Managing for learning : issues for primary school libraries / editor Marianne Punshon. 2006, ISBN 0 9099 7830 1
Published by: School Library Association of Victoria, 150 Palmerston St, Carlton, Vic.
http://www.slav.schools.net.au/public.html#books
A school library resource centre should provide access to a wide range of quality resources which support curriculum needs and trends, enhance the recreational interests of all students and are matched to appropriate levels. These resources should also support the goals and priorities set by the school.
Selection is a systematic process based on:
- school priorities
- the budget
- recognised selection criteria and
- the school's Collection Development Policy.
It is the responsibility of the teacher librarian or resource teacher in collaboration with teachers and other professional staff to select material for the resource centre. These professional staff should have a knowledge of:
- the curriculum
- learning and teaching styles
- child development
- student achievement levels
- collection development
- resource selection criteria.
A policy has been developed to guide the decisions within CMIS. These general principles and selection criteria provide overall guidelines for the selection of quality curriculum related resources and may be useful for schools developing their own guidelines.
This is available at:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/library/selection/sel22.htm
Resources for purchase can be identified through:
A suggestion box or pad can be left near the check out desk to encourage suggestions from staff and students for resources to purchase.
However resources should only be purchased if they:
- meet school priorities
- are within budget constaints
- meet the recognised selection criteria
- meet the school's Collection Development Policy.
Under Part VA of the Copyright Act 1968, educational institutions are permitted to copy radio and television broadcasts, including satellite and under the amendments to the Copyright Act 1968 (Copyright Amendment Act 1998) to copy from cable television.
There are three conditions of this licence:
- It must be a broadcast originating in Australia
- It must be for educational purposes
- It must carry marking requirements
Marking requirements
All copies of broadcasts or the containers in which they are kept, must be marked as follows:
- a reference to the Copyright Act Part VA
- the name of the school for which the copy is made
- the day on which the broadcasts was copied
- the day on which the copy was made, if this is different from the broadcasts; e.g.
MADE FOR [INSTITUTION]
UNDER PART VA, COPYRIGHT ACT 1968
Date program broadcasts - [00/00/00]
Date this copy made - [00/00/00]
Further information on school video copying rights is available from Copyright for schools
http://policies.det.wa.edu.au/our_policies/ti_view?uid=eb919d43d80d974f860e8c59fd9e19b2&iview=summary_view
The taping off-air of television programs considered suitable for your school's resource centre is an ideal way of building resources. Catalogue records are available for television programs in both DVD and videocassette formats. To provide you with faster access to records for television programs, CMIS publishes SCIS numbers for the most recently catalogued programs on the webpage. http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/cat/toa.htm
Periodicals are valuable sources of current information as well as useful resources for
recreational reading.
A policy on periodical selection and purchase should be developed by teaching staff, and
periodicals evaluated at regular intervals for usage, for their ability to complement the
curriculum, and for their relevance to client needs. Many current services exist via the Internet and CD-ROM
and schools should consider the value of hard copy magazines versus electronic delivery.
A periodicals collection should be:
- catalogued
- clearly labelled
- stored in order by date of publication with indexes
- maintained in good physical condition and
- weeded regularly.
Purchasing
Identify:
- selection criteria for subscription purchase/renewal
- who is responsible for ordering
- which periodical subscriptions are current
- which periodicals are of value and require renewal
- preferred service provider/s and
- availability of the information in another medium, e.g. Internet, CD ROM.
Recommendations:
- request sample copies prior to placing subscriptions
- choose a reliable supplier - preferably local
- arrange for subscription renewals to be due on a common, predetermined date and
- purchase popular periodicals on an irregular basis if funds are limited.
All websites on SCISWeb have been evaluated by the various SCIS agencies. They are a valuable resource to include in the library catalogue and can include information sites and online learning activities such as webquests and competitions.
CMIS Evaluation is constantly reviewing websites deemed suitable for school resource centres, however changes happen daily on the Internet and while every effort is made to ensure that websites are current and structured as they were when reviewed, CMIS cannot guarantee that they will be permanent or remain suitable for students. CMIS will make every effort to ensure that email addresses and URL hotlinks are current. If schools notice that websites have changed or are no longer available they should be deleted from the library catalogue.
Guidelines for the selection of websites can be found on the CMIS Evaluation webpage.
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/library/selection/sel23.htm#electronic
Resources donated to the school library should be added to the collection only if:
- they are compatible with the Collection Development Policy
- adhere to the selection criteria, and
- fulfil a need or enhance the collection.
Donors should be informed that their donations undergo the same selection process as any other resources under consideration for inclusion into the collection.
Library staff could check with the donors whether, if the donated material is not going to be included in the collection, they would like it returned.
Challenged material refers to any resource that may be considered controversial or offensive to members of the school community. It is important that every school has a policy and procedure in place to deal with any challenges that may arise.
These policies and procedures should be developed within the school community. The School Library Bill of Rights published on the Australian School Library Association [ASLA] Website is a useful starting point.
See also Collection development policy at the top of this page.
Dealing with Complaints
Dealing with complaints is a systematic process involving:
- referring challenger to the school's Collection Development Policy
- completion of a complaint form by the challenger;
a sample Challenge Form is available at: http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/LibrarySupport/challenge.doc
NB: This is in a format that can be saved and amended for a particular school.
- decision on whether to remove the item from the shelf immediately or after it has been reviewed;
- review of challenged resource by a Committee, which includes the principal, resource teacher, a P&C representative and the person making the complaint.
The final decision to remove or retain the challenged item is the responsibility of the Principal.
For more support contact your District Library Support Office. Contact information available at:
District Library Support Network
