Providence Englewood Charter School Library Collection Development Policy

Some rules and policies have been adapted from the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services’ Collection Development Policy for School Libraries

Providence Englewood Charter School Library Mission

The goal of the Providence Englewood Charter School Library is to support the curriculum and mission of

the Providence learning community. Our mission is to accommodate the standards of the Providence

Mission Statement by:

Enhancing the instruction and evaluation of student and teacher WORK.

Instilling the ethic of inquiry needed to PLAN.

Providing the tools of research enrichment and appreciation which allow the Providence

Community to BUILD.

Fostering the curiosity and wonder needed to DREAM.

To provide these resources, the PECS Library will adhere to the following collection development policy.

GENERAL STATEMENT The PECS Library supports the American Library Association's Bill of Rights as interpreted for school library programs and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology's Statement on Intellectual Freedom.

The purpose of the PECS Library is to serve the needs of the entire school community. Materials are

selected to support the curriculum as well as the mission of the school, to help each student develop

his/her potential as a lifelong learner, and to help each teacher to achieve his/her professional goals.

SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF MATERIALS

Materials will be selected by qualified personnel, relying heavily on reviews found in standard reviewing

media. The Library media specialist will make every attempt to provide a balanced collection of the

highest quality in which students can find a variety of points of view on curriculum-related topics, along

with standard fiction and nonfiction works in fields covered in the curriculum and quality works on

subjects of current interest.

The PECS Library selects titles on the basis of principle and reason rather than personal opinion and

prejudice. Recommendations from the school community are welcomed and encouraged.

Providence Englewood Charter School Library Collection Development Policy

Some rules and policies have been adapted from the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services’ Collection Development Policy for School Libraries

Staff members involved in selection of resource materials will use the following criteria as a

guide:

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

timeliness or permanence integrity

Donation Policy

The PECS library is grateful for the service of donations and the great benefit that this philanthropic practice has for the school community. The donations of books and materials are always welcome. However, the criteria for selection which is used in purchasing new materials should also be referenced in the selection of items to donate to us. The Library reserves the right to accept or not accept any donation. Items donated to the PECS library become the property of Providence Englewood Charter School unless otherwise stated. The following materials will not be accepted:

o Reference materials published more than 10 years ago (Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Atlases, etc.).

o Recreational reading books (paperbacks) in poor physical condition. o Books on Technology, Science, Social Studies and Geography published more than 5

years from the date of donation. o Magazines published more than 10 years from the date of donation. o Books or any other resources in poor physical condition (yellow, broken or missing

pages, dust, cobwebs, written, without cover, very old editions, etc.) unless it is a unique piece of information not available in the Library and out-of-print in the general book market).

Providence Englewood Charter School Library Collection Development Policy

Some rules and policies have been adapted from the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services’ Collection Development Policy for School Libraries

Weeding

Weeding is an important part of maintaining a relevant and attractive collection. The PECS library adheres to the guidelines and recommendations of the Chicago Public Schools and American Library Association on weeding to select titles and materials which are no longer appropriate for use. Materials to consider for weeding include items that are in poor physical condition or have been updated by more current information, and those containing subject matter no longer relevant to the curriculum; receiving little use; providing wrong, inaccurate or dated information; or encouraging stereotypes or biases. Weeding decisions are made by the school’s professional library staff.

Challenged Materials

Despite the care of selection undergone by library staff, we understand that some occasional objections

may be voiced concerning library materials. Should a parent or staff member feel the need to question

materials found in the library, they are encouraged to refer to the following course of action:

When a complaint is received, the principal or library media specialist will acknowledge its receipt and will notify the Supervisor of Library Services. A determination will be made whether the complaint should be considered as an individual request or if a review committee should be activated to reevaluate the material for district-wide use.

All complaints must be presented in writing and must be signed and identified.

The Supervisor of Library Services, acting as the designee of the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Learning, shall direct the reviewing process. The review committee will be made up of members from the elementary review committee or secondary review committee, whichever level is appropriate. Information shall be shared with the Director of Elementary Education or the Director of Secondary Education. The review committee will forward its recommendation to the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Learning.

The use of challenged materials shall not be restricted until final disposition has been made by the appropriate review committee.

In its deliberations, the review committee shall consider the educational philosophy of the school district, including the philosophy of Library Services, reviews of the materials, and the objections of the complainant.

f) The Library Media Specialist will notify interested parties regarding the outcome of the review. If the action is found unsatisfactory, the complainant may appeal to the Providence Englewood Charter School Leadership team. Following decision of the PECS Leadership Team, the complainant may not

raise the same or substantially same challenge after the appeal has been decided or matter closed.

Providence Englewood Charter School Library Collection Development Policy

Some rules and policies have been adapted from the Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries and Information Services’ Collection Development Policy for School Libraries

Providence Englewood Charter School Request for Reconsideration

FORMAT: (book, video, magazine) _______________________________________

AUTHOR: ___________________________________________________________ TITLE: ______________________________________________________________ PUBLISHER:_________________________________________________________ REQUEST INITIATED BY: _____________________________________________ ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________ PHONE: _____________________________________________________________ 1. To what in the material do you object? (Please be specific and give examples)

_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ 2. Did you examine the entire item?_______________________________________

Which parts? _____________________________________________________

3. Is the item suitable for a different age group? __________________________

What ages? _____________________________________________________ 4. Is there anything good in this material? Please comment.

_______________________________________________________________ 5. What would you like the school to do about this item?

Do not assign it to my child Withdraw it from the school Other ________________________________ ______________ Signature Date Date Adapted- http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/LibrarySupport/challenge.doc July 2007