Collection Development
St. Joseph School Library
"Schools should maintain well-stocked
and managed libraries. Access to interesting and informative books is one of the
keys to a successful reading program." (Becoming a Nation of Readers,
National Institute of Education, 1985.)
In addition to the instructional program, the school curriculum is further
supported by a collection consisting of books, reference materials, magazines,
online subscription services to both magazines and encylopedias, videos, maps
and other material and meets the minimum standard of the Washington State guidelines
of 25 books per student. Currently, the collection consists of over 15,000
volumes.
Selection Guidelines
The selection and evaluation process of library
materials is guided by the collection development policy of the school. This
policy also reflects the Library Bill of Rights, as adopted by the
American Library Association, and the guidelines for school library media
programs of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle and the State of
Washington. The policy includes the following factors:
- supporting and enriching the curriculum
- supporting personal and recreational needs of the students
- reflecting quality of content and artistic merit
- reflecting religious, ethnic, social, and economic diversity
- reflecting various points of view, timeliness, permanence, and importance
of subject matter
- reflecting age appropriateness
- reflecting the reputation of author and publisher
- creating a balanced collection covering a borad range of subjects
The following tools and resources are used or consulted when making
selections:
- School Library Journal
- Puget Sound Council for the Review of Children's Media - monthly meetings
- Book Links - magazine
- Book awards:
- Caldecott
- Newbery
- Young Reader's Choice
- Coretta Scott King
- American Library Association's Notable Books
- Others
- New York Times Book Reviews
- Teacher, student and parent recommendations
- Catholic School Librarians Group meetings
- Childrens Catalogue - Wilson Publishing
- Junior High School Catalogue - Wilson Publishing
- Bibliographies:
- American Library Association
- Seattle Public Library
- Other Schools
- Univeristy of Washington School of Information and Library Science
course bibliographies
- list of books from the ACLU
- other organizations
- Publishers representatives
- Book stores
- Reputable publisher and dealer catalogues
Through the curriculum,
particular emphasis is placed on the recognition of the ethnic diversity of our
society. To adequately expand the collection in order that it reflect this
diversity, the following special bibliographies and book lists are consulted:
- African American Images (Book Distributors) Catalogue
- Against Borders: Promoting Books for a Multicultural World. H. Rockman
- Black History Catalogue, Empak Pablishing Co.
- Many other book lists emphasizing multicultural books.
Back
to the Library Mission web page.