6205: Library Resources Selection and Reconsideration

District Policy 6205                   

LIBRARY RESOURCES SELECTION AND RECONSIDERATION

1.0       The purpose of the school library collection is to provide a variety of resources, including print materials, online databases and other digital resources that are aligned to the American Library Association (ALA) and American Association of School Libraries (AASL) national standards for school library programs and meet the following objectives:

1.1       to provide staff and students with materials that enrich and support the curriculum and meet the needs of the learning community;

1.2       to provide students with a wide range of educational materials on all levels of difficulty and in a variety of formats, with diversity of appeal, allowing for the presentation of many different points of view;

1.3       to select materials that present various perspectives, giving students an opportunity to develop analytical skills resulting in informed decisions; and

1.4       to select materials in all formats, including up-to-date, high quality, varied literature to develop and strengthen a love of reading.

2.0       The selection of resources for the school library collection is a process that includes review of state academic standards, district curriculum, student needs, ongoing review of the many resources available in the marketplace, and periodic assessment of the changing nature of print and digital resources.

2.1       Recommendations from students, staff, curriculum content teams, and community members shall be sought and considered prior to selection.

3.0       The digital literacy partner (DLP), along with school and district personnel, using the criteria in this section and section 4.0, have shared authority for selecting and deselecting (weeding) library resources. Library collections strive to:

3.1       be balanced to support readers at a variety of reading and language levels;

3.2       reflect diverse ideas and perspectives from a diverse range of populations;

3.3       provide a global perspective and promote diversity;

3.4       exemplify a range of genres and literary styles;

3.5       provide materials which implement, support, and enrich the curriculum;

3.6       provide materials for students that promote enjoyment of reading and listening;

3.7       provide materials for students to study issues that have political, economic, or social significance, and which allow for critical analysis of issues;

3.8       be appropriate for the maturity and ability of the student population; and

3.9       stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, and aesthetic values.

4.0       The selection of materials will be directed toward maintaining a balanced collection representing diverse views and perspectives. Additional considerations include the resource’s literary value, formatting and text layout, accuracy, authoritativeness, and aesthetic characteristics.

5.0       The following tools will be used to select school library materials:

5.1       professional journal reviews;

5.2       award lists;

5.3       recommendations from digital literacy partners and district personnel;

5.4       recommendations from students, staff and community members; and

5.5       school library collection analysis.

6.0       Materials donated or gifted to a school library shall be accepted or rejected using the criteria in sections 3.0 and 4.0 and the ALA/AASL national standards in section 1.0.

7.0       The DLP, along with district personnel, have shared authority for weeding and discarding school library collection resources and outdated curricular materials using the criteria in sections 3.0 and 4.0 and the ALA/AASL national standards in section 1.0.

8.0       Request for Conference.

8.1       The district provides opportunities for parents/guardians of district students, students enrolled in a district school, district employees, or district resident (Complainant) to express concerns related to resources included in district-managed, school library collections. A Complainant should contact the school administrator to schedule a conference with the administrator and the person responsible for the selection of library materials.

8.2       At such conference, the focus of the discussion shall be the specific library resource and the reasons for the objection.

8.3       School administrators shall maintain a written record of this meeting and any ensuing meetings.

9.0       Request to Reconsider.

9.1       If the library resource in question cannot be resolved at the school level, the school administrator shall collaborate with and notify the Director of Instructional Technology and Library Services (ITLS Director) of the challenge and request that the Complainant complete the Library Resources: Request to Reconsider Form.

9.2       The ITLS Director shall be responsible for obtaining appropriate professional reviews and award lists for the challenged resource.

9.3       The ITLS Director shall submit a summary of such materials to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO).

9.4       The appropriateness of the library resource will be determined by the CAO without a hearing. If the CAO concludes that information from the review and collaboration with other school library professional(s) support, on balance, continued inclusion of the resource in the school library, the challenge to the library resource will be considered resolved and the book will continue to be included in the school library collection.

10.0     Appeal to the Superintendent.

10.1     If the Complainant wishes to appeal the CAO’s decision, the Complainant shall file a written request for appeal with the CAO within one (1) calendar month of the CAO’s decision.

10.2     A panel selected and chaired by the Superintendent’s designee shall review the appeal and make a recommendation to the Superintendent within sixty (60) days of the panel’s receipt of the appeal.

10.3     The Superintendent shall review the panel’s recommendations and render a decision. Any appeal from the decision of the Superintendent shall be submitted to the Board of Education as provided in section 11.0.

11.0     Appeal to the Board of Education.

11.1     If the Complainant wishes to appeal to the Board of Education (Board), the Complainant shall file a written request for appeal with the Board within 15 days following the Complainant’s receipt of the Superintendent’s decision.

11.2     An appeal to the Board shall follow the procedure for appeals to the Board set forth in District Policy 1550.

11.3     If the same library material is challenged at a future date, a copy of any final written recommendation, decision and any Board action in the previous challenge shall be sent to the Complainant with an explanation that the issues raised have been resolved by a previous challenge.

11.3.1  If the Complainant believes the challenge is different from the previous one, or that significant new evidence exists, the Complainant may appeal this decision to the CAO within one (1) calendar month of the decision. If the Complainant is not satisfied with the CAO’s decision, the Complainant may appeal to the Board of Education within 15 days following the Complainant’s receipt of the CAO’s decision.

12.0     Any party may be represented by counsel at any step of the challenge.

13.0     This policy is in addition to all other policies/procedures of the District.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Most Recent Adoption: June 13, 2022