6163.1

Instruction

Selection of School Library Media Resources

Responsibility for Selection of Materials

The Board of Education is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of New Hartford Schools, including the Library Media Resource Center. This Board subscribes to the Library Bill of Rights (AASL).

The primary responsibility for the selection of library materials lies with media specialists employed by the school system. Recommendation of resources may involve many people: principals, supervisors, teachers, students, parents and laypersons. The responsibility for coordinating the selection of library media resources and making the recommendation for purchase rests with the professionally trained media personnel.

Objectives of Selection

The primary objective of the school s educational media center is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of the school. It is the responsibility of the center to provide a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and the presentation of different points of view.

The Board asserts that the responsibility of the library media center is:

  to provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the students served.

  to provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.

  to provide a background of information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.

  to provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical analysis of all media.

  to provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups and their contributions to our American heritage.

  to place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library media center.

Criteria for Selection of Library Media Resources

Needs of the individual school based on knowledge of the curriculum, teacher and student needs and of the existing collection are given first consideration. Materials for purchase are considered on the basis of:

  overall purpose

  timeliness and permanence

  importance of the subject matter

  quality of the writing or production

  readability and popular appeal

  authoritativeness

  reputation of the producer or publisher

  reputation and significance of the author, artist, composer

  format and price

Policy adopted:  June 3, 2008