Collection Development Contents

• Selection Objective
• General Selection Criteria
• Diversity in Collection
• Procedures for Selection
• Criteria for Specific Materials
• Consideration File
• Maintenance
• Books
• Book Repair
• Equipment Repair
• Inventory
• Weeding
• Challenged Materials

Selection Objective

One objective of the school library media center is to enrich and support the educational program of the school.  It is the responsibility of the school media center to provide a wide range of materials on different levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and representing different points of view.  The inclusion of any item in a collection does not necessarily mean that the media center advocates or endorses the contents of that item.

General Selection Criteria

            The needs of each school, based on knowledge of the curriculum and of the existing collection, are given first consideration in the selection of materials used to enhance the school curriculum.  The collection is selected, developed and maintained in collaboration with the faculty to support the school curriculum and to contribute to the learning goals of teachers and students.

            The process of evaluating materials for inclusion in the collection is continuous and systematic.  With the cooperation of school administrators, teachers, students and the library media specialist, the process of selecting instructional resources shall include careful consideration of the following criteria:

1. Educational significance
2. Need and value to the collection
3. Quality of the writing/production
4. High degree of readability and/or comprehensibility
5. Organization and presentation of content
6. Relationship to the course of study and curriculum
7. Reputation of the publisher/producer
8. Reputation and significance of the author /artist /composer /producer, etc.
9. Timeliness of permanence
10. Quality format
11. Value commensurate with cost and/or need
12. High degree of potential user appeal
13. Validity, accuracy, objectivity, currency and appropriateness of text or audio-visual presentation

In areas which are more apt to be subject to criticism, material selection for the media center is evaluated according to the following criteria as suggested by the Florida State Bulletin 22H:

Religion – Factual and unbiased material which represents all major religions.

Ideologies – Make available basic factual information on philosophies which exert a strong force, either favorable or unfavorable in government, current events, politics, education or any other phase of life.  Every effort will be made to balance opposing viewpoints.

Sex and profanity – Materials presenting sex will be subjected to a stern test of literary merit and reality, with special consideration of the intended user.  Sexual incidence or profanity does not automatically disqualify a book.  The decision should be made on the basis of whether the book presents life in its true proportions, circumstances are realistically dealt with, and whether the book is of literary value.  Material of an educational nature on sex education at the level of the user should be included in the collection.  All material should be correlated to the Orange County Public Schools’ Human Sexuality Curriculum.  Contact the OCPS Coordinator of School Health Services.

Science – Medical and scientific information should be available without bias at the level of the students at each school.

Material inclusion will represent all races and both sexes, based on the following criteria as recommended by the American Association of School Librarians.

Diversity in Collection Development

An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Throughout history, the focus of censorship has fluctuated from generation to generation. Books and other materials have not been selected or have been removed from library collections for many reasons, among which are prejudicial language and ideas, political content, economic theory, social philosophies, religious beliefs, sexual forms of expression, and other potentially controversial topics.
Some examples of censorship may include removing or not selecting materials because they are considered by some as racist or sexist; not purchasing conservative religious materials; not selecting materials about or by minorities because it is thought these groups or interests are not represented in a community; or not providing information on or materials from non-mainstream political entities.
Librarians may seek to increase user awareness of materials on various social concerns by many means, including, but not limited to, issuing bibliographies and presenting exhibits and programs. Librarians have a professional responsibility to be inclusive, not exclusive, in collection development and in the provision of interlibrary loan. Access to all materials legally obtainable should be assured to the user, and policies should not unjustly exclude materials even if they are offensive to the librarian or the user. Collection development should reflect the philosophy inherent in Article II of the Library Bill of Rights: “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” A balanced collection reflects a diversity of materials, not an equality of numbers. Collection development responsibilities include selecting materials in the languages in common use in the community the library serves. Collection development and the selection of materials should be done according to professional standards and established selection and review procedures.
There are many complex facets to any issue, and variations of context in which issues may be expressed, discussed, or interpreted. Librarians have a professional responsibility to be fair, just, and equitable and to give all library users equal protection in guarding against violation of the library patron’s right to read, view, or listen to materials and resources protected by the First Amendment, no matter what the viewpoint of the author, creator, or selector. Librarians have an obligation to protect library collections from removal of materials based on personal bias or prejudice, and to select and support the access to materials on all subjects that meet, as closely as possible, the needs, interests, and abilities of all persons in the community the library serves. This includes materials that reflect political, economic, religious, social, minority, and sexual issues.
Intellectual freedom, the essence of equitable library services, provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause, or movement may be explored. Toleration is meaningless without tolerance for what some may consider detestable. Librarians cannot justly permit their own preferences to limit their degree of tolerance in collection development, because freedom is indivisible.

Adopted July 14, 1982, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990.
[ISBN 8389-6552-0]

Special consideration will be made to obtain material for the exceptional education students in the school.  Each physical and/or mental need will be evaluated by the media specialist together with their teachers and material will be made available for check-out.  Special effort will be made to obtain materials for other teachers and students to read/use that will make a positive impact on the needs and feelings of these students.

OCPS expects each of its schools to be ESOL compliant.  In the Media Center, this means our collection should reflect the cultural make up of our school population.  The media center collection should reflect your ESOL population.  It should contain the same percentage of materials in each language as the percentage of students in your school who represent that culture.

Procedures for Selection

In selecting materials for purchase, the media specialist evaluates the existing collection and consults:

1. Reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids.
2. Department chairs, individual teachers and students.
3. Other media specialist.
4. SUNLINK – http://www.sunlink.ucf.edu – This is not a recommended list of titles but is the Florida union database of K-12 library media materials.  Use it as a one tool in developing a consideration file.

Special considerations

1. Vendors
2. Vendors must have permission from the school office before coming into the library media center.  The office should secure the media specialist’s permission before sending the vendor to the media center.
3. OCPS does not authorize library media specialists to accept books and materials for the purpose of previewing.  All books and materials, except donations must be included on an approved purchase order before they can be accepted by the library media specialist.
4. Set of Books

Sets of materials are examined carefully and are purchased only to fill a definite need.  Decision to purchase will be based on the following criteria:

1. The set fills a need in current and future collection.
2. All titles in the set have been examined.
3. New titles will be examined as they are published; standing order agreements are not acceptable.
4. Professional selection aids have been consulted.
5. Titles within a set may be purchased individually

Gifts

Gift materials must meet the same basic selection criteria used for new materials.  Gifts are accepted with the understanding that if unsuitable, they will be disposed of at the discretion of the media specialist.  The same selection criteria will be used when purchasing materials with donated monies.

Multiple Copies

If multiple titles are needed, no more than 5 copies will be purchased without justification.

Replacement of Materials

The following criteria will be considered before replacing materials that are withdrawn because of loss, damage or wear:

1. Number of duplicate copies
2. Existence of adequate coverage of the field
3. Similar material in the collection, especially more current and/or better material
4. Demand for the particular title or subject
5. Collection Analysis

A few vendors offer the service of a collection analysis.  This service provides the library media specialist with a report of the current holdings and can help target areas for collection development and/or weeding.
Some vendors who supply this service are:  Follet, Mackin and Sunlink.

Criteria for Specific Materials

Reference

The reference collection will contain materials that are relevant to the curriculum and current. 

Periodicals and Newspapers

1. Periodicals support the school curriculum.
2. Magazines reflect the leisure interests of the student population.
3. Professional journals may be purchased if the budget allows.
4. Copies of the local and national newspapers may be housed in the media center. 
5. Newspapers will be purchased according to their value in supporting the curriculum.

Online Resources

Subscriptions to online databases should support curriculum and should not duplicate available online resources provided by the district or state.  Examples:  Nettrekker, Teaching Books, Britannica, Florida Electronic Library.

Books

Books considered for purchase are considered on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Subject matter is suitable and desirable for children and young adults.
2. Non-fiction books are accurate, authoritative, up-to-date and unbiased.
3. Subject matter portrays desirable attitudes and appreciations.
4. Style, vocabulary, sentence structure, form and dialect are appropriate and effective for the subject.
5. Format is satisfactory in appearance, size, binding, paper, margins, type and spacing.
6. Author is qualified.
7. Publisher is reputable.
8. A favorable review should appear in one or more reputable selection aid such as:
1. Children’s Catalog. H. W. Wilson
2. Junior High School Library Catalog.  H. W. Wilson
3. Booklist.  American Library Association.
4. School Library Journal.  Bowker
5. Horn Book Magazine.  The Horn Book, Inc.
6. The Horn Book Guide to Children’s and Young Adult Books.  The Horn Book, Inc.
7. Library Media Connection.  Linworth Publishing, Inc.
8. Links to reputable collection development sites can be found online on:  ALA Resource Guides for School Library Media Program Development or http://www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=resourceguides&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=14819

Audio-Visual Materials
            All audio-visual materials are selected on the same basis as printed material.  Quality will be considered with the ultimate aim of a balanced collection.  Specific criteria for different types of materials will be considered based on the following:

Video Recordings Content

1. Well organized and well balanced
2. Presented logically and clearly
3. Appropriate for the format
4. Appropriate for the school age and ability

Technical quality

1. Clear cinematography
2. Clear intelligible sound quality
3. Effective use of color
4. Audio Recordings (CD, Cassette, MP3)
5. Appropriate in style, content and length for school student
6. Clear tone quality
7. Designed to reach or encourage the desired attitudes, understanding, skills, and appreciation

Study Prints

1. Artistic composition, clarity and color
2. Durable
3. Authentic
4. Appropriate for the school curriculum

Maps and Globes

1. Durable, sturdy, and soil resistant
2. Good format – clearly printed, adequate and consistently used symbol language, pleasing colors, flexible mounting and complete legend

Audio-Visual Selection Aids

The following are reputable selection aids.  Not all aids are consulted for every purchase unless there is a wide diversity of opinion among the reviewers.

1. Booklist.  American Library Association
2. School Library Journal.  Bowker
3. Library Media Connection.  Linworth
4. Multimedia Schools

  Consideration File

A file or database of requested materials that meet selection criteria is kept and consulted throughout the year for possible purchase, as funds are available.Review sources are consulted throughout the year and a “wish list” database of print and non-print items is maintained.  To facilitate ordering this database should include the following information:

PRINT

Author, title, publisher, edition, copyright date, price, review source, requested by, purchasing source, number of copies needed

NON PRINT

Medium, title, producer, copyright/published date, price, review source, requested by, purchasing source, number of copies needed

Maintenance or On-Line Services

Purchase orders for maintenance services, media management systems or on-line resources should reflect applicable group charge back or bid prices.

Books

Vendors have a number of resources available to expedite the development of orders.  Using these resources develop an “attached list” of titles which is sufficient to fill the “do not exceed” amount plus the discounted amount.

Orders to Publishers and /or Special Vendors
Some books must be purchased directly from the publisher or vendor.  For example, most pre-bound paperbacks are ordered directly from a vendor such as EconoClad or Perma Bound; however, it is possible to purchase pre-bounds from jobbers such as Follett. When numerous items from a publisher are not in the jobber’s catalog or on-line inventory, call the publisher. If the company only sells directly, ask for ordering instructions as well as quantity discounts.  Examples of publishers that sell directly include the American Library Association, the U.S. Government Printing Office and H.W. Wilson. Many publishers such as World Book or GALE offer a discounted price for purchases that include a combination of on-line services and books.
 

Audio-Visual Materials and Software

1. Check reviews or preview items for suitability.
2. Verify currency of prices.
3. Creating one purchase order to a jobber such as School Media Associates or Follet for multiple items can minimize ordering time and shipping expenses.
4. Video/DVD orders should have the following statement on ALL orders:  “To be used in face-to-face instruction and to be used through school’s closed circuit TV system.  In supplying these items, the distributor acknowledges sale of these items for classroom use.” 

Periodical Requisitions

1. Submit all magazine and newspaper orders to the appropriate agency. 
2. Most magazine publishers require 60-90 days to process orders.  Therefore, submit the Purchase Order by May for uninterrupted service. 
3. Wait for the formal renewal form to be sent from the jobber.  Ignore individual subscription renewal reminders. 
4. Keep a copy of formal renewal form on file.
5. The periodical budget code is 71510.

Book Repair
a.         Simple book repairs may be done at the school level.
b.         Repair torn pages and loose book jackets promptly.
c.         Heavy-duty transparent book tape postpones replacement of the spine with cloth book tape.  Use book tape not Scotch Tape.
d.         Art gum can be used to erase pencil marks or dirt on pages.
e.         Library supply companies publish booklets with instructions for mending books.

AV Equipment Repair

When placing a repair request on-line have the following information available:

Type of Equipment
Model #
Serial #
County fixed asset # if available
Warranty information
Description of the problem
Contact person

On-line repair requests can be placed on the OCPS Intranet http://intranet.ocps.net or through the Instructional Technology Help Desk

Note: Repair costs are deducted from your school budget.

Weeding

One of the underlying principals of planned collection development is the evaluation and removal of material in the existing collection that no longer is current or meets the needs of the curriculum. Weeding ensures that the collection contains only those resource materials, which are accurate, current and relevant to the curricular and recreational programs at each school.

Considerations for removal
Worn and damaged titles
Books with yellow, brittle or dirty paper; mutilated or missing pages; irreparably damaged binding or dingy, dirty covers.
Worn and damaged audio and video cassettes.
Bent, torn or damaged study prints or posters.
Superseded editions
Superseded editions of current volumes such as almanacs may be retained for teaching purposes but does not appear on the shelf with the current issue.
Duplicates
Non circulating duplicates should be discarded.
Material containing information not easily accessible
No table of contents
No index
Poorly organized content
Back issues of periodicals
Material that contains outdated, inaccurate factual content, outdated interpretations, values and/or attitudes.
Material which is no longer in demand, or which no longer supports the curriculum.
Material that is condescending, stereotyped, patronizing or biased.
Material which has not circulated in 3 to 5 years.

Specific Weeding Guidelines
000      Value determined by use. Works on technology, computers dated after 3 years. Bibliographies seldom of use after 5 years from copyright date.
100      Ethics - value determined by use. Most unscholarly works outdated after 10 years. Remove materials of philosophical and psychological problems no longer of interest.
200      Religion - value determined by use. Collection should contain basic information (but not propaganda) representing a balance of sects and religions.
300      Social Sciences - discard those not of historical value. Controversial issues should be well represented from all sides.  Political Science and Economics - Information dates quickly. Weed after 10 years if not replaced sooner.
Education and Commerce - Weed after 10 years except for  historical material.
Career materials - discard after 5 years. Be aware of changes in dealing with career preparation.
Customs and Folklore - Keep standard work; weed according to use.
400      Language - Discard old grammars; weed according to use.
500      Pure Science - Examine anything over 5 years old, except for botany and natural history. Discard materials with obsolete information and theories.
600      Technology (Applied Science) - Most material outdated after 5 years. Pay special attention to drugs, space technology, sex education, radio, television, medicine. Only keep materials containing information of historical value.
700      The Arts - Keep basic works in music and art. Replace with new editions and works with better illustrations. Keep stamp and coin catalogues up-to-date. Discard and replace sports and recreational material as interests change.
800      Literature - Keep literary criticism and history until superseded by more authoritative work. Keep works by local people. Keep titles indexed in standard reference indexes.
900      History - Depends on use, demand, accuracy of fact and fairness of interpretation. Weed superseded histories.
Travel - Weed after 3 years unless of historical value.
Biography - Unless subject has permanent interest or importance, discard when interest wanes.
Fiction & Story Collection - Weed old-fashioned, dated titles which have not circulated in 3-5 years. Classics may be replaced as new, more attractive editions are available. Keep titles indexed in standard reference works.
Reference - Requires special attention. Use same criteria as for general non-fiction. Keep standard works. Special attention is paid to keeping this collection up-to-date and accurate.
Encyclopedias - General - Dated after 5 years. Consider replacing every 3-5 years.
Encyclopedias - Subject Specific - Replace as content becomes invalid/outdated.
Almanacs & Annual Supplements - Superseded by each new volume. Keep older editions if used for teaching purposes. Keep selected older items for historical purposes.
Atlases - Dated after 5 years.
Periodicals - Discard after 2 years.
Newspapers - Discard after one week. Keep indexed titles no more than two years. Consider subscription to an online service.
Maps and Globes - Check currency, accuracy and metrication. Replace when out-of-date.
Professional Library - Most material is outdated in 5-8 years. Weed items which no longer support the curriculum. Keep professional books that provide seatwork activities, learning centers and/or bulletin boards. Textbooks from college courses taken by teachers should not be accepted or retained.
Textbooks, Teacher's Manuals and Workbooks - Keep only single cataloged copies of relevant textbooks. Week out-dated teacher     manuals. No consumable workbooks shall be housed in the media center. Copies of current textbooks used in classroom may be kept and circulated to students.
Audio-Visual Material - Consider currency of topic and presentation.  Consider color, sound and other technical qualities. Discard irreparable items and replace superseded items when needed.

Audio-Visual Equipment - Each piece of equipment should be inspected individually for either replacement or repair according to the following guidelines:
1. Number of times the item has been out for repair.
2. Maintenance reports
3. Teacher reports
4. Cost of repair meets the cost of replacement.

Items not to discard
(1)        Classics, award winners and materials which appear on standard, core bibliographies.
(2)        Items which are out-of-print but may still have some possible use.
(3)        Materials of local interest, local histories.
(4)        Material unique in content, format, illustrative technique, etc.
(5)        Any resource, the absence of which may skew the balance of the collection and may result in biased representation.
(6)        Expensive items.
       

Procedures
Weed continuously as materials are shelved. The clerk and/or student assistants should set aside possible repairs, discards for the media specialist's attention.
Weed intermittently throughout the school year as specified in long range planning.
Weeding is done by the media specialist and a record is kept of the areas which have been weeded and date of the weeding.
Periodically the teaching staff will assist the media specialist in evaluating and weeding the entire collection and all types of resources.
The media specialist makes the final decisions regarding discards.
      

Replacement of Materials
The following criteria will be considered before replacing materials that are withdrawn because of loss, damage or wear:
Number of duplicate copies.
Existence of adequate coverage of the field.
Similar material in the collection, especially more current and/or better material.
Demand for the particular title or subject.

Inventory

1.         A complete inventory of all print and non-print materials will be taken once each school year.
2.         The inventory is conducted annually or on a continuous cycle.
3.         During inventory the library media center may remain open for student and faculty use.
4.         An annual inventory will provide date to analyze and evaluate the collection as well as for budgeting purposes.
5.         Inventory procedure will vary according to the media management system being used at each school.
6.         All AV boxes should be opened and checked, noting any replacement items needed.

Equipment Inventory Control

Maintain a file or database with the following information.
(1)        Type of equipment, model and/or number
(2)        Manufacturer
(3)        Serial Number
(4)        OCPS and/or School Identification Number
(5)        Supplier/Date acquired
(6)        Accessories, i.e., microphone, case
(7)        Supplies needed, i.e., lamp or needle size
(8)        Location in school
(9)        Track all maintenance problems on data base
Equipment inventory is conducted annually by OCPS Property Control Dept.

Discard Procedures
Remove barcode and pocket (if applicable)
Mark out all school identification
Mark "DISCARD" in large letters with a marking pen or rubber stamp.  Mark the title page, cover, record label, etc.
Remove from Inventory/Media Management System
Do not remove the title from system if this is one of several copies.

Disposal options
Free to Faculty and/or students if information is accurate.
Donate to Friends of Library, VA Hospital etc.
Dispose at the option of the building-level administrator