconsideration of materials in question by the complainant and the report of the review committee, the superintendent will make a recommendation to the school board. A copy of this recommendation will be sent to the complainant and to the chairman of the review committee.
- This recommendation will be heard at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the school board and the decision of the board will be final.
Weeding/Repairing/DiscardingWeeding Guidelines
Materials in the Learning Commons will be weeded on an as-needed basis. The library media specialist will consider various criteria when weeding:
- copyright date
- circulation statistics
- condition of the material
- relevance of the material to the current curriculum
- effect that discarding the material will have on the percentage of the collection for that subject
- appeal of the item to patrons
Rebinding Guidelines
Print materials are not usually rebound; instead, they are discarded, and a newer copy or version is purchased from the vendor. If rebinding is necessary, the library media specialist will consult a reputable vendor.
Discarding Guidelines
The library media specialist will ensure that discarded materials are donated to appropriate recipients.
Inventory Procedures
The library media specialist will conduct inventory annually. This procedure may be done in phases during the school year or all at once at the end of the school year.
Materials unaccounted for during inventory will be marked as lost. If a lost item is found/returned after the inventory is closed out, the library media specialist or library media assistant will update the record in the library catalog and refund any money collected for the book or material.
Materials marked as lost will keep this status for approximately one (1) school year. At that time, the copy will be deleted from the library catalog.
Budget Management
The Learning Commons will operate on funds from District funds, Book Fair profits, Birthday Book Club membership sales, and lost or damaged book fees. Additional funding may be requested from school administration or grants.
The Learning Commons finances operate from three accounts: a pupil activity account, a library supplies account and a periodical account.
Materials may be requested and purchased using a requisition form (PO form) or the school credit card, depending on the material(s). This decision will be made by the library media specialist and school bookkeeper.
The library media specialist will keep a detailed ledger for the Learning Commons account that includes all deposits and expenditures. The library media specialist will also keep records of any documents and/or receipts.
Automation System InformationService Contract
GPS uses the Follett Destiny system for our automation system. Any questions or concerns related to the automation system should be relayed to appropriate district personnel.
Help Desk Contact Information
Technical issues related to the automation system should be relayed to appropriate district personnel or directly to Follett Destiny.
Destiny - email: [email protected]
Follett Shelf - email: [email protected]
Customer Service - email: [email protected]