GENERAL PROCEDURE/INFORMATION

Library

1. Book Selection Policy of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District

a. The Board of Education representing the public schools of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District believes its choice of books for use in the library, as well as in the classrooms, should contribute to the general educational purposes of the school, which includes the development of a free, reasoning person who can make up his own mind, who can understand his culture and who can live in harmony with his fellow man.
b. The Board also believes that the school librarian, as the professionally trained expert in this field, shall have the responsibility of selecting books that contribute to the above educational purposes of the school, while adhering to commonly accepted standards of decency, propriety and responsibility. The librarian, as is true with all school personnel, shall perform these duties within the general framework of the Board's policy and the administrative regulations to implement this policy.
c. Although initial purchase suggestions may come from all qualified personnel, teachers, administrators, etc., as well as students, the librarian is responsible for the final evaluation and selection of material.
d. The Board expects that books and other materials shall be listed on one of the recognized reviewing media or approved lists, unless it is possible for them to evaluate them carefully before purchase.
e. The Board also endorses the following criteria in the selection of books: permanence or timely value, accuracy, authoritativeness, clear presentation and readability, and good format binding, print and paper.
f. Factors in the selection shall also include the needs of the curriculum, reading interests, and abilities of students, background of students, size of budget and the need to develop a balanced collection.

2. Guidelines in Selecting Books
a. Book selections will include works that widen the boundaries of the adolescent's thinking, enrich his life and help him fulfill his recreational, intellectual and emotional needs.
b. Specific rules for selection cannot be written out ahead of time except in general terms,
for each book must be considered on its own merits. In other words, books have both faults and virtues and if the virtues far outweigh a fault, a book may be included.
c. We deplore the use of profanity or obscenity in dealing with sex but when a book opens a clearer vision of life, develops understanding of other people or breaks down tolerance, we weigh these virtues against the possible harm to be done by some regrettable work or passage in the book, particularly if taste rather than morals is offended.
d. Simple books of sex education for teenagers belong on the open shelves of young people's collections. It seems important that young people gain sound information since they are sure to gain information of some kind on the subject. If these books are treated in the same manner as are books on other interesting subjects, much can be done to give young people a healthful attitude toward sex.
e. Religious books of an obviously denominational nature where the primary purpose is to present one sect as superior to another are not purchased for young people's collections, nor are books that belittle any faith. Only well-written books that make no attempt to sway the emotions of the adolescent toward or against one faith should be included in special collections for young people.
f. Books describing varying opinions of political ideologies are considered useful for instructional purposes and a fuller understanding of the advantages of our form of government.
g. All types of readers must be considered in setting up a book collection. Simple teenage
stories of boy-girl relationships teach young and reluctant readers a love of reading--the first step in the development of any reader. At the other end of the scale is the older, better reader who is forming his own philosophy and wishes to read adult material that throws a clear light on the process of living.
h. Medical and scientific knowledge should be made available without any biased selection of facts.
i. Opinions of what constitutes indecent or improper reading materials will differ. Therefore, a procedure for resolving differences of opinion should be developed.
j. Teachers and the librarian shall attempt to guide students to select books appropriate to their maturity levels. The Board recognizes, however, that it is a practical impossibility to check every student's choices.
k. A difference exists in what is acceptable for class discussion and required reading and what is available on library shelves at the discretion of the student. The administration is expected to control the selection and use of books for class instruction to ensure the material is appropriate for the maturity of the student.

3. Library Bill of Rights

The Board endorses the "School Library Bill of Rights," which states: "School libraries are concerned with generating under-standing of American freedoms and with the preservation of these freedoms through the development of informed and responsible citizens. To this end the American Association of School Libraries reaffirms the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association and asserts that the responsibility of the school library is:

To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration and varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the pupils served;

To provide a background of information this will enable pupils to make intelligent judgments in their daily life:

To provide materials on opposing sides of controversial issues so that young citizens may develop, under guidance, the practices of critical reading and thinking;

To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural groups and their contributions to your American Heritage;

To place principle above personal opinions and reason above prejudice in the selection of materials of the highest quality in order to assure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the library."

4. Challenged Material (Informal Procedure)

The Board of Education recognizes that in some cases a book which contains unsuitable material for high school students may have been inadvertently included in the library. Therefore, if someone objects to such a book, the librarian may use her discretion in removing it from the library. Such procedures will be informal and be handled by the librarian. The same will apply if an informal request is made to include a book. However, if the librarian disagrees with the request, a formal, written procedure shall be followed.

5. Challenged Material (Formal Procedure)

If a difference of opinion arises, the following procedure shall be followed whenever a request is made to include or to exclude a specific book from the library or from use in the classroom:
a. All criticism shall be presented in writing to the Superintendent on the appropriate form (See I, p.11 for sample copy). It shall include specific information as to author title, publisher, and page number of each item to which objection is made and reasons for objection. A statement of the author's purpose, as understood by the challenger, and the suggested title of a suitable book to replace the challenged book and identified so that a proper reply can be made.
b. The Superintendent shall head a committee consisting of himself, the Principal, the Librarian, the policy committee of the Board of Education, two residents of the community, neither employed by the school district nor members of the Board of Education, and two faculty members in whose subject field the challenged book can be located, to re-evaluate the materials questioned and make recommendations to the Superintendent.
c. A review of the questioned materials shall be treated objectively. The best interests of the students, the school and the curriculum shall be given utmost consideration.
d. Using the recommendation of this committee, the Superintendent will decide if the book should be included, excluded, or returned and report his decision to the Board of Education at its next meeting.

6. Definition of Obscenity

In dealing with alleged obscenity in a book, the Board of Education recognized the definition of obscenity developed by the United States Supreme Court, which is:
a. The book must go substantially beyond customary limits of candor in dealing with sex;
b. It must have a predominant appeal to prurient interests;
c. It must be utterly without redeeming social importance.

7. Gifts to the Library

The library welcomes gifts of books and other materials provided:
a. They meet the same standards of selection as those applied to original purchases.
b. They can be integrated into the general collections and do not need specific housing.
c. The library may offer the gift to another library or institution if it is useful but not needed in the school library.
d. The library may dispose of the gift at its discretion if it is out-of-date or in poor physical condition, not warranting the cost of the repair.