Today media centers provide students the opportunity to learn and explore subjects of their interest in depth. The media center is the largest classroom in the school providing service to every student and every teacher in all curricular areas. The library should be a place to encourage students' interests and a place to broaden their horizons by…

This article talks about selection policy and provides suggestions on how library media specialists can update their selection policies to provide an atmosphere that facilitate inquiry. The selection policy is meant to ensure that the collection meets the needs of the school community as comprehensively and effectively as possible. Instead of…

This book discusses censorship as it affects schools and school library media centers. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 describes who and why some people and organizations object so strongly to some school materials, as well as those organizations that support intellectual freedom. Chapter 3 provides a historical perspective on censorship…

Reviews selection guidelines suggested by the Catholic Library Association (CLA) for parish and school libraries. Highlights include who develops the selection policy; American Library Association selection guidelines for school libraries; criteria for both print and nonprint materials; how to handle censorship challenges; and issues concerning…

Reviews recent media treatment of the issue of selection and censorship of print and nonprint materials for school-age children in Australia, and discusses the findings of a survey which investigated actual practices in schools and attitudes of teacher-librarians. (37 references) (LRW)

The Learning Resource Services (LRS) department at Austin Community College, in Texas, has developed a procedure for dealing with situations when a library user objects to items in a collection or display or protests that an item is not in the collection. First, three resources have been created to handle challenges. The LRS Materials Selection…

This survey of public secondary schools examined factors that affected the outcome (i.e., retention, restriction, or removal) of censorship challenges to library materials. Factors found to influence outcome included oral versus written challenges, materials selection policy use, school environment, community environment, and media specialist…

For many years, there has been pressure on American schools to restrict or deny students access to books or periodicals deemed objectionable by some individual or group on moral, political, religious, ethnic, racial, or philosophical grounds. Censorship of library books in school media centers is present today. The library media specialist is…

In compliance with Section 59-31-10 of the 1976 School Laws of South Carolina, this document provides a bibliography of standard lists that media specialists, teachers, and administrators may use as a guide for reviewing and selecting instructional materials for elementary and secondary public school library media centers. Sources of selection…

Reviews the literature in library and information science to identify factors that influence the outcome of challenges to school library materials. A conceptual model is developed that encompasses district selection policy, librarian characteristics, school environment, community environment, and initiator of the challenge, and tentative…

Summarizes the results of a national study of library media material challenges in secondary public school libraries that was conducted during the 1989-90 school year. Factors that influence whether challenges to library media materials resulted in retention, restriction, or removal of materials are identified. (LRW)

This document presents the collection development policy for the Douglas Library and Learning Resources at Chicago State University. Collection development committee policies are presented in terms of planning (allocation of resources budget, implementation of resource sharing and related programs, development of policies and procedures, liaison…

Discusses issues of censorship and intellectual freedom that affect library media specialists and librarians. An annotated list of relevant resource materials is included, and suggestions for further action are given, including examining the library's material selection policy statement and involving students and teachers. (LRW)

Examines how libraries can encourage and increase youth access to information. Discusses the role of the school library media center; law, illegal information, and censorship; parental rights; information policy; and promoting youth access before a challenge occurs in the library. (AEF)

Discusses the need for written collection policies in learning resources centers as a defense against censorship and as a collection planning device. A model collection policy is reviewed, with emphasis on the sections and wording that bear directly on censorship and intellectual freedom. (8 references) (CLB)