About Davis Library at San Benito High School

Library Hours

Daytime Hours: Monday-Friday   8:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Evening Hours: Monday-Thursday 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Staff

Library Staff: Cynthia Cowan and Mariel Wrobel

Selection Policy

I. Mission

The mission of the library media program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. This mission is accomplished:

• by providing intellectual and physical access to materials in all formats
• by providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in reading, viewing, and using information and ideas
• by working with other educators to design learning strategies to meet the needs of individual students.

II. Materials Selection Policy

Materials shall be selected to serve the breadth of the curriculum and the needs and specific interests of the entire range of students with individual learning styles and multiple intelligences. The library provides a wide range of materials on all levels of difficulty, in a variety of formats, with diversity of appeal, representing the presentation of many different points of view.

III. Responsibility for Selection

The selection of school library materials is the legal responsibility of the Board of Trustees and is delegated to the Superintendent and his/her designee. When selecting library materials extensive help and advice should be sought from administrators, teachers, specialists, teaching assistants, parents and others affiliated with the school.

IV. Criteria For Selection ·

In general, learning resources shall be selected for their strengths, rather than rejected for their weaknesses. The following criteria are used as a guide in selection: · literary and artistic excellence; · lasting importance or significance to a field of knowledge; · contribution to the curriculum and the educational goals of the school; · relevance to the interests of students; · relevance to parents, teachers or other adults involved in the education of high school students; · favorable reviews found in standard selection sources; · favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel, adults with special expertise or students; · reputation and significance of the author, producer and publisher; · currency or timeliness of material; · contribution to the breadth and diversity of representative viewpoints on controversial issues; · contribution to multicultural and pluralistic awareness; · high degree of potential user appeal; · quality, durability, and variety of format; · suitability of format and appearance for intended use; · value commensurate with cost and/or need.

V. Selection Tools

The following lists and tools shall be consulted in the selection of materials, but resources are not limited to these listings:

a. Bibliographies, using the latest editions and supplements: · American Historical Fiction · Basic Book Collection for Secondary Grades · The Best in Children's Books · Bowker's Best Books for Young Adult Readers · Secondary School Library Collection · European Historical Fiction and Biography · From A to Zoo · Guide to Sources in Educational Media · Junior High School Catalog · Reference Books for School Libraries · Senior High School Catalog · Subject Guide to Children's Books in Print · Subject Index to Books for Intermediate Grades · Subject Index to Books for Secondary · special bibliographies, prepared by educational organizations for particular subject matter areas.

 b. Current reviewing media, for example: · AAAS Science Books and Films · ACL Review · American Film & Video Association Evaluations · Book Links · Booklist · Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books · CD-ROM World · English Journal · Gifted Child Quarterly · Horn Book · Kliatt · Language Arts · Library Journal · Reading Teacher · Roeper Review · School Library Journal · Wilson Library Bulletin

Selection Process Requests and suggestions are sought from staff, parents, students and other members of the school community. Concurrently, reviews are culled from the literature of professional organizations and other reviewing sources recognized for their expertise. To the extent necessary to apply criteria, preview copies of materials will be examined by professional staff. The removal of materials no longer appropriate and the replacement of lost and worn materials still of educational value is part of the selection process.

Gift materials, free and inexpensive vertical file resources and sponsored materials are evaluated by the same criteria as purchased materials.

VI. Policy on Charges

There are no fines or costs attached to material usage. In the case of lost items, at the end of the school year the person responsible for financial obligations, in the case of a minor, or the adult, is billed for the replacement cost (including shipping and processing fees) of all materials not returned.

VII. Intellectual Freedom

Recognizing that an atmosphere of free inquiry is essential to the education of gifted and talented children in order for them to participate fully in a democratic society, Board of Trustees and the library media teacher subscribe to the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and its interpretations, including Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program which are appended to and made a part of this policy.

Challenges To Library Materials

Occasionally objections to materials may be made. The procedure concerning challenged materials is outlined below. Its purpose is to provide for a hearing with appropriate action, within the context of the principles of freedom of information, the student's right to access of materials and the professional responsibility and integrity of the school faculty. No materials shall be removed from library before the process of review is completed.

1. All complaints to staff members or administrators shall be reported to the library media teacher, whether received by telephone, letter, or in personal conversation.

2. The library media teacher shall contact the complainant to discuss the complaint and attempt to resolve it informally by explaining the philosophy and goals of the district library, as well as the materials selection criteria and process.

3. If the complaint is not resolved informally, the complainant shall be supplied with a letter and packet of materials consisting of the library's Selection Policy and the procedure for handling objections. Included in this packet is a Statement of Concern About Library Resources (copy included in appendix) which shall be completed and returned before further consideration will be given to the complaint.

4. If the Statement of Concern About Library Resources has not been received by the library media teacher within two weeks of the date indicated on the letter to the complainant, it shall be considered closed. If the request is returned, the reasons for selection of the specific work shall be reestablished by the appropriate staff.

5. While no questioned materials shall be removed from the school pending the reconsideration process, access to questioned materials can be denied to the child (or children) of the parent(s) or guardian(s) making the complaint, if they so desire.

6. Upon receipt of a completed Statement of Concern form, a member of the Board of Trustees will chair and appoint a committee to consider the complaint. This committee shall consist of a member of the Board of Trustees, the library media teacher, a representative from the parent advisory committee, two teachers, and a student.

7. This Evaluation Committee shall meet to discuss the material and determine if it conforms to the principles of selection outlined in the Library Selection Policy, following the guidelines outlined in the Instructions to the Evaluating Committee. They shall prepare a report on the material containing their recommendations on disposition of the matter. In answering the complainant, the Evaluating Committee shall explain the selection philosophy, give the guidelines used for selection of the specific material under consideration, cite authorities used in reaching the decision, and make recommendations.

8. The Evaluation Committee shall notify the complainant of the decision, followed by a formal report and recommendation to the Board of Trustees. 9. The Board of Trustees shall review and adopt or reject the findings of the Evaluating Committee. The Board's adoption of the Committee's findings shall be administratively final, binding and conclusive.

APPENDICES

SAMPLE LETTER TO COMPLAINANT

Date____________________

Dear :___________________

We appreciate your concern over the use of ________________in the library. We have developed procedures for selecting materials, but realize that not everyone will agree with every selection made. To help you understand the selection process, we are sending copies of our: · Instructional goals and objectives · Library Selection Policy · Procedure for handling objections If you are still concerned after you review this material, please complete the Statement of Concern About Library Resources form and return it to me. You may be assured of prompt attention to your request. If I have not heard from you within two weeks from the date of this letter, I will assume you no longer wish to file a formal complaint.

Sincerely,

SBHS Library

STATEMENT OF CONCERN ABOUT LIBRARY RESOURCES

Please return this form to the Library Staff. Date______________________________________________ Name______________________________________________ Address___________________________________________ City______________________________________________ State, Zip________________________________________ Phone_____________________________________________

1. Resource type: ___Book ___Magazine ___Newspaper ___Audiovisual ___Other Title_____________________________________________ Author/Producer___________________________________

2. What brought this resource to your attention?

3. Please comment on the resource as a whole, as well as being specific on those matters which concern you.

4. What resource(s) do you suggest to provide additional coverage on this topic?

INSTRUCTIONS TO EVALUATING COMMITTEE

Bear in mind the principles of the freedom to learn and to read and base your decision on these broad principles rather than on defense of individual materials. Freedom of inquiry is an essential ingredient of education in a democracy and part of the district philosophy. Read thoroughly all materials referred to you, including available reviews and the full text of the challenged material. The general acceptance of the material could be checked by consulting standard evaluation sources and local holding in other schools. Passages or parts should not be pulled out of context. The values and faults should be weighted against each other and the opinions based on the material as a whole, just as learning resources have been initially selected for their strengths rather than rejected for their weaknesses.

Your report, presenting both majority and minority opinions, will be presented by a member of theBoard of Trustees to the complainant at the conclusion of your discussion of the questioned material. Further, it will be presented to the school at their regularly scheduled meeting for final review. 

 Last updated 6/08/05