• Research and information skills
• Media production, uses interpretation and appreciation
• Children and young adult literature appreciation
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills pertinent to an information literacy curriculum.

Students and staff have full access to the media center during the day to use information sources, to read for pleasure, or to meet and work with other students and teachers. Individuals or small groups may visit the media center for a short amount of time or the entire period. Teachers may accompany the entire class to the media center. The sign up book to schedule class visits is located at the circulation desk.

 

Library Resources:

Definition of Library Resources- library resources are those materials both print and non print, found in school libraries, that support curricular and personal information needs. Print items include books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, microfiche or microfilm. Non print items include films, disc records, filmstrips, slides, prints, audiotapes, videotapes, realia, media equipment, and computer software.

 

Criteria for selection of Library Resources:

• The criteria for selection of library resources in the District are:
  • Needs of the individual student
    • Based on knowledge of students.
    • Based on requests of parents and students.
    Needs of the individual school
    • Based on knowledge of the curriculum of the school.
    • Based on requests from the professional staff
• Provision of a wide range of materials on many levels of difficulty with a diversity of appeal and the presentation of different points of view.
• Provision of materials of high artistic quality.
• Provision of materials with superior format.
• Reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids are consulted as guides.

• In accordance with the District's policy of providing instructional materials on opposing sides of controversial issues, it should be noted that neither the media centers nor the District serve as advocates for the ideas expressed in any materials, nor does the presence of any material indicate automatic endorsement of the ideas expressed therein.

• Circulation records shall not be made available to anyone except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized by law.

 

Re-evaluation (Weeding) of Library Resources:

• The continuous review of library/media center materials is necessary as a means of maintaining a useful and active collection. as new materials are selected and added, some older materials are withdrawn. The responsibility for determining which materials are to be withdrawn rests with the professional library staff.
• Among the reasons for withdrawing an item are the following:
  • Curricular changes have rendered superfluous some materials (or multiple copies of materials) formerly used by no longer in demand.
  • Some materials contain factual material which is no longer accurate nor current.
  • some materials intended for recreational reading have become dated or unattractive and are no longer in demand. (Some such books which are deemed "standards" or "classics" will be retained even though they rarely circulate).
  • Some materials have become worn out, damaged or physically deteriorated and have lost utility and/or appeal.
  • Some materials have been superseded by new items which present the same information by in superior format.
• Withdrawn library/media center materials are processed in one or more of the following ways:
  • Made available to be used as resource or supplementary material by teachers.
  • Offered to other media centers in the District, as it is possible that a material which lacks utility in one building may have some usefulness in another.
  • Contributed to appropriate charitable or educational agencies.
  • Discarded, when warranted.
• Continuing evaluation is closely related to the goals and responsibilities of the library/media centers and is a valuable tool of collection development. This procedure is not to be used as a convenient or expedient means to remove materials presumed to be controversial or likely to be disapproved by segments of the community. Materials are not to be proscribed or removed because of actual or potential partisan or doctrinal disapproval, no because of the origin, background or views of those contributing to their creation.

 

Reconsideration of instructional Resources:

Material that is challenged usually belongs to one of the three basic categories: religion, ideology, or profanity/obscenity. Board policies regarding these areas shall be as follows:

• Religion--Factual, unbiased material on religions has a place in school libraries.
• Ideologies--Libraries should, with no thought toward swaying reader judgment, make available a balanced collection of primary and factual material, on the level of their students on various ideologies or philosophies which exert or have exerted a strong force, either favorably or unfavorable, in government, current events, politics, education and other phases of life.
• Profanity/obscenity--Materials shall be subjected to a test of literary merit and reality in context using the criteria established.
  • When a problem concerning instructional resources in a school arises, the disposition of the problem will be made in a reasonable period of time using District adopted procedures.
  • In accordance with he statement of philosophy, no questioned materials shall be removed from the school pending a final decision. Pending the outcome of the request for reconsideration, however, access to questioned materials can be denied to the students of the parents making the complaint, if they so desire.
  • If the decision of the School Committee is that the questioned instructional resource be retained, the District will not convene a Review Committee relative to the same complaint for a period of three years. If a substantially different point of view is advanced, it will be investigated. (The period of three years does not apply in this instance).
  • If an individual or group undertakes action to keep material from the shelves by checking it out and failing to return it, or by taking turns in keeping it checked out so that it is not available for student use, the Superintendent shall request, in writing, the return of the material. If it is not returned within thirty (30) days, a bill for the current replacement cost of the item shall be rendered the the party holding the item.
  • After the School Committee has adopted new materials or approved certain methods, that decision will not be reconsidered for a period of three years beginning with the end of the school year with the adoption is made.