STARLING CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

LIBRARY MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY

I. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION AND CHALLENGES OF MATERIALS
The Board of Education of the Starling City Public School System is legally
responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the Starling City Public
Schools. The board delegates the responsibility for the selection of library materials
to the professionally trained personnel employed by the school system. Selection of
materials can involve many people: principals, teachers, supervisors, school library
media specialists, students, and parents. Patrons may access materials selected for
each school either online or by working with the school librarian, who may be
contacted by phone or via email. Patrons may voice their concerns through the
District Challenge Procedures (Fayetteville).
II. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
Learning resources shall be selected by the professional staff to help schools meet
curricular, instructional, and assessment objectives. The selections shall also be
based on long-range plans, existing collections of materials, and the availability of
other resources (Blue Valley).
Materials for library purchase are considered on the basis of the following criteria:
A. Overall purpose and educational significance;
B. Validity, timeliness, or permanence, and appropriateness of material;
C. Contribution the subject matter makes to the curriculum and the interests of
the students;
D. High artistic quality and/or literary style;
E. High degree of potential user appeal including varied interests that reflect
religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds;
F. Representation of opposing sides of controversial issues in order to develop
critical reading, listening, viewing, and thinking;
G. Reputation and significance of the author, producer, or publisher;
H. Variety of format; and
I. Value commensurate with cost and/or need (Fayetteville).
III. CHALLENGES AND RECONSIDERATION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
The Board of Education desires to give students, their parents, residents of the
school district, and school district staff the opportunity to challenge the quality and
suitability of materials used in the districts educational programs. The school
district subscribes to the principles of the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution (Blue Valley).
If any individual or group desires to make a complaint regarding a learning resource,
the Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources form found in Appendix A
must be completed in its entirety.
Additionally,
a) The complainant will review the completed form with the school principal.
b) Resource review committee members will be provided with copies of
a. The completed Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources;
b. The learning resource in question;

c. Board policies; and

d. Intellectual freedom documents, including:
i. ALA Library Bill of Rights;
ii. NCTEs Students Right to Read;
iii. ALAs Freedom to View;
iv. ALA/AAPs Freedom to Read; and
v. ALAs Access to Resources and Services in the School Library
Media Program.
c) The resource review committee shall consist of the following members:
a. Principal, or his/her designee, who will serve as the chair and is a nonvoting member;
b. Two certified teachers from the affected building who are not involved
in the original complaint;
c. A library media specialist from the level from which the complaint is
generated;
d. Two parents who are not school district employees; and
e. If the complaint is at the high school level, two student members who
shall be selected from the school in which the complaint originated.
d) The school principal will take the following actions:
a. Schedule a learning resource review hearing as expeditiously as
possible, normally within thirty (30) calendar days of the complaint;
b. Advise the complainant, the executive director of curriculum and
instruction, and members of the school level review committee of the
date, time, and location of the learning resource review hearing; and
c. Following the hearing and the decision of the committee, give written
notice to the complainant, the superintendent of schools, and the
executive director of curriculum and instruction of the review
committees decision concerning retention of the learning resource.
e) The learning resource review hearing agenda shall include
a. Introduction and review of the hearing agenda;
b. Presentation of relevant materials and argument by complainant. The
chairperson may limit the time available for this presentation if
necessary and appropriate;
c. Presentation of relevant materials and argument by school
representative. The school representative shall have the same time
limit as the complainant;
d. Rebuttal comments by complainant. An appropriate time limit may be
imposed; and
e. Additional questions or discussion by review committee members (Blue
Valley).
Appendix A

STARLING CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LEARNING RESOURCES
Request by: ____________________________
Representing

__________ Myself __________ Organization or group identified as

___________________________________
Address: _______________________________________
Telephone: _______ - _______ - ____________
Title or description of item: _____________________________________________________
Author or editor: ______________________________________________________
Type of material (book/film/record/speaker/software/other (specify)):
________________________
1. Did you examine, review, or listen to this learning resource or presentation in its
entirety?
YES

NO

2. Have you been able to discuss this material with school staff who ordered it or
who use it?
YES

NO

3. Are you aware of the judgment of this material by professional critics?

YES

NO

If no, would you be interested in receiving this information?

YES

NO

4. Describe what prompted your concern about the material. Please cite page
numbers and/or specific information from the material to support your concerns.
Attach additional material if necessary.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Does the general purpose for the use of the material, as described by school staff
or in the Starling City Public School Districts program objectives, seem suitable to
you?
YES
NO
If not, please explain. Attach additional material if necessary.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6. What action(s) would you like to see the school take regarding this material?
Do not assign it to my child
The school should reevaluate the
material
Other (Please explain):
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Are there other materials of the same subject and format you would suggest for
consideration in place of this material?
YES
NO
If yes, please identify your suggestions.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Signed,
_______________________________________

Date

____________________________
(Alexandria)

Works Cited
"Administration Regulations for Policy #6.15." Fayetteville Public School District #1,
Web. <http://www.fayar.net/images/6.15AR.pdf>.
"Library Materials Selection Policy." Fayetteville Public School District #1, 19 Jan.
2005. Web. <http://www.fayar.net/images/6.15.pdf>.
"Policy 4610: Challenges to and Reconsideration of Learning Resources." Blue Valley
Schools, Sept. 2013. Web.
<http://www2.bluevalleyk12.org/policies/documents/4610guidelines.pdf>.
"Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources." Alexandria City Public Schools,
Web. <http://www.acps.k12.va.us/board/manual/klb-e.pdf>.
"Selection of Learning Resources." Blue Valley Schools, 13 Sept. 2004. Web.