Week Two: In Class Activity
SELECTION POLICY ANALYSIS
SELECTION POLICY ANALYSIS
You’ve
had an opportunity to read about Selection Policies this week, so now it’s time
to go on a local mission... Ask your school librarian, your library director,
or your principal to share with you the school/township/corporation Library
Selection Policies (sometimes known as a Collection Development Plan).
After
you browse your Library
Selection Policies/Collection Development Plan received from one of the folks above, what commonalities does this
document have with your week’s readings (please quote the documents directly)? What stands out as “missing” from your
local policies/plan in relationship to your readings (please quote the documents directly)? Draft these 2-3 paragraphs and post them as a “comment” to
this blog. Please be sure to sign your post and to include the school/city/state of the plan you are analyzing.
Not working in a school? Ask your
local school district (tax payers have a right to view these), or send a
message out to LIB-SCI or the Texas Library Connection listserv to request one
(either a school or public library policy/plan will work). Ask for what you [want to] represent. For example, if you work in a
private elementary school, ask folks who represent the same type of school to send you documents.
| Women on Local Mission |
Lana Wallace
ReplyDeleteSecond Baptist School
Woliver-Anderson Library
Houston, TX
I discovered that my school did have a collection development plan, but we unable to locate it. We have seen a few personnel changes in the past few years as well as reorganizing storage; therefore, we assume the documents are no longer in our library. It looks like I will be using this assignment to write a new one for my school library from scratch. I did find our Reading Program Philosophy which did reference book selection and reconsideration.
In regards to book selection, my school’s reading program philosophy states, “We have labored diligently to select pieces of literature that are considered to be important works that most colleges and universities would expect students to read. We try to consider carefully the value or overriding theme of the book and not allow a few passages of crude language or graphic description to be the ultimate determining factors in a selection of a book.” This statement is vague and needs more clarification and details. We do have procedures to follow when a book is challenged, however, they are not formally stated. The only mention of this is in the same reading philosophy document mentioned before and states, “If there are ever any questions about the appropriateness of any of the books on the list, please contact the administrators at the school. They will be happy to provide you with more information about the book.” I think this statement needs to be expanded considerably. Basically, that is all I could find for my library’s CDP. I then decided to email a local network of librarians to ask for examples of their collection development plans. Since the schools in this network are private schools, and many our faith based like mine, I thought this would be a good resource. Within 5 minutes of my email going out, I had a response from another faith based private school, along with their newly revised CDP (great timing). Their headings include their mission, criteria for selection, selection aids, recommendation, donations, selection responsibility, reconsideration of materials, weeding, and replacement of materials. I was very impressed because it did in most areas follow the ALA guidelines for policy writing. Some policy examples include, but are not limited to:
*-* Mission: “...... is to provide a collection of print and electronic resources to meet the academic needs of the community, to ensure that the community of patrons are effective users of the ideas and information, thus enabling them to become lifelong readers and learners, whilst promoting intellectual freedom values.”
*-* Selection Responsibility: “….ultimately the responsibility for selection of appropriate materials rests with the librarian for the specific grade level.”
What was missing was the community profile and copyright. According to the Guide for Written Collection Policy Statement Second Edition, the introduction to the policy statement should include “the general description of the institution and clientele served” (2.1.B).
My take from the reading and seeing examples of CDPs? In a nutshell, every library needs one. Every library should be practicing the policies and revising when needed. The CDP is a living document. Every library should acknowledge where they are strong in the collection and where they are weak. Let’s face it: we have a weakness somewhere in our collection. Maybe a few areas? (I’m talking to myself here) Maybe after this assignment, I will be able to remedy that.
Michelle Davis
ReplyDeleteMagnolia School
Magnolia Springs, Alabama
Baldwin County Board of Education - bcbe.org
After reviewing both the Workbook for Selection Policy Writing and Baldwin County Public School’s Library Media Specialist Information Handbook (Revised May 2011) in particular pages 3-5, and pages 8-20, I found that for the most part BCBOE’s policies mirror those recommended by the ALA. All of the public school libraries in our county follow these same policies. This document is easily found on our county’s website and our library has a printed copy available to parents as requested.
The sections that most closely follow the guidelines are the objectives, roles and responsibilities (actually excerpted from Chapter 1, “The Vision,” of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning – ALA), procedures, special areas, policies on controversial materials, and reconsideration. For these sections I was actually able to go down the checklist and check off every specific recommendation that was listed by ALA. I was very impressed by the thoroughness of our document. Although worded differently, of course, the intent and purpose are the same. In our policy the qualified Library Media Specialist is the position designated as being responsible for “coordinating and recommending the selection and purchase of library and instructional materials,” however, “the ultimate responsibility for selection materials housed within the school rests with the principal in accordance with board policy.” I’m thinking that as a principal, I really wouldn’t want to have to be accountable to the parents of students in regards to having to defend what is in the library if I wasn’t the one making the final decision on the selection.
There were very few items that I could even loosely say weren’t covered. One of these areas is in the criteria section. I found that we do not have a specific statement in regards to technical criteria like in the workbook where they recommend mentioning “clarity of sound in audio materials and cinematography in films.” The only other thing in this section was that our document only lists School Library Journal as a specific list to consult, maybe we should list a few more even though we are not limited to just the one. Our reconsideration section is extremely detailed, so it did surprise me to not find a sample response letter to a complainant. Other than these minor details I did not see anything else as a discrepancy.
Overall I’m pretty sure that the committee that put our document together approached it with this same Workbook for Selection Policy Writing in hand. They probably also had a pile of other ALA produced manuals with them as well. I believe that we have a very good set of policies and it is nice to know that all that I am learning about Selection is fully supported by my district and the other librarians in my county!
Amy Sanchez
ReplyDeleteO'Connor Elementary
VISD Policies
Victoria, TX
After reading the assigned articles, I located the districts’ policy on the library and materials. My campus does not have a written policy in place at this time. When comparing our districts policy with the policy guidelines in the readings there were some commonalities. In the Workbook for Selection Policy Writing, it states that “you should include a statement on intellectual freedom and why it is important to maintain.” The policy in my district mentions intellectual freedom in two places. First, the policy states that “when instructional resources are challenged, the principles of the freedom to read, listen, and view must be defended as well.” And second, “The District possesses significant discretion to determine the content of its school libraries. The District must, however, exercise its discretion in a manner consistent with the First Amendment.” Another important component in policy writing is the process on dealing with challenged material. The district policy begins with “The school receiving a complaint about the appropriateness of an instructional resource shall try to resolve the matter informally using the following procedure:” and then continues into the steps of handling such complaints.
A major component missing from the policy would be the mission statement. According to Guide for Written Policy Statements “the introduction describes the context of a library’s collection management and development program, lists the mission and goals of the program.” While the policy in place does give the objective for the use of instructional materials “The District shall provide a wide range of instructional resources for students and faculty that present varying levels of difficulty, diversity of appeal, and a variety of points of view.” It is lacking in the overall purpose and goal of the library. The current policy also gives general, non-specific selection criteria. For example, “professional staff shall ensure that materials support and are consistent with the general educational goals of the state and District and the aims and objectives of individual schools and specific courses consistent with the District and campus improvement plans.” It informs us in Guidelines to Written Policy Statements that the detailed analysis of subject collections should “describe the breadth and depth of subject collections in a standard, uniform, and detailed manner.”
Although the district policy does include some of the components for a Library Section Policy and is a good starting point, it can be built upon with other specific pieces and details to make it more of a solid thorough document.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMandy Parker
ReplyDeleteKlein Oak High School
Klein ISD
Spring, Texas
My librarians were happy to sit down and discuss selection policy with me. As a district, we have a written policy, which I will discuss here, but I was told that selection for the collection of materials rests in the hands of the librarians themselves. They have a lot of leeway, apparently.
As to the formal selection policy, it is in line, for the most part, with that laid out in the Workbook for Selection Policy Writing. In the Workbook, there are five objectives listed, but we have six, and our number five is different as well. In the Workbook, it states "5. To place principles above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate to the school community." In the selection policy for my district, it states "5. Provide a wide range of background information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives." and "6. Are on an approved list published by a standard and reputable library source." Honestly, I think the one in the Workbook would be appropriate to include in our district policy as well.
Another difference between the Workbook Policy and our district policy is that sections IV and V, Criteria for Selection of Learning Resources and Procedures for Selection of Library Learning Resources are not included in the policy for my school district. Instead, our policy jumps right into Controversial Issues and Challenged Materials. There is a difference from the policy in the Workbook here as well. The Workbook policy goes from Reconsideration to Resolution, whereas our policy discusses Appeal and Guiding Principles for Challenging Materials. It almost seems as though we've already decided that there will be no resolution.
One other document that my school librarians gave me was the unofficial selection guidelines for our district. This is actually where some guidelines for selecting learning materials are covered, but it doesn't say much.
All in all, I think the selection policies for my district are in line with those set out in the Workbook.
Yilsa de los Santos
ReplyDeleteNortheast Independent School District-San Antonio, TX
After evaluating NEISD’s CDP looking for the 6 basic areas that a good written Collection Development Policy should have as described in “Workbook for Selection Policy Writing”, I found that NEISD has a lot of commonalities. Their objective, was very strong and defined the parameters of “instructional resources” and states, “The Primary objectives of instructional resources are to deliver, support, enrich, and assist in implementing the District’s educational program”. Included in the objectives section was the Responsibility of Selection statement, which reads “The Board shall rely on the District professional staff to select and acquire instructional resources that. . .” In “Workbook for Selection Policy Writing”, it states that when writing selection criteria, “criteria should be spelled out to guide all professionals involved in selection in deciding on specific items. . .” NEISD states in their policy “In the selection of instructional resources, especially library acquisitions and supplemental materials for classroom use, professional staff shall ensure that materials. . .” and then they list four guidelines. In addition, NEISD states that “review sources such as School Library Journal, Horn Book, Booklist, and VOYA, etc. should be consulted before selections are purchased.” In respect to the Procedures for Selection, NEISD states “Recommendations for library acquisitions shall involve administrators, teachers, other District personnel, and community representatives, as appropriate . . .” Within their procedures statement they also mention gifts. In reference to Policies on Controversial Materials, NEISD includes “Controversial Issues” and “Challenged Materials” sections in which NEISD states “A parent of a District student, any employee, or any District resident may formally challenge an instructional resource used in the District’s educational program on the basis of appropriateness.” The sections on reconsideration of materials are very lengthy and detailed and are broken down into several sections including Informal Reconsideration, Formal Reconsideration, Appeal, and Guiding Principles. NEISD also includes a “Request for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials” and “Checklist for Reconsideration of Instructional Materials” form following the Reconsideration policies.
Very little stood out as missing while analyzing NEISD’s CDP. Under criteria and procedures for selection, I felt that they could have included more information concerning kinds of information for the media center as suggested in “Workbook for Selection Policy Writing”. Another thing I noticed is that while NEISD did include the following statement “When instructional resources are challenged, the principles of the freedom to read, listen, and view must be defended as well.” it is suggested to include text from the first amendment of the US Constitution and the Library Bill of Rights. If this was included, I feel that it would truly make NEISD’s Collection Development Plan Exemplary.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDon't know what happened to my post at 8:15. Will repost.
DeleteAgain? It was there- I will repost again.
DeleteSandra that happened to me 2x....I shortened mine then it took it, but looking at some others posted on her, the original one that I posted was shorter than some on here, so I am basically at a loss for words as to what happened to my first 2 postings as well :(
Delete*here
DeleteJacqueline Hunt
ReplyDeletePoindexter Elementary School
Jackson, MS
MS Board of Education
Library Selection Policies/Collection Development
After reviewing the Guide for Written Collection Policy and MS Board of Education’s policy, I found out that the MS Board of Education has a vision and mission statement and the Guide for Written Collection Policy has a value statement, the intent and purpose are the same.
The needs of the Poindexter Elementary School library are based on knowledge of the curriculum and of the existing collection. These needs are given first consideration in the selection of materials used to enhance the classroom curriculum.
Poindexter Elementary School campus adheres to the MS Board of Education’s policy regarding selection of materials.
Along with the guidelines outlined in the district’s policy, the following criteria are recommended as a guide to selecting the best resources for the library media center: : • Literary and artistic excellence • Lasting importance or significance to a field of knowledge • Support of the curriculum and educational goals of the school • Favorable reviews found in standard selection sources • Favorable recommendations by educational professionals • Reputation and significance of the author, illustrator, or publisher • Timeliness of the material • Contribution to the diversity of the collection • Appeal to media center patrons • Suitability for intended use.
The functions are guided by a district-approved Collection Development Policy, which establishes priorities, supports efforts, and facilitates purchase decisions.
With a tightening budget budgets, the school librarian look at ways to access resources in formats beyond physical ownership, such as licensed electronic databases.
A Collection Development Policy is revised periodically to reflect the changing needs of the school community. Many websites are available to assist in writing policy.
Basically, what I found that MS Board of Education mirror the ALA policy. This document is located on the district’s website.
Jimmy G. Mai
ReplyDeleteSam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center
Houston Independent School District
Houston, TX
As the school I currently work at does not have a school library (working to change that) I sought out my previous school’s library to examine their CDP. I learned that HISD School Libraries all follow the same CDP for their institutions and if the Librarian at a specific site wishes to create their own it must coincide with district policies. Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center opted to follow district policies and stick with the “universal” CDP.
After an extensive evaluation (and pestering my former colleagues with questions on a Friday) I learned that the HISD CDP follows closely to other districts in the State of Texas in that it lists out specific and at the same time very general policies with regards to how a collection is developed and what materials are selected over time. Pages 104-106 of the document list the procedures for obtaining and selecting materials. There are strict guidelines to the physical nature of the books purchased and the condition they need to be in and also guidelines to academic worthiness and merit. However, these guidelines are in fact only guides. Much of the selection process and obtaining materials is left up to the Librarian, provided they have followed the HISD CDP. The CDP gives a general sense of where to go, but it doesn’t specifically explain where they want you to go. That is left up to the school and school librarian. Additionally it should be noted that these policies apply to all materials and products, there is a guide, but again it’s up to the librarian to evaluate and decide what is best.
When I was going over the policy I was immediately reminded of the text “Wasted Words: The Written Collection Development Policy and the Academic Library” by Richard Snow. Within his article Snow argues against the writing of CDPs and instead on the selection of materials to be included in a collection and also the evaluation of existing collections for the educational institute (191). To me HISD’s CDP is so general that it could be utilized for years to come. Rather than specifically instructing librarians what to buy and promote, it leaves it up to the individual to properly evaluate where they want to go with their mission and carefully analyze how to get there. At first I was a little concerned with the lack of direction, but after some reflection I came to accept this notion and got very excited about the notion of being able to really shape the future of a library I will one day come to work at.
One thing that I did feel was lacking in this CDP was the inclusion of guidelines for instructional materials in other languages. On page 108-109 of the document there were some loose guidelines for materials in Spanish, but just Spanish. This concerned me as the “Guidelines for Development and Promotion of Multilingual Collections and Services” lists a detailed guide as to how to collect and promote multilingual collections. The HISD CDP lacks many of these guidelines and leaves it heavily to the librarian to figure out. This is very disheartening considering how many speakers in other languages other than English or Spanish we have here in Houston and its surrounding areas.
Despite the multilingual shortcomings and the fact that its generalities might drive a new librarian crazy, I find this to be a solid CDP that allows for exceptional creativity and also a stable framework.
After so many attempts...Hope this one stays on blog.
ReplyDeleteEnelda Mata
ReplyDeleteOrtiz Elementary
BISD
Brownsville, TX
I discovered that my school does not have an individualized CDP. I learned that all the libraries in BISD follow the same CDP.
After evaluating BISD’s CDP I found that BISD has commonalities with Workbook for Selection Policy Writing article. The article states “Instructional materials are selected by the school district to implement, enrich, and support the educational program for the student. Materials must serve both the breadth of the curriculum and the needs and interests of individual students. The district is obligated to provide for a wide range of abilities and to respect the diversity of many differing points of view. To this end, principles must be placed above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality and appropriateness.” The district’s policy states “The Board shall rely on District professional staff to select and acquire instructional resources that: 1. Enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration students’ varied interests, abilities, learning styles, and maturity levels. 2. Stimulate growth in factual knowledge, enjoyment of reading, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and societal standards. 3. Present various sides of controversial issues so that students have an opportunity to develop, under guidance, skills in critical analysis and in making informed judgments in their daily lives. 4. Represent many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and their contributions to the national heritage and world community. 5. Provide a wide range of background information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.”
Recommendations for library acquisitions shall involve administrators, teachers, and other District personnel. The main objectives to consider when making a selection is it going to help deliver, support, enrich, and assist in implementing the District’s educational program. I found that our policy is very similar to the ALA policy. The BISD Policy is located on the website.
JMF-
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this is so late! I somehow missed this in class assignment.
Megan Pearson
Denton ISD
Denton, TX
Unfortunately, I was unable to find the selection policy for my school district. I was able to find the library media center handbook Denton ISD which is closely located to Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch ISD. DISD’s selection criteria closely mirrors the selection criteria from the Workbook for Selection Policy Writing. The manual contains selection criteria involving consistency with the state and district curriculums, factual content, physical format, pluralistic society, controversial issues, and meeting the needs of students at all levels. DISD also includes selection criteria of keeping the collection up to date and cost effectiveness in terms of use. I really like how this document also provides readers with ways in which the library media program supports student learning. (Examples taken from the DISD Library Handbook: 1. Students are taught that they have many print and electronic resources in the library and hot to locate them so that they can frame questions and conduct research in English Language Arts. 2. Students have access to a variety of rich material such as biographies, folktales, myths and legends, poetry, songs, and artworks to support learning in social studies.) Two specific items that I found missing from the DISD Library Handbook is the selection criteria for the media center.
Overall, I feel that this document was very well put together. It is easy to find through the district’s website and describes the library procedures in great detail. The handbook provides an appendix which includes the district reconsideration form and a checklist for reconsideration of instructional materials. I struggled to find information that this document lacked. It is clear that the staff members who developed this manual used the ALA’s guidelines when compiling this library handbook. The Workbook for Selection Policy Writing states, “A good policy on the selection of instructional materials will be relevant to your particular system and include basic sections on objectives, responsibility, criteria, procedures for selection, reconsideration of materials, and policies on controversial materials.” This districts handbook definitely provides its staff members and community with a thorough document of how the library media program works.