The California Department of Education recommends that each district have literature selection policies that are approved by the local governing board. Such policies should address both school library collections and literature that is used in the classroom, and these policies should be used in conjunction with Recommended Literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve.
Careful and considered selection of literature for school libraries and classrooms should be made according to established policies and procedures. (See “Resources” for more information.) Many organizations offer sample selection policies, and whole courses on the selection of school library materials are taught to teacher librarians. Classroom teachers, teacher librarians, and administrators should anticipate that good literature, which is often based on real-life issues, will draw requests to reconsider the use of a book. In fact, any piece of literature is potentially objectionable to someone, some place, some time, for some reason. Therefore, ideal literature selection policies that are designed by the district establish procedures for reconsidering the use of a particular title and reflect the school’s philosophy of education and the curriculum, community values, and students’ ages.
School library selection policies, which are approved by the local governing board, are usually based upon the principles of the “Library Bill of Rights.” It is critical to determine whether the library selection policy applies to literature taught in the classroom as well, or if curriculum requires its own policy. Most selection policies cover six basic elements:
- Criteria for selection
- Selection aids (such as professional reviews, first-hand evaluations, recommended lists,
and so on) - Recommendations
- Donated materials
- Exactly who is responsible for the selection of materials
- Procedures for reconsideration of materials
Whether the district’s literature selection policy is developed by a local committee or adapted from another source, addressing the following checklist will assist in the selection and confident use of quality literature in the classroom and library:
- Does the district have a written instructional materials selection policy? Has it been formally adopted by the local governing board? Is it reviewed annually and revised periodically? Does it specifically address literature that is taught in the classroom, or does it pertain only to literature in the school’s library?
- Does the policy include written procedures for handling complaints? Is the policy reviewed each year by principals, teachers, teacher librarians, and classified library employees?
- Does the policy include guidelines for the use of materials other than those purchased by the district (such as materials donated by parents, teachers, or students)?
- Is there an established procedure to inform parents of the literature that will be taught during
the school year? Is the right of students to use an alternative assignment addressed? (The right to not read a selected text does not mean one can prevent others from reading that text.) - Is it standard district procedure for teachers or teacher librarians to read a book before using it with a class or a small group?
- Do teachers or teacher librarians prepare a brief rationale justifying the use of any literary work in class? The rationale should answer four questions:
- Why use this work with this class at this time?
- Will this work meet instructional objectives?
- If problems of style, texture, tone, or theme arise for students who are reading this work, how will those problems be addressed?
- If the instructional objectives are met, how will students benefit from having read and discussed this work?
- If a book is challenged, does the person who raises the issue have an opportunity to talk
with the teacher or teacher librarian informally before any further steps are taken? - Does the district have a committee dedicated to dealing with requests for reconsideration? This committee should be representative of the community and educated about intellectual freedom issues in advance of any challenges.
- Do district personnel communicate with civic, religious, educational, and political community
groups? - How do district personnel keep informed of current legal issues that affect the selection
and use of instructional materials? - Are selection tools available that assist teacher librarians and classroom teachers to choose quality titles?
Resources
American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom
- The Censor is Coming (Outside Source)
This updated version of the Intellectual Freedom Packet is a guide to information on intellectual freedom issues. The notebook includes guidelines, policies, resolutions, background reading, and resource lists that help librarians prepare for and respond to challenges to materials. It also provides information on the impact of the Internet on intellectual freedom and a discussion on library use of filtering software.
Keystone intellectual freedom documents, including the “Library Bill of Rights,” “Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights,” “Code of Ethics of the American Library Association,” “The Freedom to Read Statement,” and “Libraries: An American Value.”
California Department of Education
- Standards for Evaluating Instructional Materials for Social Content (PDF; Outside Source)
This document is based on California law as well as policies established by the State Board of Education regarding matters of social importance, such as male and female roles, older people and the aging process, people with disabilities, and religion. The standards also address other sensitive issues, including brand names and corporate logos, and provide for exceptions (classical and contemporary literature, music, art, stories, articles, and the presentation of historical perspectives, for example).
Instructional Resource Policies and Examples
- California School Boards Association
For a fee, the California School Boards Association offers sample district selection policies (Outside Source)
- Chicago Public Schools
New Collection Development Policy for School Libraries (PDF; Outside Source)
- Los Angeles Unified School District
Criteria for Evaluating Instructional Materials and Off-Site Instructional Activities (Outside Source)
- Mt. Ararat High School Library
Media Selection Policy (Outside Source)
National Council of Teachers of English
- Guidelines for Selection of Materials in English Language Arts Programs (Outside Source)
- Censorship: Don’t Let It Become an Issue in Your Schools (Outside Source)
This document offers criteria for selecting educational materials in light of potential censorship problems and outlines specific strategies for classroom teachers who are faced with censorship issues.
This document offers principles and practices to guide teachers and administrators in the use of nonprint media (such as television, music video, film, and software) and outlines how teachers can resist censorship of these materials.
- The Students’ Right to Read (Outside Source)
This pamphlet offers guidance on how to set up an orderly process for reviewing challenged instructional materials at the school or district level.
