Library Materials Selection Process

How are school literary materials selected?

    • Site library staff selects materials with oversight of site principal.
    • Materials are evaluated using professional selection aids and standards such as Ed Code, Board Policy (BP) and Administrative Regulation (AR).
    • Recommendations from administrators, teachers, staff, parent/guardians, and students as appropriate are considered when making selections.
    • Materials that are obsolete or no longer appropriate are removed.

What is the selection criteria when assessing the addition of school library materials?

  • Using professional selection aids and standards, materials should:

    • Support and enrich curriculum and/or students’ interests
    • Be age appropriate
    • Offer differing viewpoints
    • Promote diversity by including authors and illustrators from a variety of cultures, identities, beliefs, and ideologies

What are the professional selection aids and resources used to assess school library materials?

    • Junior Library Guild
    • Booklist
    • Accelerated Reader (AR) Bookfinder
    • School Library Journal
    • California Young Readers
    • Kirkus
    • Follet/ Titlewave
    • American Library Association
    • Epic Reads
    • Livermore Public Library
    • Goodreads
    • Destiny Catalogs
    • National Award Winning Book Lists
    • Scholastic Books
    • Literati
    • Publishers’ Recommendations

  • Process for Challenges to Library Materials

    Challenges to school library materials follow our District’s Board Policy 1312.2 & Administrative Regulation 1312.2, Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials. Challenges concerning instructional materials may be taken from staff, District residents, or the parents/guardians of students enrolled in an LVJUSD school. The process for a challenge is as follows:

    • Step 1- Informal Complaint: Parents/guardians are encouraged to discuss any concerns regarding instructional materials with their child’s teacher or principal. Complainants without students at a school site, should contact the school principal.

    • Step 2- Formal Complaint: If the concern could not be resolved at the school site with a teacher or principal, a LVJUSD Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of a Library Book Form can be completed and turned in to the site principal, who will forward to the Superintendent.

    • Step 3- Superintendent’s Determination: Upon review of the form, the Superintendent shall either issue a decision or convene a review committee. The committee would include staff members from relevant instructional and administrative areas, and may include community members.

    • Step 4- Review Committee: If a review committee is convened, it will evaluate the submitted request against established Board Policy and selection criteria (as outlined above); submit a written report of findings to the Superintendent within 30 days; and the complainant will be notified of the decision within 15 days of the report being received.

    • Step 5- Appeal to Board of Education: If unsatisfied with the decision of the review committee, the complainant can appeal the decision to the Board of Education.

    LVJUSD Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of a Library Book Form