Administrative Policy Handbook /Policy Issues Paper
Policy Strengths
1. Selecting ~The current selection
Materials policy outlines how
(IFBD) materials should be
purchased…philosophy,
Date Adopted: curriculum, and objectives
11/01/91 of the school system.
Date Revised: ~The policy separates
02/15/99 media and equipment
materials into separate
categories with their own
criteria.
2. ~ The current policy is
Reconsideration very detailed and has a
of Materials step-by-step procedure
(IFBD) for challenging materials.
It also gives a time frame
Date Adopted: for when certain
11/01/91 procedures should be
Date Revised: done during the
02/15/99 reconsideration process.
3. Gifts and ~Gifts must contribute to
Contributions the objectives of the
(IFBD) instructional programs
and are subject to the
Date Adopted: same criteria put forth for
11/01/91 purchasing materials. The
Date Revised: media specialist is
02/15/99 appointed to the duty of
reviewing and deciding of
the acceptance of gifts.
FRIT 7132 Laurie Bryant, Spring 2010
Suggestions for Improvement
~This countywide selection policy needs to include more detail as to what will be used as
criteria for selecting materials. A suggestion for improvement to this policy would be to add
what sources should be used as an indicator of selection, such as using creditable
review journals and having outlined procedures for ordering materials.
An example can be found here…
https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IFBC&Sch=4121&S=4121&RevNo=1.12&C=I&Z=P
~The current policy does state that the media committee will review the challenged
material, but there is not any specific guideline as to who is serving on that committee. A
suggestion would be for the administrator to appoint members to a reconsideration
committee that is a separate entity from the media committee and include a community
member and a member of the student body, if it is a middle or high school material
being challenged.
An example can be found here…
http://www.hopkintonschools.org/hhs/library/selpol.html
~ A suggestion would be to add additional details regarding monetary gifts. There
is no mention of these, only of instructional materials gifts. The West Buxton
Public Library has some good thoughts of how to best use monetary gifts.
Details can be found here…
http://westbuxtonpubliclibrary.org/giftsToTheLibraryPolicy.php
 Administrative Policy Handbook /Policy Issues Paper FRIT 7132 Laurie Bryant, Spring 2010

4. Non-School ~The policy states that all ~A recommendation for this policy would be to state that the non-school owned materials not
Owned non-school owned print only support the curriculum, but are also approved by the media specialist and an
Materials and non-print materials administrator. Those materials need to be reviewed before their use.
(IFBD) should be supportive of An example of this policy can be found here…
the adopted curriculum for https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IFBC&Sch=4121&S=4121&RevNo=1.12&C=I&Z=P
Date Adopted: the course being taught.
11/01/91 This policy applies to
Date Revised: teachers, students, and
02/15/99 guest presenters.

5. Copyright ~The copyright laws are ~These sites could be made available to teachers if they need to consult the guidelines on
Laws very specific and are issues regarding copyright law.
(IFBD) thoroughly covered by the Copyright FAQ: http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/index.html
countywide policy. Copyright Website: http://www.benedict.com/
Date Adopted: ~There is one person in Fair Use of Copyrighted Materials: http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/copypol2.htm
11/01/91 the system and at each
Date Revised: school level who is
02/15/99 responsible for supplying
the copyright information.
6. Internet ~The policy states the ~The Internet Acceptable Use policy is very detailed regarding the use of the computers to
Acceptable Use philosophy, purpose, and access the Internet, however, there needs to be a clause regarding the treatment of the
(IFBG) acceptable/unacceptable computers. A separate statement about vandalism is recommended. We have had a lot of
uses of the Internet. It is vandalism of computers and headphones at our school, so I think when the Internet
very detailed and includes Acceptable Use Policy is sent home at the beginning of the school year for parents to sign, it
Date Adopted: a statement regarding the also needs to include a statement about vandalism of computer equipment.
10/11/01 restriction of materials An example can be found from Rome City Schools here…
Last Revised: that are “harmful to https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IFBG&Sch=4139&S=4139&RevNo=1.37&C=I&Z=P
09/14/06 minors”. This term is
defined in Section
1703(b)(2) of the
Children’s Internet
Protection Act of 2000.
 Administrative Policy Handbook /Policy Issues Paper FRIT 7132 Laurie Bryant, Spring 2010

7. Media ~The current policy states ~A suggestion for this policy would be to put in place how long a member can serve
Committee that the superintendent on the committee and also how often the committees should meet.
(IFBD) will appoint a system level An example can be found here…
media contact person. A https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IFBD&Sch=4091&S=4091&RevNo=1.11&C=I&Z=P
Date Adopted: media committee will be
11/01/91 established at the system
Date Revised: level and at each school
02/15/99 level to facilitate required
media functions that are
described in the BOE
rules.
8. Weeding of ~A suggestion is to place a policy about weeding into the policy handbook. This would avoid
Materials any questions as to how to deselect library materials, what to do with those materials once
they are weeded, and how often it should be done. A great place to start would be to look at
This area is not the “Resources for School Librarians” website to get some ideas. The site has a collection of
covered in the links that take you to many sites on the process of weeding.
current policy The site can be found here:
handbook. http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/resf/coldev2.html#weed