COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY...According to the 2000 US Census, Scottsbluff’s total population...

Scottsbluff Public Schools

Senior High School Media Center

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

August 4, 2016

Prepared by

Karen Harshbarger

Library Media Specialist

Scottsbluff High School

313 E. 27 St.

Scottsbluff, NE 69361

Scottsbluff Senior High School Library

Table of Contents

o Purpose

o Community/School/ Library Description

o Funding

o Mission Statement

o Selection Process

o Responsibility for Selection

o General Guidelines for Selection Books

Serials

Non-serial Online Materials and Government Sources

Online Databases

Suggested Websites for Patron Use

Web Subject Guide

Audiovisual Materials

o Selection Criteria

o Selection Tools

o Library Checkout Policies

o Multiple Copies Policy

o Professional Collection

o Interlibrary Loan

o Gifts/Donations/Memorials

o Jobbers/Vendors and Standing Orders

o Weeding/Deselection

o Collection Evaluation and Assessment Student-Generated Materials

Teacher-Generated Materials

o Copyright Guidelines and Procedures

o ALA Statements on Access and Intellectual Freedom

o Confidentiality of Patron Records

o Challenged Materials and Reconsideration of Material

o Disaster Plan

o Policy Review and Update


Purpose

The library media program is a center of instruction and inter-

disciplinary curriculum support for the school. The purpose of the media

center is to:

Ensure fair and equitable access

Promote flexible scheduling

Develop lessons and collection in cooperation with other faculty

members

Meet a variety of learning needs

Present diverse points of view

Promote intellectual freedom

Demonstrate optimal professional standards

Participate in professional development and training

Community/School/Library Description

Community Description

The community of Scottsbluff, NE is located in the panhandle of Nebraska

north of the North Platte River. The community was named after Hiram Scott, a

fur trapper who died in 1828. It is about 20 miles from the Wyoming border and

around about 100 miles from Colorado’s border. U.S. Highway 26 and State

Highways 71 and 29 serve Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff has an area of 5.9 square

miles. Located outside of town is the Western Nebraska Airport. The community

was founded in 1900 mainly because of the presence of the Burlington Northern

Railroad. Points of interest include several museums, public golf courses, public

swimming pools, and the Scotts Bluff National Monument.

According to the 2000 US Census, Scottsbluff’s total population was 14,732.

Hispanics made up 23.6% of the population, white 71.6% and Native Americans

3.2%. The median household income was $36,711. The median age for residents

was 36.3 and non-single family residences represented 63.1% of the population.

Major businesses located within the city are the Great Western Sugar

Company, the Kelley Bean Company, several small business including car dealerships,

groceries stores. The Scottsbluff Star Herald newspaper has been in existence

since 1912.


Many community and volunteer organizations are located in Scottsbluff.

Some of those are the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of

American, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA, baseball and softball organizations,

tennis, soccer, and swim team organizations are just a few of the many community

organizations found in Scottsbluff. Scottsbluff also hosts a number of churches

including several protestant and Catholic churches. One Catholic Church is

Spanish-speaking only. There are many educational facilities in this community.

The Scottsbluff School District No. 32 in Scotts Bluff County encompasses 4

elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Scottsbluff is a

member of Educational Service Unit 13, which is headquartered in Scottsbluff and

serves two counties. The University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and

Extension Center are located in Scottsbluff. The Panhandle Education Center

develops programs to serve the educational needs of communities in the Panhandle.

Platte Valley Bible College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center College

of Nursing-West Nebraska Division are also located in Scottsbluff.

Scottsbluff Senior High School Description

The school library for the Scottsbluff High School is located at 313 E. 27th

Street. The school was built in 1967. According to statistics found at the

Nebraska State Report Card website, 835 students attended Scottsbluff High

School in the 2013-2014 school year. 488 students of the student population were

White; 301 were Hispanic; 5 were Asian; 3 were Black or African American; 12 had

an ethnicity of two or more races; and 24 were Native American. Statistics

indicated that students living at the poverty level or below was 38.24% with a

mobility rate of 18.25%. 3.24% of the student population was English language

learners.

Sources:

Community Information, http://www.ci.scottsbluff.ne.us/comunity.htm

2000 US Census http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html

State of Nebraska http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/

http://reportcard.nde.state.ne.us/


Scottsbluff High School Library Description

The Scottsbluff High School library employs one full-time Media Specialist.

At the present time, there is no support staff or library paraprofessional. This

position was eliminated two years ago due to district budget cuts. Previously, the

school did employ a full-time paraprofessional.

The library is open to students and staff daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,

however, the library is closed for a lunch break. The library has two computer labs

consisting of 62 in total. Teachers schedule class use of the labs through the

librarian. The librarian sends out the schedule for the week via building e-mail.

The library collection consists of over 6800 books, dvds as well as

professional collection of books designated for teacher use only. There are four

different sections of the library that house the fiction, nonfiction, reference, and

paperback nonfiction and fiction books. These books are available for staff and

student checkout.

The Media Specialist is the administrator of the library. The Media

Specialist is not only responsible for scheduling the use of the labs, but also

responsible for adding 150 new titles each year to stay compliant with Rule 10

(which states that the library will add that many new titles each year). Further

responsibilities include assisting staff and students in finding materials in the

library, preparing and budget, arranging the library furniture, providing instruction

to staff and students in how to navigate the databases to which the

building/district subscribes, as well as collaborating with teachers to present

lessons regarding lessons in bibliographic information and using presentation

software such as the PowerPoint and Prezi programs.


Funding The Senior High Media Center budget consists of funds allocated from the

building budget. The building budget is derived from district funding.

The Media Center budget should be enough to allow for the Media Center to

meet Rule 10 (Nebraska) which states that the Media Center will “purchase 25 new

titles per teacher per year or up to 150 new titles.” Should the Media Center fail

to add 150 new titles per year, the Center will be determined not to be compliant

with Rule 10 and, therefore, subject to losing the school’s accreditation.

Mission Statement

The mission of Senior High Media Center is to ensure that all students and

staff are effective users of resources and information, achieve success in school

and become life-long learners of ideas and information. The primary objective of

the Media Center is to implement, enrich and support the educational program of

the school. It is the duty of our Media Center to provide a wide range of materials

on all levels of difficulty, with a diversity of appeal and the presentation of

different points of view. The Media Center has the responsibility to provide these

materials for pupils, teachers and administrators alike.


Selection Process

Responsibility of Selection

The Media Specialist, the building principal and the district superintendent

are responsible for the development and selection of the collection. Funding for

the collection is provided by district funds from the Scottsbluff Public Schools.

General Guidelines for Selection of Materials

Books

Books (hardback and paperbacks) being considered for the Senior High

library shall meet the following criteria:

Meet selection criteria listed in this collection development policy

Support reading programs and a range of reading levels

Reflect recommended reading lists

Be attractive and of attractive quality

Illustrations should be clear and convey meaning

Have concise, readable indexes

Graphic Novels:

Provide age-appropriate reading material

Encourage reluctant readers

Promote leisure reading

Present excellence in illustration and story

Textbooks, workbooks and other classroom materials are not part of the

Scottsbluff High School’s Media budget.

Serials

Serial subscriptions for Senior High library shall meet the following criteria:

Periodicals:

Magazines should encourage leisure reading

Should be age-appropriate

Titles should have a wide appeal

Promote instructional goals and support the curriculum

Present content in appropriate format and acceptable technical quality.

Avoid dense text and graphics


Non-serial online materials and Government Sources

Considerations for non-serial online materials and government sources for

Senior High school library:

The considered site should be age-appropriate for students in an high

school setting

The site should be of educational interest and lasting appeal

The content of the website should support the district curriculum

Online Databases

Currently, the Senior High school subscribes to the online World Book

encyclopedia, the Ebscohost database, Learn 360, Safari Montage and Rand

McNalley. These subscriptions are necessary for our buildings to be compliant

with Rule 10 which states all Media Centers in the district will have a set of

encyclopedias with a copyright date current or within the past seven years.

Suggested Websites for Patron Use at the Scottsbluff Senior High School

Science Gateway from U.S. Government Agencies

www.science.gov

This website lists government agencies according to their specialty science. A site search

engine is also offered. Updates are made on a regular basis. This site will supplement science

concepts being taught throughout the school year.

Library of Congress page for families & kids

www.loc.gov/families

This website offers many educational features on its “Kids and Families” page. Students,

teachers, and administrators can use this page to plan lessons, hone research skills, and foster

reading and writing skills.

CyberSmart!

www.cybersmart.org

This is a site for teachers and administrators. It is a free curriculum for educators

instructing students on internet safety and etiquette. It is an invaluable tool for teachers who are

responsible for their students’ cyberspace education and is updated on a monthly basis.

Awesome Library

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/

This is a resource website for students and educators of all ages. This website provides

resources that have been reviewed and found to be of high quality.

http://www.science.gov/

http://www.loc.gov/families

http://www.cybersmart.org/

http://www.awesomelibrary.org/


Web Subject Guide

There is currently no web subject guide created by and for the Scottsbluff

Senior High School. Patrons are urged to connect to the Internet Public Library to

find needed resources.

Audiovisual Materials

Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School library contains several dvd’s and

vhs tapes as well as audio books within their collection. All formats are:

Cataloged into the Scottsbluff Senior High School Follett Destiny

catalog

The considered media is age-appropriate for students in an high

school setting

The media supports the district curriculum

The majority of the media cataloged has a teacher’s guide and/or

classroom activities

The acquired formats are available for use at the Scottsbluff Senior

High School library. Other buildings may check out the media through

the librarian if so desired.

The Media Specialist is solely responsible for selection and acquisition

of the media.

All media selected will has been reviewed in Booklist magazine.


Selection Criteria

The following criteria will be used when selecting material for the

Scottsbluff Senior High School library:

Material considered will be curriculum driven

Considered material will be age appropriate for a high school setting

Material considered will should reflect the learning outcomes of the

instructional program

Considered material should present facts in an objective manner and

be accurate in terms of content

Material considered should be available in a variety of formats—print,

electronic, nonprint, multimedia—to meet the needs of a diverse

population

Considered material should have a copyright date that is current and

appropriate to the subject considered

Materials considered should be cost effective in terms of

accessibility and use

Selection Tools The following selection tools may be used to make informed judgments about

collection development:

Reviews: School Library Journal, Horn Book Guide, Booklist

Guides: Books in Print, Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators,

Awards: Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, ALA Best Books for

Young Adults, Notable Children Trade Books


Checkout Policy

Checkout Policy for Teachers, the Building Principal and other Staff Members

Teachers, the building principal, and other building staff members will not

have any time restrictions as to how long material from the Scottsbluff Senior

High School Media Center may be checked out in their name. However, all material

checked out by the individual must be returned during the current school year.

Checkout Policy for Students

Student checkout policy is as follows:

Library Books

Two books may be checked out for a period of three weeks; they may

be renewed twice

Book fine accrues at the rate of $.10 per day until the book is

returned. However, the fine will not be more than $10.00 should the

book be returned after an extended period of time. Additionally, the

student may participate in the Food for Fines program wherein

student book fines can be eliminated by donating one or more cans of

food to the local food pantry.

Students are responsible for lost or damage books.

o A fine will be assess based on the damage (i.e. $2-$5)

o Lost book fines will be based on the on the purchase price of

the book

If a student has a lost or damaged a book, the student may not check

out other library books until the fine is purged.

Checkout Policy for Magazines

Current magazines as well as older issues may be checked out on an

overnight basis. The fine for overdue magazines will be $.50 per day.

Purchase of Multiple Copies Policy

Because of budget constrictions, the Media Center currently does not

purchase multiple copies of materials in any format. Should funding become

available, multiple copies will be purchased in response to user demand as evidenced

by number of reserves, anticipated popularity, repeated requests and monitoring of

the collection.


Professional Collection Development

The development of the Professional Collection (teacher use only) will be the

responsibility of the Media Specialist, the building principal, and the district

Curriculum Director. Input from classroom teachers is encouraged.

Interlibrary Loan Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center does not

participate in the Interlibrary Loan program. However, materials are shared

throughout the district middle school and elementary buildings when requested.

Gifts, Donations and Memorials

Gifts, donations and memorials to the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media

Center should be judged by the criteria listed in the Selection Criteria for Library

Media Materials and should be accepted or rejected on the basis of those criteria.

Further, the library is not equipped to accept obsolete materials such as 8-track

tapes, outdated AV materials or any other material the building principal and the

Media Specialist deem not usable in the library or any other part of the building.

Valuing gifts:

Should the Scottsbluff Senior High School library receive any gifts-in-kind

(books, journals, etc.,) that (1) meet the specified criteria as stated in the

collection development policy and (2) are valued above $5,000, the value of the gift

would need to be determined by a third, disinterested party (perhaps a local

bookstore owner). If a fee is specified by the appraiser, the donor will agree to

pay the appraiser for his expert opinion.

Should the Scottsbluff Senior High School library receive gifts-in-kind

valued less than $4999, the library will submit a letter to the donor acknowledging

specifically what was donated. The letter will contain the library’s name, the date

of the contribution and the location of the gift. The letter will also provide a

description of the gift.

Although the IRS does not require a letter describing donations of less than

$250, the library will still submit a letter to the donor for record keeping purposes.


Jobbers/Vendors and Standing Orders

Jobbers/Vendors

The Scottsbluff Senior High School library currently does not use

jobbers/vendors to prepare orders or to determine the availability of materials.

Currently, the Media Specialist prepares orders for the library collection.

However, vendor/ jobber catalogs can be useful in preparing orders as well as

help the library determine the availability of materials. The Media Specialist must

keep in mind that that jobbers and vendors are marketing tools, not selection tools.

Therefore, should a jobber or vendor be selected in the future, the following

questions need to be considered before the selection of a jobber/vendor is

finalized:

1. What publishers does the jobber/vendor handle?

2. How does the jobber/vendor handle requests for a title not in stock?

3. What other libraries does the jobber/vendor serve?

4. What are the jobber/vendor’s common service charges and are they

indicated on the invoice as such?

5. Will the jobber/vendor’s service representative be easily accessible? (i.e.,

toll-free number, website features or e-mail?)

6. Will the jobber/vendor be able to work with our automated system?

7. What discount and special services are available from the jobber/vendor

(free or at a cost)?

8. How much time will it take the jobber/vendor to fill an order and ship it

to our library when the items are in stock?

9. Do the jobber/vendor bill for all items at once and then back order those

items not in stock; or do they bill as the items are shipped and received in our

library?

Currently, the Media Specialist prepares the Scottsbluff Senior High School

library’s book/magazine orders. The material selected to be purchased falls into

two categories: (1) items/books replaced due to being lost or damaged, and (2) new

items/books that are curriculum-driven. Finalization of the item/book order is

approved by the building principal and the district Superintendent.

Online ordering reduces the amount of paperwork necessary to complete

purchases as well as constitutes a savings to the district by reducing the costs


incurred with the preparation of purchase orders. Therefore, online ordering will

be our preferred method of ordering; however, when necessary, the Media

Specialist may also prepare written purchase orders. It will be the responsibility

of the Media Specialist to determine which company will fill the Scottsbluff Senior

High School orders, both online and written. Further, should a jobber/vendor be

approved in the future, the Media Specialist will work with that entity to order

books/magazines for the library. Using a jobber/vendor should save the library a

significant amount of time as well as money. If this proves not to be the case, the

association with the jobber/vendor will be discontinued and the Media Specialist

will be solely responsible for ordering materials for the library.

Standing Orders

Standing orders are placed on certain materials that are seldom reviewed

and/or materials that are important enough that receiving them automatically and

in a timely manner is better than missing them. Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior

High School library does not participate or enlist a standing order policy.

Weeding/Deselection

Deselection of materials is a natural part of the library’s life cycle. The

process of weeding is a key part of assessing the collection. This process helps

keep collections relevant, accurate and useful. It also facilitates more effective

use of space in the media center. The entire collection will be weeded every two

years by the Media Specialist; a block of time will be set aside for this process.

The following criteria will be used for deselection:

Library media materials should be weeded if they:

Are in poor physical condition or beyond reasonable repair;

No longer meet curriculum needs;

Do not conform to district guidelines;

Are outdated in content, use or accuracy (Copyright date will be

considered, however if the material is classic or of historical value to

the collection, the item will not be weeded);

Have not been circulated in the past 10 years;

Are biased or portray stereotypes;

The illustrations are not appealing and they date the text;


Possible weeds include:

Yearbooks, annuals or directories;

Materials over 10 years old in areas of Philosophy, Psychology, Social

Science, Travel, Geography (countries);

Materials over 5 years old in the areas of Pure Science, Technology or

Applied Science, Geography (atlases), Careers, Encyclopedia;

History told from one perspective;

Books that have not been circulated well within 5 years of their

purchase date will be reviewed and promoted (again) before being

discarded.

Deselected books may be offered to other teachers and students. It will be

the decision of the building principal to determine if a book sale should be held to

dispose of the discarded books. The building principal will also determine how to

dispose of unwanted deselected books.

Collection Evaluation and Assessment

The Media Specialist is responsible for the evaluation and assessment of the

collection. Evaluation and assessment is an ongoing process that is time consuming.

The Media Specialist will evaluate one Dewey section per year to determine how

often the items are circulated, if the information contained is current, and if the

item should be retained or discarded.

Student-Generated Materials

It will be the policy of the Media Center to display, at the teacher’s request,

material/projects created by students. The projects/material will be displayed

within the current school year until removed by the teacher.

If classes create books for the library, we agree to keep the books for a

period of three years simply to inspire other students. Should we receive a

request to checkout a student-generated book or report/study, a contract will be

signed by the student stating the patron understands that copying any part of the

book/study/report would constitute an act of plagiarism and therefore, will not be

copied for personal use. The statement will also note that the student author is

the copyright holder of the material.


Teacher-Generated Materials

Copyright law states that teacher-created materials are the property of the

school district. Therefore, should the library house teacher-created materials, it

will be noted that the copyright holder is the school district. Should patrons

request to checkout or copy the material for instructional, scholarship, or

educational purposes, the patron must first complete an order request to be

submitted to the librarian. If copies are needed, the librarian will submit the

order to the building principal for approval to use the copy machine.

Copyright Guidelines and Procedures

The Scottsbluff Senior High School library adheres to the law regarding

copyright. The following procedures are implemented to assure that the

Scottsbluff Senior High School’s staff and patrons are compliant with copyright

law.

Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School library does not provide

copies of print materials to their patrons. However, if a patron needs to have

material copied, he/she must make arrangements with the building principal to use

the school copier.

There are no out-of-print or rare materials in the Scottsbluff Senior High

School Media Center. Should the Media Center acquire such valuable materials,

copyright law specifies that libraries may not reproduce multiple copies of any item;

however, they may reproduce up to three copies for replacement purposes only.

Therefore, copying of out-of-print and rare materials will only take place after a

reasonable effort to replace the item at a reasonable cost has been exhausted.

Copyright Section 108(d) allows libraries to provide for copies for patrons:

“. . .no more than one article or other contribution to a copyrighted collection or

periodical issue, or to a copy or phonorecord of a small part of any other copyright

work.” Therefore, the Scottsbluff Senior High School library patrons may receive

one copy of a requested item when the Media Specialist and the building principal

determine (1) the copy to be made is without any purpose of direct or indirect

commercial advantage, (2) the request is made by a patron of the school library for

research purposes, and (3) the copy to be made will include a notice of copyright.


Copyright law as it pertains to other formats:

Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media center is does not have

the capabilities to make copies of computer software, cd’s, dvd’s, VHS tapes or

other nonprint formats. Further, the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media

Center is blocked/filtered by the district from downloading music or videos from

the Internet.

Copyright law specifies that schools that purchase computer programs must

have a network license if the software is to be loaded onto more than one school

computer. If the school purchases only one computer program, that program may

be loaded onto a single computer and may not be copied.

Copyright law also specifies that should libraries agree to provide copies of

non-print works to patrons, they should post in a prominent place, a notice of

copyright law and long with an order form. When a request is made, the library

shall first determine that the request is for educational, research or scholarly

pursuit. When that determination is made, the request will be honored.

Copyright Law as it pertains to materials that are produced in-house (i.e.,

classroom books, teacher-created material, student-created material, etc.)

When students create material, the student is considered the author and

thus the copyright holder. To reproduce student-created materials, permission

must be given by the copyright holder (student).

Materials created by teachers are considered “works-for-hire” and the

district is the copyright holder. Reproduction of those materials must have the

consent of the district.

Should material created by students or teachers be housed or displayed in

the library, the material will be assumed to be copyrighted and thus not available

for commercial use. Copies will only be made by the office staff (there is no

photocopying machine or scanner in the library) when it is determined that

reproduction of the copyrighted work is within the scope of the copyright law.

Use of copy machines in the library

Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School library does not have a

photocopying machine in the library. Anything copied for patrons would first need

the approval of the building principal. If the patron’s request borders on copyright

infringement, no copying will be made unless the copyright holder has given

authorization.

If the Scottsbluff Senior High School library should acquire a copy machine

in the future, we will be complaint with copyright procedures. Copyright law

specifies that libraries must post a notice above the copy machine that uses the

official text of the required copyright sign. This notice explains to the user that


the library and librarians are not liable for the unsupervised use of reproducing

equipment located on library premises. The notice further explains that the

person making the copy is subject to liability for copyright infringement.

Copying for interlibrary loan:

Currently, the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center does not

participate in the Inter-library loan program. If in the future, the inter-library

loan program would become part of the programs at the Scottsbluff Senior High

School, we would need to remember to not order more than five journal copies

from any journal within the year.

ALA Statements on Access and Intellectual Freedom

This collection development policy supports the principles of intellectual

freedom described in Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs, the Library Bill of Rights and the Students’ Right to Read and other

position statements on intellectual freedom from the American Library Association

(http://www.ala.org) and the American Association of School Librarians.

(http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslindex.cfm)

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and

ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all

people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of

those contributing to their creation.

2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.

Materials should not be proscribed or removed from libraries because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide public information and

enlightenment.

4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression

and free access to ideas.

5. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such

facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.


Confidentiality of Patron Records

The Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center recognizes each patron's

right to confidentiality. No information regarding any patron record, including the

items circulated to that patron will be divulged.

Challenged Materials and

Request for Reconsideration of Materials

The Scottsbluff Senior High School and their Media Center believe in the

right of their students and staff to have access to a diverse selection of materials.

The Media Center does not practice censorship but rather protect their patrons’

right to read and their right to freedom from censorship by others. Books

selected for the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center are selected

according to the criteria stated in this policy and not on the basis of anticipated

approval or disapproval.

Every effort is made to select quality materials for the Media Center. The

Media Center does not support the right of individuals to censor and restrict

material. However, at times, patrons may question and/or object to materials in

the Media Center. Should an objection arise, the following informal procedure

should be followed: The Media Specialist will listen carefully to their concern and explain why the material was selected.

During the discussion, the Media Specialist will explain that the Scottsbluff Senior High School

supports the democratic right of intellectual freedom. “Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual

to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all

expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored.” Further,

she should show the review source used in selecting the material.

If this informal process does not resolve the matter the complainant may submit a formal Request for

Reconsideration of Materials.

The building principal will be alerted whenever a parent or guardian requests a Reconsideration of

Materials form.

The Media Specialist, the building principal and the school district understand

that a collection of diverse materials may occasionally result in the objection of

materials. The following procedures have been developed to handle such objections.


Procedures for Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials

Reconsideration forms are available from the Media Center. This form must

be completed when a complainant wishes to remove an item from the library.

The patron is requested to read the book/journal in its entirety before

submitting the form. Further, the item will remain on the shelf until the book and

complaint are reviewed. After the Request for Reconsideration form is filed with

the Media Specialist or building principal, the review will begin within the week and

be completed within four weeks.

The Request for Reconsideration will be reviewed by the Media Specialist,

the building principal and the curriculum director. They will review the material,

make recommendations after studying the circulation history of the material and

write a recommendation to be submitted to the district superintendent and the

Board of Education. The Superintendent and the Board of Education will make a

decision regarding the disposition of the challenged item.

If the Superintendent and Board of Education’s decision is to retain the

material:

a. The Media Center and the building principal will be notified after the

decision has been made.

b. The Superintendent will notify the patron of the decision in writing.

c. The decision of the Superintendent and Board of Education is final.

If the Board of Education and Superintendent’s decision is to remove the

material:

a. The Superintendent will notify the patron of the decision in writing.

b. The Superintendent will notify the building principal and the Media

Specialist who will then collect and discard all copies of the material.

The Media Specialist will keep a file of challenged materials. Items recommended

for discard should not be replaced through purchase or gift. This file should be

reassessed every 5 years. At this time, the Review Committee will reevaluate the

material that has been challenged. The purpose of this review will be to determine

whether the status of the challenged material has changed. If the status has

changed, the material will be returned to the collection. Should the material again


be challenged, the same format and procedure will be followed after a

“Reconsideration of Materials” form has been implemented. If the status has not

changed, the Committee will determine whether to review the material again in five

years or to discard/ban the material from the collection all together. This ban

will not be considered permanent. If a time in the future occurs and it seems

feasible to place the material back into the collection, the Committee will

recommend the material to be returned to the library collection. Should it be

challenged again, the same process of removing challenged material will be followed

as outlined in this policy.

Disaster Plan for the Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center

Planning for disasters like fires, tornadoes, broken water pipes, vandalism,

etc., will help our Media Center to run more efficiently and evaluate damage more

quickly should an unforeseen catastrophe occur.

Implementation of this disaster plan will be updated on a bi-yearly basis.

The library staff will be trained in how to respond to an emergency situation and

mock disaster drills will be held on an annual basis. A disaster-handling team will

respond in emergency situations. The team will consists of the Media Specialist,

the library paraprofessional, the building principal, the building janitor, and the

building secretary. Their names and phone numbers will be distributed to all staff

members. Staff members will be instructed to contact the disaster-handling team

should an emergency arise.

Preservation of the collection: (1) Presently, our library is not air-conditioned. However, if this should change in the future,

ideally, the temperature in the library should remain between 65 and 75 degrees.

(2) Thus far, humidity has not been a problem. However, if we should be air-conditioned in

the future, every possible effort will be made to prevent fluctuations in temperature in order to

prevent humidity from damaging books in our collection.

(3) To prevent and deter possible theft and vandalism, the library will be locked if it is

unattended.

(4) Book shelves will be covered with butcher paper during the summer months when the

library is not used. If construction/remodeling is to take place, books will be placed in boxes and

removed to a location where construction is not taking place. A list of all the boxes will be kept in

the building principal’s office safe.


Should disaster occur:

(1) Should water damage be imminent to the collection and staff members are

present, they need to cover the collection as soon as possible using the plastic sheeting

stored in the container behind the front desk. In this container will also be plastic goggles

and rubber gloves to be used in emergency clean-up for all disasters.

(2) Members of the disaster-handling team will be notified.

(3) The building principal will notify the insurance company

(4) Clean-up will ensue as soon as possible.

(5) An inventory list will remain in a fire-proof safe in the building

principal’s office as well as the administration office’s fire-proof safe. The

inventory list will be updated on an annual basis.

Policy Review and Update

It is recommended that the Collection Development Policy for the

Scottsbluff Senior High School Media Center be reviewed and updated every five

years by a Review Committee. It is suggested that members of that committee by

composed of the Media Specialist, the building principal, one classroom teacher and

the district Curriculum Director.


Sample Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources

The Scottsbluff Public Schools Board of Education has delegated the responsibility for selection

and evaluation of library/educational resources to the individual schools’ Media Specialists, building

principals and Curriculum Director. Further, the Board has established reconsideration procedures

to address concerns about those resources. Completion of this form is the first step in those

procedures. If you wish to request reconsideration of school or library resources, please return the

completed form to the building principal or Media Specialist in which the challenge originated.

Name _________________________________________________

Date __________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________

City ___________________________________________________

State __________________________________________________

Zip ____________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________________

Do you represent self? ____ Organization? ____

1. Resource on which you are commenting:

____ Book ____ Textbook ____ Video ____ Display

____ Magazine ____ Library Program ____ Audio Recording

____ Newspaper ____ Electronic information/network (please specify)

____ Other ___________________________

Title ___________________________

Author/Producer ___________________________

2. What brought this resource to your attention?


3. Have you examined the entire resource?

4. What concerns you about the resource? (use other side or additional pages if necessary)

5. Are there resource(s) you suggest to provide additional information and/or other viewpoints

on this topic?

Revised by the American Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee

June 27, 1995

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