Library Media Center

Policy & Procedure Manual

Mildred ISD Library StaffGwen McCluney, District Librarian

Amy Venable, High School AssistantLori Hines, Elementary Assistant

Library Web Pagewww.mildredlibrary.org

Mission StatementThe mission of the Mildred ISD Library Media Centers is to encourage students to be life-long learners in addition to preparing them to be pragmatic users of information and technology.  This goal will be accomplished by:

Providing information and resources in a variety of formats within the media center.

Promoting the media center as a place of research, inquiry, and assistance.

Stimulating learning through the use of technology, research, inquiry, and analysis.

Working with faculty and staff to develop lessons and strategies to complement in class instruction.

Supporting the district’s curriculum and programs.

Mission and Goals of the School Library Media Program

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.

--Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (1988), p.1

The goals of today’s library media program point to thedevelopment of a community of learners that is centered on the student and sustained by a creative, energetic library media program. These goals are as follows:1. To provide intellectual access to information through learning

activities that are integrated into the curriculum and that help all students achieve information literacy by developing effective cognitive strategies for selecting, retrieving, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, creating, and communicating information in all formats and in all content areas of the curriculum.

2. To provide a physical access to information througha. a carefully selected and systematically organized local

collection of diverse learning resources that represent a wide range of subjects, levels of difficulty, and formats;

b. a systematic procedure for acquiring information and materials from outside the library media center and the school through such mechanisms as electronic networks, interlibrary loan, and cooperative agreements with other information agencies; and instruction in using a range of equipment for accessing local and remote information in any format.

3. To provide learning experiences that encourage students and others to become discriminating consumers and skilled creators of information through comprehensive instruction related to the full range of communications media and technology.4. To provide leadership, collaboration, and assistance to teachers and

others in applying principles of instructional design to the use of instructional and information technology for learning.

5. To provide resources and activities that contribute to lifelong learning while accommodating a wide range of differences in teaching and learning styles, methods, interests, and capacities.

6. To provide a program that functions as the information center of the school, both through offering a locus for integrated and interdisciplinary learning activities within the school and through offering access to a full range of information for learning beyond this locus.

7. To provide resources and activities for learning that represent a diversity of experiences, opinions, and social and cultural perspectives and to support the concept that intellectual freedom and access to information are prerequisite to effective and responsible citizenship in a democracy.

Excerpted from Chapter 1, "The Vision," of Information Power: Building Partnershipsfor Learning. Copyright © 1998 American Library Association and Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

Code of Ethics for Library EmployeesResponsibilities of the library staff:

1. To maintain the principles of the American Association of School Libraries Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statement.

2. To maintain an objective and open attitude of understanding, courtesy, and concern for the needs of the students and teachers.

3. To protect the confidential relationship that exists between the students and teachers and the library.

4. To serve all students and teachers equally in proportion to their needs.

5. To make the resources and services of the library known and easily accessible to all users.

6. To share knowledge, experience, and expertise with all users.

Library substitutes and volunteers are included as Library Staff and are bound by this Code of Ethics during the time they work for the library.

See Appendix A: American Library Association Bill of Rights

See Appendix B: Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program – An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

See Appendix C: Freedom to Read

Professional Use of the LibraryThe Mildred ISD libraries provide teachers with resources in

a variety of formats that support and supplement their curriculum and provide recreational reading for students and staff.

The library staff will provide instruction for teachers and their students on electronic resources and information literacy skills.

The librarians and teachers are expected to collaborate on teaching strategies and units that will give students instruction and practice in using the library and its many resources to achieve those skills.

See Appendix D: How teachers can help the library to better serve them

What’s Expected of Library Users

Behavior in the MISD libraries is expected to be in line with guidelines set out in the teacher and student handbooks. Consideration for others is the basic principle.

Please respect the rights of other library users. Activities and noise in the library should not infringe on the proper activities of others. Noise levels must be considerate those who are working intensively.

Please respect the library’s materials and facilities. All users are entitled to find them clean and orderly.

The librarian or other adults (either employed or volunteers) who are authorized to work in the library are to be seen as arbitrators and general supervisors. Go to them with your questions or comments.

Circulation PolicyThe Mildred ISD libraries loan materials to patrons for

different periods of time, depending on the type of resource and the grade level of the student. Patrons are expected to return items on or before their due date in order to make the item available for another patron.

Technology equipment is available for checkout from the technology department or the library for classroom use by teachers and staff.

Loan Periods

Elementary School 2 books 2 weeks

Junior High School 2 books 2 weeks1 calculator school year

High School 2 books 2 weeks1 calculator school year

Reference materials and magazines at all campuses are for use in the library only.

Overdue and Lost Materials

The library will circulate overdue notices to students during the school year through their homeroom or English classes. Fines for lost or damaged materials will be assessed and are to be paid at the Circulation Desk of the Mildred Elementary or High School Library.

Seniors are not allowed to check out for graduation until all fines to the library have been paid.

If a patron at any campus has lost an item, they will be assessed the full amount of its cost for replacing it. This includes all resources circulated through the library.

Confidentiality and Privacy Policies I. The library will protect the confidentiality of the following

information: A. Circulation records B. Registration records C. Materials request records D. Reference and Internet search records

 II. The library will not reveal to any outside source any

information from library records which may lead to identification except: A. When necessary for the reasonable operation of the library. B. When requested by legal authority such as a subpoena. C. When authorized in writing by the individual concerned.

 III. The library will not give access to school yearbooks or any

student information to non-school students or personnel or non-district persons without prior written authority from Mildred ISD Administration.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENTSelection Policy

  

Evaluative Criteria

  

The primary goal of the Mildred ISD libraries is to provide library media services that support and enrich the curriculum and fulfill the needs of students and teachers.

 The purpose of the library’s program in selecting resources is

to improve instruction and learning that is in alignment with the philosophy and curriculum of the school. The selection of resources for the library collection is a process that includes a continuous evaluation of student needs, an ongoing review of the many resources available in the marketplace, and periodic assessment of the changing nature of information storage and delivery.

 Recommendations from students, staff, and parents shall be

sought and considered for purchase. Library information resources shall be in a variety of formats (electronic, print and non-print) and include ownership of actual physical material as well as subscription to/contract with information services and digitized collections.

Collection Objectives 

1.     Support the school’s priority areas. 2.     Reflect the local and regional community, and the United States’ heritage as well as information of a global nature. 3.     Support the principle of inclusion. 4.     Support curriculum needs. 5.     Support controversial issues of political, economic or social significance. 6.     Reflect the recreational needs of the students. 7.     Include a wide range of formats (e.g. books, videos, electronic resources, audio tapes, magazines).

 General Criteria

Materials selected for inclusion into the Mildred ISD Library collections should reflect the mission statement and:

be accurate, current, and authoritative.

be of authentic quality.

be age appropriate and reading level appropriate.

reflect a diverse culture free of stereotypes.

provide different points of view.

be of optimal educational value.

be attractive and functional.

meet the needs of different learning styles.

be in alignment with curriculum needs and standards.

encourage a life-long love of reading and learning.

cover a range of formats with an emphasis on print.

support school-wide reading programs and reading development.

include high interest, lower level reading material.

provide resources to support instruction.

further the professional development of the staff.

Specific Criteria

All formats must conform to the aforementioned selection guidelines. In addition, the following attributes are desirable and are not in priority order. The librarian should make full use of selection tools.

Books – General:

two reviews from approved selection aid.

support reading programs and a range of reading levels.

reflect recommended reading lists.

be attractive, of lasting quality, and unabridged.

illustrations should be clear and convey meaning.

have concise, readable indexes.

Books – Fiction: Literary and artistic merit Originality Award winner/notable resource Educational and entertainment value

 

Books – Non-Fiction:

Accuracy, objectivity, and timeliness of the information Educational presentation of materials Presentation of differing perspectives Logic and clarity of presentation Appropriate depth of coverage for intended purpose Award winner/notable resource Supports established curriculum

Newspapers:

local newspapers may be available for perusal.

at least one local and national newspaper may be available through any medium.

reflect an unbiased account of the news and editorials should be clearly identified as such.

Periodicals:

magazines should encourage leisure reading.

there may be at least four highly informative publications on subscription in hard copy.

other periodicals should be available via an electronic database for research.

should be age-appropriate and have a recommendation from an authoritative source.

inter-disciplinary titles with widest appeal are most desirable.

Comic books and graphic novels:

provide age-appropriate palatable reading material.

encourage reluctant readers.

promote leisure reading.

present excellence in illustration and story.

refrain from gratuitous accounts of violence and inappropriate behavior.

Films & Videos:

should reflect non-stereotyped and multicultural points of view.

should be in alignment with the curriculum.

picture quality should enhance meaning.

color, sharpness and contrast of images must create a quality visual image.

editing should be smooth where appropriate and enhance the overall internet of the directory without overshadowing meaning.

audio quality should be crisp and clean and clearly audible.

use of background music and sound should not hijack the overall content.

sub-titles or dubbing should enhance meaning.

may have a teacher's guide and/or classroom activities.

Audio:

works of classical, artistic, and historical music are desirable.

should have optimal audio clarity demonstrative of overall artistic merit.

audio books should be of sound literary value.

audio books should conform to the standards for print books.

Online:

Internet is a source of information subject to the same general selection guidelines.

filtering will be challenged when erroneously deselecting quality Web sites.

sites of particular educational interest and of lasting appeal will be added to the collection.

Pamphlets:

be authoritative and reflect current trends and information.

cover a range of relevant topics.

Manuscripts and archival material:

be of good quality, and able to withstand a hands-on environment.

Maps:

should be legible and stand up to regular use.

should cover a range of geographical and historical purposes.

Government documents:

selected from recognized sources.

should fit easily into the curriculum-enriched collection.

Software, databases, and electronic resources:

should be utilitarian in nature.

contain features like help files, indexing, and searching facilities.

be interactive and functional.

should conform to copyright or licensing requirements.

have a teacher's or user's guide.

have an 800 number technical support facility.

Selection Responsibility

1.  The Board of Trustees assumes legal responsibility for the selection of materials in the district’s library media centers.2.  Responsibility for the selection of all library materials is delegated to the professional library staff through the building principal.  It is the function of librarians to select and to withdraw library materials, and to advise on their use. They are qualified through training and experience; however, they must of necessity work within limitations of space and budget.  Recognizing that sensitivity to the needs and interests of the education community is essential to the development of library collections, the Mildred ISD Libraries welcome advice and suggestions from administrators, faculty, supervisors, and students.  Librarians, however, are responsible for judging the needs of their collection and their community, and they must make the final choices.  Final selection is based upon evaluation by the professional library staff, using professional library tools and other review media. 

3.  In selecting materials, library staff, administrators, and faculty are guided by the principles incorporated in the School Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, standards adopted by the American Association of School Librarians, and the School Library Standards of the Texas State Department of Education.4.  The collection will be developed systematically, ensuring a well-balanced coverage of subjects, opinions, and formats and a wide range of materials on various levels of difficulty supporting the diverse interests, needs, and viewpoints of the school community.

Budgetary Sources 

The library will be supported financially by regular funding through the school district. Grants and other fundraising measures may augment district funding.

 Deselecting of Library Resources

 Responsibility for deselecting (also known as weeding) lies

with the library staff. This activity is necessary to provide up-to-date, accurate, and attractive resources and to provide space for new acquisitions. Trained volunteers may assist with this procedure under the guidance of library staff.

Materials may be reviewed on an annual or ongoing basis. The CREW Method Manual** will serve as one resource for deselecting materials from the collection.

 General Criteria for Weeding:

Appearance and condition Poor content or out-of-date Inappropriate for school’s curriculum Age of material format

 Exceptions:

Classics Local, state and national history

 

**Note: The CREW Method: Expanded Guidelines for Collection Evaluation and Weeding for Small and Medium-Sized

Libraries is available from the Texas State Library, Austin, Texas at http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/crew/

See Appendix F: Guidelines for Collection Evaluation and Weeding  

 

Disposal of Discarded Materials

 Various methods of disposal may be used by the library including: taking to the dump, burning, giving them to patrons, etc. Some libraries mark each book as discarded first. If they are sold or given away, this is very important as they have a way of wandering back to the library. For out-of-date or damaged materials, it is not recommended that they be passed on to other libraries, nursing homes, etc. If they are no longer suitable, they are no longer suitable.

Requests for Reconsideration of Materials

 Censorship leaves students with an inadequate and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and problems of their culture. Despite a sound book selection policy for the selection of worthwhile books for students to read, occasional objections to a work will undoubtedly be made. Books are potentially open to criticism in one or more of these general areas: treatment of minorities, ideologies of love and sex, and use of language not acceptable to some people as well as other concerns. Suggestion for adding resources or reconsidering resources will be made in writing. A person requesting reconsideration of materials must read, listen and/or view the entire item to lessen the possibility that something is taken out of context. The person asking for reconsideration must

submit to the principal in writing using the form, Request for Reconsideration of Challenged Materials and identify the complaint.  See Appendix E: Request for Reconsideration of Challenged Materials

 

Request for Informal Reconsideration 

1.     The school receiving a complaint regarding a library resource shall try to resolve the issue informally.

 2.     The librarian shall explain to the questioner the school’s selection procedure, criteria, and qualifications of those persons involved in selecting the resource.

 3.     If the questioner wishes to file a formal challenge, a copy of the district Request for Reconsideration of Challenged Materials Form shall be provided by the librarian or principal to the party concerned.

 Request for Formal Reconsideration

 1.     The Request for Reconsideration of Challenged Materials Form shall be completed by and signed by the questioner and filed with the media specialist or building principal.

 2.     The district superintendent shall be informed of the formal complaint.

 

3.     Within a timely manner of the filing of the form, the principal or librarian shall submit a copy of the complaint to the Reconsideration Committee.

 4.     A standing Reconsideration Committee is in place to respond to the reconsideration process. It will be constituted of: (The committee members should be a building administrator, a counselor, two teachers representing different grade levels, two parents, a student and a librarian.) A chairperson will be selected.

 5.     Copies of the item will be obtained for the committee members to read, listen to, and/or view. A short but realistic timeframe will be provided to keep the process moving.

 6.     As many reviews of the challenged item as possible will be obtained. The committee members will study these.

 7.     After consultation, the committee will develop recommendations regarding the challenged item.

 8.     The chairperson will send a written response to the person requesting the reconsideration, providing the rationale for the committee’s decision.  9.     If the person requesting the reconsideration is dissatisfied, the matter will be brought to the attention of the superintendent who will make a decision after consultation with the Reconsideration Committee. If a resolution is not reached, the school board will make the final decision after consultation with the involved parties.

Appendix A

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.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for theinterest, information, and enlightenment of all people of thecommunity the library serves. Materials should not beexcluded because of the origin, background, or views ofthose contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and informationpresenting all points of view on current and historical issues.Materials should not be proscribed or removed because ofpartisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment oftheir responsibility to provide information andenlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groupsconcerned with resisting abridgment of free expression andfree access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied orabridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. 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.Adopted June 19, 1939.Amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27,1967; and January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996, by the ALA Council

Source: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/intfreedom/librarybill/lbor.pdf

Appendix B

Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program

An Interpretation of the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS

The school library media program plays a unique role in promoting intellectual freedom. It serves as a point of voluntary access to information and ideas and as a learning laboratory for students as they acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed in a pluralistic society. Although the educational level and program of the school necessarily shape the resources and services of a school library media program, the principles of the Library Bill of Rights apply equally to all libraries, including school library media programs.  Under these principles, all students have equitable access to library facilities, resources, and instructional programs.

School library media specialists assume a leadership role in promoting the principles of intellectual freedom within the school by providing resources and services that create and sustain an atmosphere of free inquiry. School library media specialists work closely with teachers to integrate instructional activities in classroom units designed to equip students to locate, evaluate, and use a broad range of ideas effectively.  Intellectual freedom is fostered by educating students in the use of critical thinking skills to empower them to pursue free inquiry responsibly and independently.  Through resources, programming, and educational processes, students and teachers experience the free and robust debate characteristic of a democratic society.

School library media specialists cooperate with other individuals in building collections of resources that meet the needs as well as the developmental and maturity levels of students. These collections provide resources that support the mission of the school district and are consistent with its philosophy, goals, and objectives. Resources in school library media collections are an integral component of the curriculum and represent diverse points of view on both current and historical issues. These resources include materials that support the intellectual growth, personal development, individual interests, and recreational needs of students.

While English is, by history and tradition, the customary language of the United States, the languages in use in any given community may vary. Schools serving communities in which other languages are used make efforts to accommodate the needs of students for whom English is a second language. To support these efforts, and to ensure equitable access to resources and services, the school library media program provides resources that reflect the linguistic pluralism of the community.

Members of the school community involved in the collection development process employ educational criteria to select resources unfettered by their personal, political, social, or religious views. Students and educators served by the school library media program have access to resources and services free of constraints resulting from personal, partisan, or doctrinal disapproval. School library media specialists resist efforts by individuals or groups to define what is appropriate for all students or teachers to read, view, hear, or access via electronic means.

Major barriers between students and resources include but are not limited to imposing age, grade-level, or reading-level restrictions on the use of resources; limiting the use of interlibrary loan and access to electronic information; charging fees for information in specific formats; requiring permission from parents or teachers; establishing restricted shelves or closed collections; and labeling. Policies, procedures, and rules related to the use of resources and services support free and open access to information.

It is the responsibility of the governing board to adopt policies that guarantee students access to a broad range of ideas. These include policies on collection development and procedures for the review of resources about which concerns have been raised. Such policies, developed by persons in the school community, provide for a timely and fair hearing and assure that procedures are applied equitably to all expressions of concern. It is the responsibility of school library media specialists to implement district policies and procedures in the school to ensure equitable access to resources and services for all students.

Adopted July 2, 1986, by the ALA Council; amended January 10, 1990; July 12, 2000; January 19, 2005; July 2, 2008.

[ISBN 8389-7053-2]

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/accessresources

Appendix CThe Freedom to Read Statement

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every

enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

1. It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the

democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

2. Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

3. It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.

4. There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.

To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by

preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

5. It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.

6. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.

7. It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one, the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.

Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

A Joint Statement by:

American Library Association Association of American Publishers

Subsequently endorsed by:

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression The Association of American University Presses, Inc. The Children's Book Council Freedom to Read Foundation National Association of College Stores National Coalition Against Censorship National Council of Teachers of English The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression

http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/statementspols/ftrstatement/freedomreadstatement

Appendix D

How Teachers Can Help the MediaCenter to Better Serve Them

The media center is here to serve the needs of both students and teachers. Providing a good media resource program is certainly a two-way street: we would be glad to help you in your use of the media center and its materials and we welcome teacher involvement. Here are a few ways in which you can help us serve you better:

Keep the media specialist informed of materials (print or non-print) needed to support and enhance your teaching. Offer suggestions of materials that should be purchased for the collection.

Plan ahead for your projects and assignments.

Notify the media specialist of upcoming and ongoing media center assignments. Let him or her know in advance of assignments requiring use of the media center so that the first students who arrive don’t sign out all the materials.

When planning a library-related assignment check first with the media specialist to make certain enough supporting materials are available.

Keep the media specialist informed of changes in your curriculum.

Volunteer some time to review the collection in your subject area and make suggestions about materials that should be discarded or added to the collection.

Appendix E Request for Reconsideration of MaterialsTo: Mildred ISD Libraries Gwen McCluney, Librarian

Initiated by ______________________________________________ Address ________________________________________________ Phone ________________ E-mail ____________________________ REPRESENTING (fill in or circle all that are appropriate) (Your Name) ________________________________ on behalf of (Your child’s name) ____________________________________ Who does / does not attend Rice School Group Name ___________________________________________ Organization Name _______________________________________ RESOURCE QUESTIONED Book: Author ________________________________________________ Title __________________________________________________ Publisher _______________________________________________ Copyright __________________ Edition ________________ Non-Book: Type of Resource (circle as appropriate): Magazine, Video, Audio-tape, Internet site, Other____________________________ Title/Name _____________________________________________________ Publisher or Producer ______________________________________________ Other Details ____________________________________________________

Please respond to the following questions. If insufficient space, please attach additional sheet(s) of paper.

1. Did you view the entire item? _______________ If no, what sections did you view? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. To what do you object? Please be specific. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What do you believe is the main idea of this material? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What do you feel might be the result of a student's use of this material? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Is there any aspect of this material of which you approve? _______________________________________________________ What is that? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Are you aware of any reviews of this material by professional critics? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. In your opinion, for what age group would this material be appropriate? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Could you recommend other similar material that you consider to be more appropriate, and why do you consider it

more appropriate? _____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Signed: ______________________________________ Date: _________Please return this form to the Mildred ISD Librarian, Gwen McCluney.

Guidelines for Collection Evaluation and Weeding by Jo Anne Moore INTRODUCTION: The school library collection serves as the basis of the educational community. If students are to become problem solvers, decision-makers and lifelong learners in an information rich environment, they must be provided with resources that are relevant, reliable, accurate, and up-to-date. The process approach to information skills involves active use of information and ideas for learning across the curriculum. Library media specialists must take full responsibility for a cycle of service called “collection building” – a series of ongoing routines that continuously adds to, removes from, interprets and adjusts the collection to fit the educational needs of its users and potential users. The process begins with SELECTION and ACQUISITION, moves to CATALOGING and PROCESSING, continues with CIRCULATION and REFERENCES and enters a method called CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding). When, through evaluation and weeding, the library media specialist discovers that the material’s useful career is over, it is retired by discarding. Weeding is essential to collection maintenance. Keeping materials just to increase the collection count, or because weeding is a difficult, time-consuming job is self-defeating. Weeding is a needed service that will enhance the credibility and use of the school library media center. CREW generates information on the current strengths, weaknesses, gaps and saturation points of the collection. WHY WEED? YOU WILL ENHANCE YOUR LIBRARY’S REPUTATION for reliability and up-to-date resources. Removing obsolete, worn and inappropriate materials from the library media center is both desirable and necessary. A search of the collection for information must provide a rewarding experience for the student and teacher. When there is only one useful item among a shelf full of books, the student will soon tire of the hunt. Weeding out obsolete, ugly and inaccurate materials will give the library a reputation for reliability in the opinion of its users. YOU MAKE THE COLLECTION MORE APPEALING by replacing ragged, smudged books and unattractive rebinds with attractive new books. Circulation can be increased by simply making the shelves look nicer, even when there are fewer books.

Students take better care of a library media center that appears well kept. On the other hand, nothing inspires less regard for property than unsightly, worn out materials. YOU SAVE SPACE. Discarded materials no longer cost money for retrospective conversion, database space, and other hidden costs of maintenance. If the library collection is to be entered in a database for an automated circulation system and/or card catalog, careful weeding is a necessity. The adage, “Garbage in, garbage out” is especially relevant when the bibliographic records of out-of-date, inaccurate and mediocre quality library materials are converted to machine-readable records. Entering items that should be discarded is a misguided use of time and money.

Premium shelf space becomes available when the dead, useless and unnecessary materials are discarded, with the added possibility of moving the empty and unneeded shelving out, thus creating space where workstations for technology, tables and chairs can be located for student use. YOU WILL PRESENT A BETTER CASE FOR A BUDGET INCREASE when the collection looks lean. Empty space on the shelves is visual evidence of need for the provider of funds. YOU SAVE THE TIME of students, teachers, the library media specialist and library staff. Crowded shelves full of ragged books with illegible markings cost time for students looking for a particular book, for staff trying to shelve, and for the librarian trying to use the collection for reference. WHO DOES THE WEEDING? The person who does the best job of weeding is the one who has a thorough understanding of the existing collection, of the school’s curriculum, of the various units taught in all classrooms, and of the reading interests and levels of students. The library media specialist is this person. In highly specialized areas where the library media specialist is uncertain about some materials, the classroom teachers should be consulted for their opinions. WHEN SHOULD THE LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST WEED? Weeding every year maintains the quality of the library. Often, weeding is related to the inventory of the collection, since this is one opportunity where consideration is given to the library resources. A thorough weeding every three years is imperative with 6 to10% of the collection scheduled monthly over a five-month period during each school year. If the library media specialist waits until the collection is so deteriorated that large quantities of materials must be discarded, he or she may be hindered by administrative apprehensions. Also, the teachers may be so attached to the old, familiar materials that the library media specialist will have difficulty explaining and justifying the disappearance of outdated favorites.

Continuously - This involves constant weeding on a day-to-day basis as materials are carded and shelved.

Intermittently throughout the school as specified in the collection development policy.

In conjunction with a “rolling inventory” or year-end inventory.

Specific sections of the collection are identified as requiring weeding.

Pressures at the beginning and closing of the school year make these difficult times, even though all materials are then on the shelves. An alternate time might be shortly before a teacher begins a unit and when materials are being pulled for use.

Some library media specialists prefer to examine the collection on an informal basis as time permits. Keeping a record of which area was weeded, and when, is necessary.

Periodically, a part of, or an entire professional day can be allocated to weeding the school library collection.

HOW MUCH SHOULD BE WEEDED? The American Library Association suggests that 5% of the collection be weeded annually. An average life for a book in the collection is approximately ten years. Many factors affect this estimate of life span – political changes, technological advances, heavy use of the volume.

WHAT SHOULD BE WEEDED? *THOUGHTFUL WEEDS: These decisions will exercise the knowledge, analysis and professional expertise of the library media specialist. When decisions are being made, consider all formats of materials: books, audiovisual resources, picture files, vertical files and computer software. The overall quality and value of the title must be considered and balanced with these criteria.

MATERIALS/BOOKS WITH POOR CONTENT

Outdated, incorrect factual content - Areas that deserve careful examination are in computers, technology, science, health and medicine (five years old), law, space, geography (seven years), travel and transportation. With the information explosion in full force, a major concern is that new information, constantly appearing in print and other media, speeds the obsolescence of the nonfiction collection, and necessitates more frequent weeding than may have been common in the past.

Accessibility of information within material such as no table of contents, no index, poorly organized content and back issues of periodicals which are not indexed.

Dated and inaccurate reference sources such as encyclopedias copyrighted over five years ago are in question. Dictionaries that are ten years or older will not include the latest meaning or different meaning of words, nor will they include new words added in the latest editions because our language is constantly changing. Atlases that are ten or more years old will not include the current names of countries. In addition, China has changed the Roman alphabet spelling of all Chinese names and places. Check the atlases carefully to see if misinformation is being spread. Almanacs and yearbooks that are more than two years old and have been superseded will not be a valid reference source.

Potentially harmful misinformation such as resources on drugs.

Mediocre writing style or poor in quality - These include poorly written adult books, with stereotyped characters and plots, popular one or more generations ago; series still read by children today, mediocre in quality and serving no purpose in a school library media center.

Condescending, stereotyped, patronizing or biased - These materials can foster negative ethnic and cultural attitudes.

Outdated interpretations, values and attitudes such as etiquette books and the social sciences.

Trivial subject matter that isn’t needed for the curriculum or of interest to the students.

Textbooks or supplementary texts

Unused sets of books

Repetitious series

Superseded or improved editions

Not on standard selection lists

UNPOPULAR, UNUSED OR UNNEEDED - These titles are perhaps the most difficult to discard because, in some cases, it is an admission of a poor selection decision on the part of the library media specialist. In other cases, it simply means that reading tastes and interests have changed. Nevertheless, it is detrimental to keep a collection clogged with deadwood.

Duplicate copies of titles no longer needed

Materials that no longer fit the curriculum

Unneeded titles in little used subject areas

Periodicals that are not indexed

Inappropriate reading and/or interest level for the students

Material that has not circulated in five years should be considered for removal with a disclaimer for those limited topical resources that are reserved for use by multiple classes

Audiovisual formats no longer used by the teachers. Do your teachers use filmstrips, 16mm film, 8mm film loops?

* OBVIOUS WEEDS

MATERIALS/BOOKS WITH POOR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Worn, ragged and damaged

Dingy, dirty covers

Poorly bound or poorly printed

Yellow, brittle or dirty paper

Mutilated or “edited” by students

Loose or missing pages or sections

Poor quality pictures

Small print

Damaged and incomplete audiovisual materials

Scratched, warped records

Mangled tape

Missing parts

Scratched or torn filmstrip

Brittle film and magnetic tape

Bent, torn or otherwise damaged study prints or posters

WHAT MATERIALS SHOULD NOT BE DISCARDED?

Classics and award winners except when a more attractive edition is available or when there are too many copies on the shelf;

Titles appearing on standard, current core bibliographies;

Local and Texas history unless it can be replaced with new copies;

School annuals and other publications for your campus;

Unique content, format, illustrations;

Materials that are not subject to rapid change such as

Fairy and folk tales

Fiction

Biography

Fine arts

Sports with the exception of rule books

Poetry and literature

Languages

Religion

THE CREW METHOD IN TEN STEPS Step One: Make weeding a part of policy. Step Two: Gather usage statistics of your library’s collection. Step Three: Build weeding into the year’s calendar. Step Four: Gather the following materials on a book truck at the shelves to be analyzed: >shelf-list drawer or computer printout, >disposal slip, >marking pen, and >weeding guidelines. Step Five: Study the subject areas in your collection as a whole then one by one. Step Six: Check the library’s holdings by taking inventory. Step Seven: Check the pulled books against the standard indexes the library holds. Step Eight: Treat the books according to their disposal steps: bindery, discard, replacement, or recycling. Step Nine: Replacement checking and ordering. Step Ten: Set up displays for low circulating, high quality books that would benefit from better exposure. The CREW method uses an acronym, MUSTIE, to indicate when an item would be removed from the collection. MUSTIE stands for: Misleading and/or factually inaccurate; Ugly (worn out beyond mending or rebinding); Superseded by a new edition or a better source; Trivial (of no discernible literary or scientific merit); Irrelevant to the needs and interests of your community; Elsewhere (the material may be easily borrowed from another source).

GUIDELINES BY DEWEY CLASS 000 (Generalities) 004 (Computers) Works on computers are seldom useful after three years. Works on micro-computers and software have an even shorter life span. 010 (Bibliography) Discard after ten years from the date of copyright 020 (Library and Information Science) Discard all that do not conform to current, acceptable practice. 030 (General Encyclopedias) Stagger replacement sets over a seven-year period. Older sets can be circulated up to eight years. Other 000’s Except trivia which may be kept indefinitely or until no long considered useful or interesting. 100 (Philosophy and Psychology) 133 (Paranormal Phenomena) Should be kept until worn, although it will be necessary to replace lost titles because this category includes the popular topics of fortune-telling, dream interpretation, and astrology. 150 (Psychology) Self-help psychology and guidance materials may need to be reviewed for dated pictures and concepts. Replace works on clinical, comparative, and development psychology within five to eight years. 160,170 (Logic) (Ethics) Value determined mainly by use. 200 (Religion) Philosophical and religious materials should be review individually and as a collection to ensure as many points of view as possible are presented. Include time and comprehensive information on the six major international religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Taoism. 300 (Social Sciences) Retain balance on controversial issues. Information should be current, accurate and fair. Certain subject areas will need constant revision while others should be very carefully and seldom weeded. Depending on the curriculum, historical coverage of economics, communication, transportation, politics, and education will be maintained. 310 (General Statistics) Almanacs are seldom of much use after two years. Keep only last three years in the collection. The school library should have one general almanac and the Texas Almanac (electronically, of course). 320 (Political Science) For topical books; historical materials are judged more on the basis of use. 330 (Economics) Update items available in revised editions. Be aware of radical changes in statutes, regulations, or general climate for a particular type of investment. Well-known authors with no newer books available and items intended as histories of a particular era may be retained if MUSTIE factors are acceptable.

340 (Law) Replace when more current data becomes available. Never keep superseded editions, even on heavily used topics. 350 (Public Administration) Keep up-to-date; replace when state and federal administrations change or constitutional reforms occur. 360 (Social Services) Discard career materials after five years; Older reference copies may be circulated. Be particularly aware of qualifications discrepancies in materials dealing with career preparation. Pay close attention to revisions in standard test books (GED, ACT, etc.) Some may be retained for 10 years or longer if certain sections have not changed. 370 (Education) Keep historical materials only if used. Discard all outdated theories. 390 (Customs, Etiquette, Folklore) Folklore, Customs: Keep standard works. Weed according to use. Etiquette: Keep only basic, up-to-date titles 400 (Language) Discard old-fashioned and unsightly textbooks and outdated school grammars. Need dictionaries for major foreign languages (e.g., French, Spanish, Italian, German), and other languages being studied or spoken in the curriculum. Dictionaries: 500 (Natural Sciences) Carefully evaluate anything over five years old, except botany and natural history. Replace worn classics or significant historical works with new editions. Pay particular attention to the physics, environmental issues, and astronomy sections. Many materials related to the environment are still appropriate after fifteen years while an item about atoms could be inaccurate after two years. New discoveries in energy may require updating works in this field more often than materials in subjects such as natural history. Keep basic works of significant historical or literary value, such as Charles Darwin’s classic Origin of Species, or Michael Faraday’s Chemical History of a Candle. 510 (Mathematics) Replace older materials on algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus with revised editions. Discard most titles covering slide rules and the “new math” of the 1960s’. 550 (Earth Sciences) Geology books on specific regions, especially Texas, should be kept indefinitely, or until superseded by newer editions. All general materials should be replaced when new developments occur in the field (e.g., theories about continental drift and plate tectonics have been revised in recent years). Field guides for amateur fossil, gem, and rock hunters can be kept for up to 20 years if physical condition allows, unless the area described has changed dramatically through man-made developments and or natural events. 570 (Life Sciences) 580 (Botanical Sciences) 600 (Technology, Applied Sciences) 610 (Medicine) Except Anatomy and Physiology, which change very little: Keep only the current year plus one previous year (one reference and one circulating) of PDR and other prescription and over-the-counter drug directories, replacing when new editions become available.

Materials on fast changing fields of research such as AIDS, genetics, cancer,: 2/X/MUSTIE. 630 (Agriculture) Keep up-to-date materials on the newest techniques and hybrids. Keep the Yearbook of Agriculture for the last ten years. Weed dated information such as pest control using DDT. 635 (Horticulture) General gardening books may be useful for up to 20 years. Books about propagation of specific flowers or plants are considered outdated after 10 years. Materials that discuss the use of pesticide and chemicals. 640 (Home Economics) Be strict with old sewing and grooming materials in which styles change rapidly. Keep cookbooks unless little used, however most of the current cookbooks have complete nutritional analyses for the recipes. Replace worn, popular cookbook titles. 649 (Child Rearing) Keep abreast of changing trends and new theories; replace worn standards like Dr. Spock's Baby & Child Care with newer editions. 670 (Manufacturing) Keep books on old clocks, guns, and toys since these items are often collected. Other 600’s (Also Business Technology is making such rapid advances that any materials over five years old are to be viewed with suspicion; especially those dealing with drugs, space technology, sex education, radio, television, medicine and office skills. Retain if any of the materials have historical value. One major exception is repair manuals. 700 (The Arts) 745 (Decorative Arts) Retain basic techniques books if well illustrated; replace worn and dated materials. Keep all materials on the history of interior design. Discard general home decorating ideas after 10 years unless the decorating style becomes established as a distinct aspect of American interior design (e.g., Southwestern or high-tech). Keep stamp and coin catalogues up-to-date. Historical treatments of ancient, foreign, and commemorative coins may be kept indefinitely unless focus is market valuation (five years). 770 (Photography) Check closely for outdated techniques and especially outdated equipment. 790 (Recreation) Discard and replace as rules and interests change. Other 700’s Keep all basic materials, especially histories of art and music. Collections of handsomely illustrated sources on art, music, and other fine arts may be irreplaceable. Sources that are heavily used should be considered for replacement or rebinding. Materials on certain hobbies may need updating. 800 (Literature) Files of assignments or reading lists for the curriculum should be kept and checked before discarding. Retain titles indexed in standard reference indexes. Keep literary criticism and history until superseded by more authoritative works. Literary history should seldom be discarded unless drastic curriculum changes are made. Collections versus individual

works of major and minor poets, novelists, and playwrights may be weighed against curriculum needs and use patterns. Keep works by local authors. 900 (Geography and History) 910 (Geography and Travel) MUSTIE for guidebooks (such as the Fodor series) and for descriptive or scientific geography. MUSTIE for personal narratives of travel unless of high literary or historical value. Other 900’s The main factors are demand, accuracy of facts, and fairness of interpretation. Consider discarding personal narratives and war memoirs of World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Indochina War, in favor of broader histories of these conflicts, unless the author is a local person, or the book is cited in a bibliography as having an outstanding style or insight. Discard dated viewpoints (e.g., McCarthy Era “World Communist Conspiracy” theory of modern history). Retain older Revolutionary War materials for curriculum projects. The collection should contain a range of materials on all historical periods and examined for coverage. Those materials once purchased for coverage may be replaced with items of better quality. Retain histories pertaining to the school, community and city. Biography Unless the person treated is of permanent interest or importance, such as a U.S. President, discard a biography as soon as demand lessens. This rule especially applies to ghost written biographies of faddish celebrities. Poor quality biographies of major figures should be replaced with better ones if funds permit. Biographies of outstanding literary value, such as Boswell’s Life of Johnson are to be kept until worn. Fiction Discard works no longer in demand especially second and third copies of past bestsellers. Retain works of durable demand and/or high literary merit, but replace worn copies with new editions. Keep award books and those on reading lists (e.g., John Newbery Award, Coretta Scott King Award, Bluebonnet lists), but replace when possible with contemporary covers. Discard topical fiction on dated subjects and abridged on simplified classics in favor of the original, unless needed for reluctant readers. Discard those books with outdated illustrations and story lines. Consider a book “dead” if it hasn’t circulated in two years. Picture Books Should be evaluated on the merit of their stories and illustrations. Given the wide range of possibilities to choose from in today’s children’s literature market, there is no reason this section should be anything less than quality. Discard those with inferior bindings. Periodicals Keep indexed titles, taking into consideration shelving and storage space. Keep no longer than the oldest index or 5-8 years depending on use. Vertical Files Keep only current information not found in other sources. Date all materials when added to the file.

General Reference Collection Encyclopedias - New editions should be purchased every 5 years to supersede old editions. Almanacs - Rarely useful after two years. Exception: Older editions of the Texas Almanac should be retained indefinitely, since each contains unique features not found in later editions. Dictionaries - Unabridged dictionaries may be retained indefinitely unless worn or updated with a later edition. Specialized dictionaries e.g. abbreviations, slang and acronyms should be updated regularly. Biographical dictionaries are never discarded unless superseded by a newer edition. Directories - Normally discarded when newer editions arrive. Atlases - Usually revised every five years. Geographical atlases should be replaced when updated. Handbooks - Subjects in the humanities (music, art, literature) may be retained indefinitely, supplemented by newer texts. Social science reference tools are considered outdated after ten years. Science resources are generally outdated in five years, although texts on botany and natural history may be retained for longer periods. Indexes - Should be kept as long as the library houses the materials cited. Non-print Media (aka Audiovisual) Weed the WORST: Worn out Out-of-date Rarely used Supplied through ILL Trivial and faddish Videocassettes - Under the best circumstances a videocassette can only be expected to last between 200 and 250 plays. Compact Disks - CD‟s are fast becoming the format of choice for musical recordings. Information-based CDs should be evaluated on: physical condition, currency of information, use and duplication of information in another format. Audio Books - Items in this format are particularly fragile and easily damaged. Replace companion books when they become worn if the cassette tapes are still in good condition.

WHAT TO DO WITH WEEDED MATERIALS: TYPES OF DISPOSAL The CREW method is well suited to using the simple, preprinted disposal slip (placed in each book when it is pulled) that indicates whether the book is to be sold, donated, or destroyed, or mended, rebound, or replaced. Before sending a book to a bindery, compare the cost of rebinding with the cost of a new copy or edition. A new copy if often as inexpensive and is more appealing than the rebound volume. In some cases, when the titles are out-of-print, rebinding is the best option. Most binderies can use the dust jacket as a laminated cover board. Weeded materials are generally of two types. The first type is of no use to any school or classroom. Materials which are not appropriate for the school library are not appropriate for the classroom. These discards do not meet any of the criteria listed in this document. The second type of weeded material includes those resources that may not be needed in your library media center, but would be of possible use in other library media centers within the district. Those items would include duplicates or inappropriate reading levels. Discarded titles require designated actions.

Remove card and pocket from the item.

Stamp or mark in a prominent place on the item, “WITHDRAWN”.

Mark shelf list card or delete holding from database. Indicate if a replacement or update is to be ordered.

Determine any resulting priorities for future purchases.

Disposal of print or non-print materials can be accomplished five ways. Any of the actions must be a part of the weeding policy and approved by the Board of Education. Sell It: to the public, either at a large annual sale or from a continuous exhibit; or to a used-book dealer or pulp dealer, usually in large lots. Trade It: with another library, or with a used book dealer, for a book your library can use. Donate It: to nursing home, hospital, adult or juvenile correctional facility, or charitable institution. Recycle It: by utilizing a local contractor, perhaps in cooperation with local government agencies. Destroy It: by burning in an incinerator or by tossing it into the trash. Destruction is the last resort if the books cannot be recycled or sold for pulp. Besides unnecessarily contributing to the already overflowing landfills, this method of disposal is also the likeliest to cause a “weeding controversy”. “Book burning” has unpleasant connotations.

Source: www.tea.state.tx.us/technology/libraries/lib_downloads/weeding1.pdf