SELECTION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

 

I.         Responsibility for Selection of Instructional Materials

 

          A.  The Board of Directors is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District.

 

          B.  The responsibility for the selection of instructional materials is delegated to the professionally trained and certificated staff employee by the school system.  For the purpose of this rule the term “instructional materials” includes printed and audiovisual materials (not equipment), whether considered text materials or media center materials (media).

 

          C.  While selection of materials involves many people (principals, teachers, students, supervisors, community persons and media specialists), the responsibility for coordinating the selection of most instructional materials and making the recommendation for purchase rests with certificated media personnel.  For the purpose of this rule the term “media specialist” includes librarians, school media specialists or other appropriately certificated persons responsible for selection of media.

 

          D.  Responsibility for coordinating the selection of text materials for distribution to classes will rest with the appropriate department chairperson or with the textbook evaluation committee.  For the purpose of this rule the term “text materials” includes textbooks and other print and non-print material provided in multiple copies for use of a total class or a major segment of such a class.

 

II.        Material selected for use in the libraries and classrooms shall meet the following guidelines:

          A.  Religion - Material shall represent all major religions in a factual, unbiased manner.  The primary source material which advocates rather than informs, or is designed to sway reader judgment regarding religion shall not be included in the school libraries or classrooms.

 

          B.  Racism - Material shall present a diversity of race, custom, culture, and belief as a positive aspect of our nation’s heritage and give candid treatment to unresolved intercultural problems in the Untied States, including those which involve prejudice, discrimination, and the undesirable consequences of withholding rights, freedom, or respect from any individual.

 

          C.  Sexism - Material shall reflect a sensitivity to the needs, rights, traits and aspirations of men and women without preference or bias.

 

          D.  Age - Material shall recognize the diverse contributions of various age groups and portray the continuing contributions of maturing members of society.

 

          E.   Ideology - Material shall present basic primary and factual information on any ideology or philosophy of government which exerts or has exerted a strong force,  either favorably or unfavorably, over any civilization or society, past or present.  This material shall not be selected with the intention of swaying a reader’s judgment in any way and shall be related to the maturity level of the intended audience.

 

1. Profanity and Sex - Material shall be subjected to a test of literary merit and reality by the media specialists and teachers, who will take into consideration their reading public and community standards of morality.

 

In all cases, the selection decision should be made on the basis of whether or not the material presents an accurate representation of society and culture, whether or not the circumstances depicted are realistically portrayed, or whether or not the material has literary or social value.

 

These guidelines shall not be construed in such a manner as to preclude materials which accurately represent the customs, manners, culture, modes, or society of a different time or a different place.

 

III.       Procedure for Selection

 

          A.  Material purchased for school libraries shall be recommended for purchase by the professional personnel of the library, in consultation with administrative staff, instructional staff, and students.  All material recommended for purchase shall be approved by the appropriate building administrator.

 

          1.  All materials selected shall support stated objectives of school library service.

               a.   To acquire materials and provide service consistent with the demands of the curriculum;

               b.   To develop in students skills and resourcefulness in the use of libraries and learning resources;

               c.   To effectively guide and counsel students in the selection and use of materials and libraries;

               d.   To foster in students a wide range of significant interests;

               e.   To provide opportunities for aesthetic experiences and development of appreciation of the fine arts;

               f.   To provide materials to motivate students to examine their own attitudes and behaviors and to comprehend their own duties and responsibilities as citizens in a pluralistic democracy:

               g.   To encourage life-long education through the use of the library;

               h.   To work cooperatively and constructively with the instructional and administrative staff in the school.

 

          2.  All materials selected shall be consistent with stated principles of selection.  These principles are:

               a.   To select material, within established standards, which will meet needs and find use;

               b.   To consider the educational characteristics of the school community in the selection of materials within a given category:

               c.   To present the sexual, racial, religious, and ethnic groups in our community and our society in such a way as to build positive images, with mutual understanding and respect:

                    1.  Portray people, both men and women, adults and children, whatever their ethnic, religious,or social class identity, as human and recognizable, displaying a familiar range of emotions, both negative and positive,

                    2.  Place no constraints on individual aspirations and opportunity,

                    3.  Give comprehensive, accurate, and balanced representation to minority groups and women - in art and science, history and literature, and in all other fields of life and culture,

                    4.  Provide abundant recognition of minority groups and women by showing them frequently in positions of leadership and centrality.

               d.   To intelligently, quickly, and effectively anticipate and meet needs through awareness of subjects of local, national, and international interest and significance.

               e.   To strive for impartiality in all aspects of the selection process.

 

          3.  All material selection shall meet stated specific selection criteria.  These criteria are:

               a.   Authority - Author’s qualification - his/her education, the professional organizations with which he/she is identified, his/her experience, previously published works;

               b.   Scope of the material;

               c.   Reliability

                    1.  Accuracy

a.  Expose and discredit “myths” which have misrepresented minority groups and women or have served to inaccurately explain any aspect of social development in the United States,

b.   Portray historical “heroes” on the basis of historical accuracy and/or openly admitted value judgments,

c.   Correct historical interpretations of the past which did not explicitly and thoroughly discuss the extent to which United States growth and development was inconsistent with values considered by many to be basic to the American political system.

 

                    2.  Recency

                    a.   Present content which is consistent with the finding of recent and authoritative research concerning minority groups, women, and the elderly in our culture,

                    b.   Areas in which recent and current developments are important shall be represented by up-to-date material.

               d.   Treatment of Material;

                    1.  Purpose,

                    2.  Evidence of theoretical, sexual, racial, religious, age, or ethnic bias or prejudice,                

                    a.   Does not describe the same behavior or characteristics differently depending on the sex or other group identification of the person concerned,

                    b.   Does not assign stereotyped roles to men and women,

                    c.   Does not assign stereotyped roles to elderly persons,

                    d.   Does not omit reference to participation by women or minorities in historical events or to the impact of these events upon them,

                    e.   Does not give a condescending estimate of a foreign people when discussing other nations,

                    f.   Does not give a condescending estimate of the poor or more recently arrived immigrant groups in the U.S.,

                    g.   Does not treat the statement or act of an individual as representative of the  entire group to which he/she belongs,

 

               3.  Level - scholarly, technical, general

         

               e.   Language;

                    1.  Vocabulary

                    a.   Does not indicate bias by the use of words which may result in negative value judgments about groups of people,

                    b.   Does not use “man” or similar limiting word usages in generalizations or ambiguities which may cause women to feel excluded or dehumanized.

                    2.  Sentence length, structure

                    3.  Use of language in an aesthetic manner while presenting information

 

               f.   Subject interest

 

               g.   Format:

               1.  Book

                    a.   Adequate and accurate index

                    b.   Paper of good quality and color

                    c.   Print adequate and well spaced

                    d.   Adequate margins

                    e.   Firmly bound

                    f.   Cost

               2.  Non-book

                    a.   Flexibility, adaptability,

                    b.   Curricular orientation or of significant interest to students,

                    c.   Appropriate for audience,

                    d.   Accurate authoritative presentation,

                    e.   Good production qualities (fidelity, aesthetically adequate),

                    f.   Durability,

                    g.   Cost

               3.  Illustrations of book and non-book materials should:

                    a.   Depict instances of fully integrated (including men and women) grouping and settings to indicate equal status and non-segregated social relationships,

                    b.   Make clearly apparent the identity of minority individuals,

                    c.   Contain pertinent and effective illustrations.

 

               h.   Special features;

                    1.  Bibliographies,

                    2.  Experiments, projects,

                    3.  Glossary,

                    4.  Charts, maps, etc.

 

               i.    Potential use;

                    1.  Will it meet the requirement of reference work?

                    2.  Will it help students with personal problems and adjustments?

                    3.  Will it serve as a source of information for teachers and librarians?

                    4.  Does it offer understanding of cultures other than the student’s own and is it free of racial, religious, ethnic, and sexual stereotypes?

                    5.  Will it expand students’ sphere of understanding and help them to understand the ideas and beliefs of others?

                    6.  Will it help students and teachers keep abreast of and understand current events?

                    7.  Will it foster and develop hobbies and special interests?

                    8.  Will it help develop aesthetic tastes and appreciation?

                    9.  Will it serve the needs of students with special problems?

                    10. Does it have inspirational value?

 

          4.  Gifts of library or instructional material may be accepted only if the gift meets existing criteria for library and instructional materials.  The acceptance and placement of such gift shall  be their prerogative of appropriate administrative personnel.

 

          5.  In order to always provide a current, highly usable collection of materials in every library, librarians shall provide for constant and continuing renewal of the collection, not only by the addition of up-to-date materials, but by the judicious elimination of materials which no longer meet needs or find use.

 

The process of weeding will be done according to established and accepted standards for determining the relevance and value of materials in a given context.

 

          B.  Text Material

         

          1.  Text materials committees shall be appointed at the time that text adoption areas are determined. Appropriate subject area, instructional level, and media personnel shall be included in each committee.

 

1. Criteria for text materials consistent with the general criteria for materials selection noted in Section II shall be developed by the text materials evaluation committee.

         

          3.  The committee shall present its recommendation(s) to the superintendent or other designated administrator.

              

          4.  The superintendent or the superintendent’s designee and the text materials committee shall present the recommendation(s) to the Board.

 

 

Adopted:  November 11, 1985            

 

Reviewed:  March 11, 1996
March 20, 2000                 
November 21, 2005
May 16, 2011
June 13, 2016

 

Revised: Jan. 22, 2013