POLICIES & PROCEDURES - In ISB Libraries
I. STATEMENT OF SELECTION POLICY
The main objective of our selection procedure is to provide a wide range of learning resources at varying levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal and the presentation of different points of view to meet the needs of students and teachers.
II. OBJECTIVES OF SELECTION
A. The primary objective of the Media program is to enrich the education program of the school through the interaction of professional personnel and other members of the school community. It is the duty of professional staff to provide students with a wide range of materials at varying levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal and the presentation of many different points of view.
B. To this end, the ISA (International School Association) Board of Directors affirms that it is the responsibility of its professional staff:
- To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, learning styles and maturity levels of the students served;
- To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and societal standards;
- To provide materials on various sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may have an opportunity to develop under guidance the practice of critical analysis and to make informed judgments in their daily lives;
- To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contributions to the world community;
- To place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure the development of a comprehensive collection appropriate to the school community.
III. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
A. The ISA Board of Directors delegates the responsibility for the selection of learning resources to the professional media staff employed by the school, and declares that selections made shall be held to have been made by the Board of Directors of ISB.
B. While selection of learning resources involves many people (administrators, teachers, students, community persons, resource center personnel) the responsibility for coordinating the selection of school learning resources and making the recommendation for purchase rests with the professional media personnel.
IV. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
A. The following criteria will be used as they apply. Materials will be selected on the basis of;
- Educational significance
- Contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the students
- Favorable reviews found in standard selection sources
- Favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel
- Reputation and significance of the author, producer and publisher
- Validity, currency, and appropriateness of material
- Contribution the material makes to breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues
- High degree of potential user appeal
- High artistic quality and/or literary style
- Quality and variety of format
- Value commensurate with cost and/or need
- Timeliness or permanence
C. Gift materials shall be judged by the criteria outlined above and shall be accepted or rejected by those criteria
V. PROCEDURES FOR SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
A. In selecting learning resources, professional personnel will evaluate available resources and curriculum needs and will consult reputable, professionally prepared aids to selection and other appropriate sources. Among sources to be consulted are :
1. Bibliographies (latest ed. available, including supplements) :
- Basic Book Collection (Elem. , Jr. High & High School Ed.)
- Book Bait I, II, III
- Books and the Teen-age Reader
- Books for Secondary School Libraries
- Books for You
- Core Media Collection for Secondary Schools
- Elementary School Library Collection
- Guide to Reference Books
- Guide to Reference Books for School Media Centers
- Guide to Sources in Educational Media
- High Interest, Easy Reading for Junior and Senior High- School Students
- Junior High School Library Catalog
- Magazines for Libraries
- New York Times Book Review
- Outstanding Books for the College Bound
- Reference Books for School Libraries
- Senior High School Library Catalog
- Subject Guide to Children's Books in Print
- Subject Index to Books for Primary & Intermediate Grades
- Your Reading: a Booklist for Junior and Middle School Students
- American Educator
- Book Links
- Booklist
- Curriculum Review
- Electronic Learning
- English Journal
- Journal of Educational Research
- Journal of Learning Disabilities
- Language Arts
- Learning and Leading with Technology
- Macworld
- Middle School Journal
- Modern Language Journal
- Music Educators' Journal
- Phi Delta Kappan
- Reading Teacher
- School Library Journal
- Teacher Librarian
- Technology Connection
- TESOL Journal
- Voices from the Middle