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Barre Town Supervisory
District Policy Manual
TITLE: Library and
Instructional Materials Selection, Public Concerns & Complaints CODE: IJK
The School Board delegates to the Superintendent and his/her designees
the authority for the selection of library and instructional materials
in order to meet the educational objectives of the district. It is the
obligation of the district to provide for a wide range of abilities and
to respect the diversity of many differing points of view.
For the purpose of this policy and its attendant regulations, the terms
Library and Instructional Materials may include, but not be limited to,
books, textbooks, library books, movies, video tapes and discs, posters,
art work, photographs, artifacts, specimens, original source materials,
newspapers, magazines, computer programs, CD ROM and computer discs,
data bases and any material available through computer network services.
Instructional materials are selected by
the school district to implement, enrich, and support the educational
program for the student. Materials must serve both the breadth of the
curriculum and the needs and interests of individual students.
The choice of library and instructional
materials for the Library/Media Center, computer work stations and
classroom use will be made by professionally trained and qualified
personnel who will be responsive to the suggestions of students,
parents, concerned individuals or groups and other staff members. In
making their choices, librarians and other professional personnel will
recognize the need to balance their rights to exercise professional
judgments with an awareness of their responsibilities to meet the
educational goals and objectives of the school district. All selections
of library and instructional materials will be consistent with the
criteria and procedures of this policy.
Reputable, unbiased and professionally
prepared selection aids such as, but not limited to, Book Links, Online
book review sources including Library Periodicals, Motion Picture
Academy of America rating system, School Library Journal, Vermont
Department of Education's bibliographies and review sessions shall be
consulted as guides for purchases, gifts and re-evaluation of library
and all instructional materials. The main objective of our Library/Media
Center is to provide the students and school community with a wide range
of educational and recreational materials on all levels of difficulty
with diversity of appeal, allowing for the presentation of many
different points of view. The school district recognizes and accepts the
Library Bill of Rights.
Criteria for Selection of Library &
Instructional Materials
Staff members involved in selection of library and instructional
materials will use the following criteria as a guide:
- Contribution the subject matter
makes to the curriculum and to the interests of the student
- Movies of G rating will have
favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of
materials by professional personnel.
- BTMES will disallow the showing of
commercially produced materials to audiences for whom the ratings
themselves would disallow.
- “R” rated movies are for people
who are 17 and over. This supports the committee’s contention
that there is really no place for an “R” rated movie in our
school, therefore there will be no “R” rated movies shown.
- “PG-13” movies are not for
children who are under13 years of age.
- An annual notice shall be
sent home with students notifying parents of the possibility
of these movies to be shown.
- When PG movies are intended to
be shown it must first have administrative approval.
- Age and grade appropriate
commercially produced educational movies may be shown to
students.
- Reputation and significance of the
author, producer, and/or publisher
- Validity, up-to-dateness, and
appropriateness of material (no gratuitous nudity, violence or
excessive vulgar language)
- High degree of potential user appeal
- Consistency with the general
educational goals of the state and the goals, aims and objective of
the school district
- High standards of quality,
integrity, factual content and presentation
- Appropriateness for the subject
area, age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles,
level of preparation and social development of students for whom the
materials are selected
- Contribution the material makes to
breadth of representative viewpoints on controversial issues and
relevance to instructional program
- Currency, relevance, permanence and
value of material
- Reflection of the interests and
needs of the students, faculty and school community Literary and/or
artistic value
- Presentation of information with the
greatest degree of accuracy and clarity possible
- Fair and unbiased presentation of
information
- Favorable reviews found in standard
selection sources
Procedures for Citizen Review of
Library & Instructional Materials/Complaints
The appropriate personnel responsible for the library/media, audio
visual, computer and classroom instructional materials will maintain an
accurate listing of all books and other primary instructional materials
housed or used in their areas or classrooms to the extent reasonably
possible. Such materials will be made available for inspection to any
district resident or parent/guardian by appointment within seven days
after receiving written request. People who wish to review library and
instructional materials currently used by the school or being considered
for use should direct their initial request in writing to the librarian
or appropriate teacher. They may take one copy of library books and/or
printed instructional materials from the school premises for not more
than 48 hours. They may review all other instructional materials only on
school premises.
Unless the complainant and school
personnel agree, no duly selected material (as outlined in Policy IJK)
whose appropriateness is challenged shall be removed from the school
except upon recommendation of the Review Panel and formal action of the
School Board.
Dealing with complaints regarding
instructional materials:
- Any person who wishes to request
reconsideration of the use of any instructional materials shall be
encouraged to talk with the appropriate teacher, preferably in
person. an individual parent/guardian has the right to request that
his/her child not be required to use a specific instructional
material, provided an explanatory written request to excuse the
child is made to the teacher and a copy sent to the building
principal. Alternative supplemental materials will be provided when
circumstances warrant such action.
- If there is need for further appeal,
the complainant or staff member should present, to the principal, in
writing, any objections for discussion. If the complainant is
dissatisfied with the outcome of the conference with the principal,
he/she may request, in writing, a conference with the
Superintendent. The complainant shall include in this request a
brief explanation of the reason for the conference.
- The Superintendent shall offer to
meet with all parties involved in an attempt to mediate the issue.
- If the complainant is dissatisfied
with the outcome of the meeting with the Superintendent, the
complainant may file a written complaint to the School Board through
the Superintendent on the appropriate form. This form is available
in the office of the Superintendent.
- The Superintendent shall then
present all correspondence and pertinent materials to the School
Board. The School Board will direct the Superintendent to convene a
Review Panel which will follow procedures outlines in
“administrative procedures for Library and Instructional Materials
Selection, Public Concerns & Complaints.” [IJK-P] Parent members of
the Review Panel will be appointed by the School Board.
- The findings and recommendation of
the Review Panel shall be presented directly to the School Board by
the chair person of the Review Panel.
- The final decision regarding
instructional materials that have been questioned will rest with the
School Board after careful examination and discussion of the
instructional materials with school officials, the complainant, or
anyone else the School Board may wish to involve. A decision in such
matters will be guided by state laws and regulations where
applicable.
- Responses by the teacher and/or
administration to request reconsideration of instructional materials
will be made in a timely fashion at each stage of the above process.
Initial Adoption: 11/7/83
Revised: 8/9/06
Legal References:
Title 16 V.S.A. §906 (23.1) (Course of Study)
Title 16 V.S.A. §563 (9.4) (Powers of School Boards)
Title 16 V.S.A. §3743 (129) (Textbooks, Appliances & Supplies)
Cross References:
IJK-P Procedures for Library and Instructional Materials
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