Materials+Selection

Materials Selection
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Book: WCSD Policy Manual Section: 4000 Instruction Title: Library Materials Selection and Adoption Status: 4513 Adopted: 09/20/1994

The Board of Education, as the governing body of the school district, is legally responsible for the selection of library materials, including the selection and approval of printed and non-printed materials for its use. Since the Board is primarily a policy-making body, it delegates to the following professional personnel of the district the authority for the selection of materials: teachers, Principals, librarians, etc., under the leadership of the Superintendent of Schools.

In order to provide the Superintendent and his/her staff with guidance in the acquisition of instructional resource material, such as library books, references, audiovisuals, maps, etc., the Board endorses the guidelines approved by the American Library Association that such resources:


 * provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the students served;
 * provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards;
 * provide information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives;
 * provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop under guidance the practice of critical reading and thinking;
 * provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contributions to our American heritage; and
 * 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.

The Superintendent shall be responsible for the selection of resource materials within the aforesaid guidelines and for the determination of factual accuracy, readability, authoritativeness, integrity and quality of format. To assist in the selection process, reputable, unbiased professionally prepared aids (such as the Horn Book, School Library Journal, etc.) shall be consulted as guides.

In order to respond to any complaints about, or challenges to, the selection of library materials, the district has adopted regulations (1420-R, Complaints About Curricula or Instructional Materials Regulation) establishing a complaint procedure and providing for a committee to review such complaints or challenges.

If any person wishes to permanently remove materials from a school district library, he/she must seek the formal approval of the Board. The Board may determine that such materials should be removed. Such determination must not be based upon official suppression of ideas, but rather upon the educational suitability of the materials in question. Only the Board and/or the Superintendent may authorize said permanent removal of instructional materials, pursuant to the decision of the Board.

This district supports the following recommendations of the American Library Association:


 * As a responsibility of library service, books and other library materials should be chosen for values of interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community. In no case should library materials be excluded because of the race, gender, nationality or the social, political or religious views of the authors.
 * Libraries should provide books and other materials presenting all points of view concerning the problems and issues of our times; no library materials should be proscribed or removed from libraries because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
 * Censorship should be challenged by libraries in the maintenance of their responsibility to provide public information and enlightenment.
 * Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

Cross-ref: Ref:
 * 1420, Complaints about Curricula or Instructional Materials
 * 4524, School Libraries
 * Education Law §§1709(15); 1711(5)(f)
 * Board of Educ., Island Trees UFSD v. Pico, 457 US 853 (1982)

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