Selection Policy (Topic)

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Selection Policy

Required Readings

Bishop 5
Bishop 6
Selection Policy Assignment

Supplemental Readings

MAF's Bookmarks: selection-policies
MAF's Bishop commentaries: WebCT 6340 Resources
Morris 8
IP 5 (review)
Wasman 8
Bishop 12
sample selection policies
Blog entries: 12Feb08 | 15Feb08 |

Standards

4.2A Develops and evaluates policies and procedures that support the mission of the school and address specific needs of the LMP, such as collection development and maintenance, challenged materials, and acceptable use policies

Discussion Points

Policies overall: Bishop, and most organizations, view policies as formalized statements of what actions to take in given situations. In a media program, you should have many policies in place to direct many different activities. Examples include Circulation Policies, Copyright Policies, Behavior Policies. You could even have a Laminating Policy if you need one. Bishop visualizes all policies collected in one Policy & Procedures Manual. Whether you have a comprehensive manual or not, one of your most important policies is the Selection Policy.
Preparation for this discussion might include: Find one or more sample selection policies (SP) on the web, and read it/them. And/or, study SPs from previous cohorts. Compare these policies to the Selection Policy assignment. Some people like examples, others are limited by them - it's your choice. Remember that quality varies. Discuss with your group via email or phone. Read about Selection Policy development in Bishop 6.
Big idea: the SP describes how selection decisions are made for your collection program. Should be

viewable by your learning community (MAF's opinion; this is perhaps controversial. Some feel it may "bait" people or provide ammunition for those who want to "pick a fight")
democratically derived, administratively approved
handy at all times
applied actively during the selection process
revisited each year for tweaking and fresh selection targets, evaluation of efficacy

Discuss examples found. Remember the pros and cons of using examples.
Preparation for writing a SP includes: gathering sample pieces from elsewhere; thinking about your philosophy; negotiating with your group to come up with a compromised plan; writing/compiling.
Citations/references: remember that you must give credit for each idea authored elsewhere using inline citations. Many of the resources you will use for this assignment don't fit APA very well. Do your best. I am more concerned that you clearly indicate where ideas came from than if your style is perfect.
Selection Policies are often seen as static documents, seldom changed, that govern selection procedures. While this may be true, it's my belief that they should be updated each year to check for viability and to include the current focus for spending dollars. When persistent problems arise in management of a media program, always consider: Do we need a policy to prevent this problem?
Supplemental materials (items in teacher's rooms, etc.) - my advice is: don't open this can of worms unless it seems necessary. Gwinnett has found it necessary and they have led the way if you need to do this.

Selection Policy Nitty Gritty

Anatomy: required elements are listed and described on the assignment

Optional elements that you will find in some Selection Policies:

Cover letter for parents and community members, explaining the purpose of your Selection Policy in layman language
Acceptable Use Policy: addresses how students use the Internet, clearly stating their responsibilities, parental permission, and consequences for infractions [Blog post reference]

Refer to the Collection Program Activities chart on Bishop p.16. Reading about Selection Procedures (Bishop, Chapter 6) gives you a concrete feel, taste, and overview for how the process plays out. Bishop Chapter 12 (Evaluating the Collection) in some ways comes in the beginning. You need to know weaknesses in your collection before you buy anything, because this informs your Program Goals and Annual Selection Targets. Don't worry about the how-to's of evaluation right now; this chapter gives you the idea, and my bullets give the thumbnail version.
Advice from Cohort 1

References

American Association of School Librarians and Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago: American Library Association.
Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices, and information scources (4th ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
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Morris, B.J. (2004). Administering the school library media center (4th ed.). Westport, CN: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-183-4.
Wasman, A.M. (1998). New steps to service: Common-sense advice for the school library media specialist. Chicago: American Library Association.

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Page history: Discussed in class 2-14-09; updated content 2-16-09. Combined 2 topic sections on 12-18-08; req rdgs, std added 12-29-08; structural 1-6-09.