SCHOOL LIBRARY

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

Collection development for any type of library is an ongoing process of improvement. School libraries led by
certified professionals collect and curate resources used to meet the learning and teaching needs of their school
community. Resources include, but are not limited to, print and digital formats as well as devices, artifacts, and
tools. These resources guide and support the mission of the South Dakota Department of Education.

Although each school, district, and system is unique and must reflect the mission and goals of the local community,
school library improvement operates most efficiently with a plan, policies that further that plan, and procedures
that implement those policies. This framework is an outline of best practices for districts to use and adapt to their
local needs. It is intended as a guide to be built upon and revised as required by the changing needs of the future-
ready school community it serves. The components of this framework include three distinct documents/templates
designed to provide direction for the library in all areas of operation. Combination school/public libraries also
require a Joint-Use Agreement.
The following information shares definitions for the key features of the plan, policies, and procedures. Each
definition is followed with an essential question. These questions are not all inclusive. As the school library
considers their needs other questions may arise.

PLAN
The Purpose POLICIES
The ongoing cycle of
improvement for the collection
The Principles
PROCEDURES
and curation of resources that Statements of intent that support
drives student success. collecting and curating practices to The Process
•Needs Assessment guide student success.
•Goals The management of access to
•Mission Statements
collected and curated resources to
•Curricular Connections •Resource Selection sustain student learning and
•Professional Practices •Resource Maintenance success.
•Action Steps •Resource Sharing •Purchasing & Licensing
•Person(s) Responsible •Intellectual Freedom •Cataloguing
•Budget •Responsible & Ethical Use of •Circulating
•Completion Dates Resources
•Library Schedule
•Reflection and Evaluation •Confidentiality of Records
•Virtual Library & Social Media
•Reconsideration of Resources
•Student & Staff Handbooks

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PLAN
The Purpose: The ongoing cycle of improvement for the collection and curation of resources that
drives student success.

• Needs Assessment: Identifying gaps between the collection and the resource wants of students, staff
and curriculum. Formal and informal needs assessments can provide valuable information about what
currently exists within the collection as well as the direction for future acquisitions.
In what ways can the librarian gather information about the resource needs of students, staff &
curriculum?

• Goals: Priorities to meet the ever-changing needs identified in the needs assessment of students, staff
and curriculum.
What are the three priorities to be addressed in the next school year?

• Curricular Connections: Resources available in the library collections to support classroom instruction in
all content areas.
Is the collection meeting the curriculum needs of all content areas?

• Professional Practices: South Dakota Standards for Teaching or District Alternative System
Are best professional library practices reflected in the plan?

• Action Steps: Tasks to be completed over the projected timeline to reach the goal.
Has enough time been allotted to complete the task on schedule?

• Person(s) Responsible: The chain of command for decision-making and carrying out tasks.
Who can best carry out this task with the leadership of the librarian? (i.e. the librarian, paraprofessional,
classroom teachers, library advisory committee, school improvement team, technology committee,
administration, school board, parent-teacher organization, etc.)

• Budget: Funding available to carry out goals.

What funding resources are available to carry out these goals? (Is the funding need a one-time
expenditure or necessary on an annual basis?)

• Completion Dates: End dates for completing goals and action steps.
Is the deadline static or flexible?

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POLICIES
The Principles: Statements of intent that support collecting and curating practices to guide student
success.

• Resource Selection: Criteria for including items in the collection.

Does the collection address the diversity and access needs of all learners?

• Resource Maintenance: Organizing, tracking, repairing, replacing, reviewing and weeding collection
resources for relevance and usability.
Is the collection up to date and appealing to learners?

• Resource Sharing: Partnerships between libraries within and outside of the district to provide access
additional resources.
Is the library maintained to meet the needs of the learner?

• Intellectual Freedom: Access to information and ideas from many points of view.
Do all learners have access to educational and recreational resources that meet developmental and
maturity levels while meeting many different points of view?

• Confidentiality of Records: Student and staff confidentiality is maintained through the policies and
procedures of the library in accordance with district policy, state statute and federal law.
Do library policies and procedures protect student and staff privacy?

• Responsible and Ethical Use of Resources: Students and staff follow all district responsible use policies
and adhere to applicable copyright law and fair use interpretation as they pertain to all formats and
devices.
Do library policies and procedures educate learners and adhere to district policy, state statute and
federal law? (Are students taught how to conduct themselves responsibly online while being provided
access to various websites and social media for educational use?)

• Reconsideration of Resources: An individual’s right to question the inclusion or exclusion of resources

within the collection.
Is there a district approved process with appropriate forms available?

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PROCEDURES
The Process: The management of access to collected and curated resources to sustain student learning
and success.

• Purchasing and Licensing: School or district ownership of resources within the collection as well as
access to subscription services.
What are the pros/cons of ownership vs. subscription?

• Cataloguing: Classification of resources in an organized ILS system for user access.

Can all resources be discovered within the ILS system through 24/7 access?

• Circulation: The loaning of resources to users.

Do library circulation guidelines meet the access needs of all learners?

• Resources: Resources that are missing/lost or unable to be accessed in their current condition due to
damage?
Do library guidelines for lost or damaged resources allow for their timely replacement?

• Library Schedule: The daily operational hours of the physical place.

Does the library schedule allow access before, during and after school?

• Library Website and Social Media: Virtual presence and communication.

Are the library website and social media accounts used to communicate information about the collection
and to gather information about new needs?

• Student and Staff Handbooks: School board-adopted policies and procedures.

Does the library maintain a section of procedures in the board-adopted student and staff handbook or a
separate board-adopted library handbook?

Additional Resources
• ALA Code of Ethics (ala.org)
• ALA Collection Development Resources (ala.org)
• AASL Position Statements (ala.org/aasl)
• AASL White Paper on Educational Technology in Schools (ala.org/aasl)
• Developing Collections to Empower Learners by Sue C. Kimmel, AASL. © 2014.
• School/Public Combination Framework (library.sd.gov)
• SD Content Standards (doe.sd.gov)
• SD School Library Standards > Standards and Guidelines (library.sd.gov)
• SD School Library Guidelines > Standards and Guidelines (library.sd.gov)
• SDSL Collection Development Policy > Frameworks and Guides (library.sd.gov)

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TEMPLATE 1: NEEDS ASSESSMENT

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Formal Needs Assessment Resource Priority Informal Needs Assessment Resource Priority

Most students enjoy

Sample: Collection Analysis lacks science resources Sample: Student Exit Tickets reading graphic novels
1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

6. 6.

7. 7.

8. 8.

9. 9.

10. 10.

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 TEMPLATE 2: DISTRICT/SCHOOL COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PLAN

DISTRICT/SCHOOL COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT PLAN

SCHOOL/DISTRICT MISSION STATEMENT
SCHOOL LIBRARY MISSION STATEMENT
Goals Action Steps and Important Dates Person(s) Professional Curricular Completion
(no more than 3-5) by Month Responsible Budget Needs Practices Connections Date
1. Ongoing:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
2.
3.
4.
5.

Administrator Signature: Date School Librarian Signature: Date

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TEMPLATE 3: COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

[Name of School Library]

[Library Mission Statement]
[Date]

School/District Mission Statement:

Library Objectives:

RESOURCE SELECTION
Responsibility for Selection
The Board and the administration of the school delegate the responsibility for selection of resources for the
library to the professional library personnel. The ultimate responsibility for the selection of resources resides in
the local Board of Education.
Selection Criteria [edit and/or add as applies to your library]
The librarian will select resources in all formats for the library, utilizing but not limited to, the following criteria:
• integral to the instructional goals, curricular, extra-curricular programs of the school
• appropriate for the reading level, understanding, access abilities of students in the school.
• reflect the creative interests and relevant needs of the students and faculty.
• warrant inclusion in the collection because of literary, historical and/or artistic value and merit.
• present information with the greatest degree of currency, accuracy and clarity possible.
• represent a fair and unbiased presentation of information while also representing as many shades of opinion
as possible, in order that varying viewpoints are available to students.
• reflect a variety of cultural backgrounds.
• extend the walls of the library into the classrooms and outside of school to students, staff, and parents.

Selection Process
Selection of resources is accomplished by, but not limited to: [edit and/or add as applies to your library]
• collection analysis (automated)
• collection mapping and collection plan
• instructional and program needs assessment
• survey recommendations from students, staff, parents, community
• consultation of professional selection tools and reviews
• examination of resources and trial access
• state, national, professional association awards and bibliographies

GIFTS [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

The [Your School Library] determines the appropriate disposition of gifts. Donated resources may be added to the collection
if they meet the same criteria as resources selected for purchase. Donations will also be evaluated and disposed of
according to the criteria in this policy. Monetary gifts with stipulations or over the amount of $3,000 require approval by
the Board of Education.

RESOURCE MAINTENANCE [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

• Organizing and Tracking [automation, circulation, inventory records, etc.]
• Repairing and Replacing [usable, current, available, affordable, relevant, etc.]
• Reviewing and Weeding [collection mapping and collection plan, etc.]

One-fifth of the collection resources will be reviewed and weeded annually.

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Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Loan
[School/District name] provides the appropriate resources necessary to guide and support learning and teaching in the
school community. While every effort is made to exhaust our own resources, it is understood that no library can collect all
available resources. Therefore, it is essential that library resources be shared for adequate and effective library service. And
to that end, our library is both a borrowing library and a lending library. It is understood that interlibrary loan does not
replace the local responsibility for ongoing collection development. All interlibrary loan transactions comply with South
Dakota Interlibrary Loan Code, current copyright law, and any other applicable procedures and regulations.

Intellectual Freedom
[Your School Library] supports intellectual freedom and subscribes in principle to the statements of policy as expressed in
the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, a copy of which is found in Appendix A and made a part of this
policy.

Confidentiality of Records
[Your School Library] adheres to all district policies and procedures as adopted by the local Board of Education.
Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA): studentprivacy.ed.gov

Responsible and Ethical Use of Resources

[Your School Library] adheres to all district policies and procedures as adopted by the local Board of Education.
United States Copyright Office: copyright.gov
Creative Commons: creativecommons.org

Reconsideration of Resources [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

The [Your School Library] recognizes the right of individuals to question resources available from the [Your School Library].
The following guidelines will be used when an individual requests reconsideration of a resource:
1. Reconsideration requests will first be addressed to the librarian either verbally or in writing. If an individual first brings
an issue to the attention of the administration or other staff member, it will be directly referred to the librarian.
2. The librarian will review the resource in question, provide a printed copy of the Collection Development Policy to the
individual, and discuss concerns in person or via phone.
3. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the individual the librarian and principal will ask the individual to
complete a Request for Reconsideration of a Resource [Appendix B].
4. When the completed request is returned to the librarian, the principal/superintendent will appoint an ad hoc
committee to review the resource. The superintendent/principal will serve as the chairperson of the committee which
will be made up of the librarian, a teacher, a parent, and a student if age appropriate.
5. The ad hoc committee will meet its obligations by viewing/listening/reading the resource in its entirety, taking into
consideration purpose, relevance, content, appropriateness, authenticity as well as consulting professional reviews. A
written recommendation will document all sources.
6. The written recommendation of the ad hoc committee will be presented to the principal/superintendent who will
communicate the decision to the individual within 30 days of the request submission.
7. If either the individual, or the librarian, is not satisfied with the recommendation of the ad hoc committee they may
forward an appeal to the Board of Education for a final decision.

Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed every five years with a view towards updating or otherwise revising.

Adopted by [your district name] on [date].

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APPENDIX A [add as appropriate]

• The Library Bill of Rights

• Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Media Program: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of
Rights
• The Freedom to Read Statement

APPENDIX B [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

[Your School Library]

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF A RESOURCE

Request initiated by:

Address:
Phone:
Do you represent… Yourself Organization (name) Other (name)

Did you read/view/listen to the entire resource?

If no, which parts did you read/view/listen to?

To what in the resource do you object? List specific pages, sections, etc.

What do you believe is the theme or purpose of this resource?

What do you feel might be the result of a student using this resource?

In your opinion, is there any value in this resource?

For what age group would you recommend this resource?

Which resource would you recommend as a substitute?

Signature: ___________________________________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________

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APPENDIX C [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

[Your School Library]

Checklist for School Media Committee’s Reconsideration of a Resource

NON-FICTION

Date:
Title of challenged material:
Author of challenged material:

Purpose
What is the overall purpose of the material?
Y/N Is this purpose accomplished?

Authenticity
Y/N Is the author competent and qualified in the field?
Y/N Is the material up-to-date?
Y/N Are information sources well documented?

Appropriateness
Y/N Does the material support the educational goals and objectives of the curriculum?
Y/N Is it appropriate for the level of instruction intended?
Y/N Are the illustrations appropriate to subject and grade levels?

Content
Y/N Is the content of this material well presented by providing adequate scope, range, depth and continuity?

Y/N Does the material present information that is not otherwise available?
Y/N Does the material give a new dimension or direction to its subject?

Reviews
Source of review _______________________________________________________________________
Favorably reviewed? Unfavorably reviewed?

Y/N Does this title appear in one or more reputable selection aids?
If yes, list titles of the selection aids.

Additional Comments:

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APPENDIX D [edit and/or add as applies to your library]

[Your School Library]

Checklist for School Library Committee’s Reconsideration of a Resource

FICTION AND OTHER LITERARY FORMS

Date
Title of challenged material:
Author of challenged material:

Purpose
Y/N What is the purpose, theme or message of the material?
Y/N Is the material appropriate for: (Check any that apply)
Grades K-3 4-6 7-8 9-12
Y/N Will reading/viewing/listening to this material result in a more compassionate understanding of humans?
Y/N Does the material offer an opportunity to better understand and appreciate the aspirations, achievements and
problems of human beings?
Y/N Are any questionable elements of the material an integral part of a worthwhile theme or message?

Content
Y/N If about modern times, does the material give a realistic picture of life as it is now?
Y/N Does the material avoid an oversimplified view of life, one that leaves the reader with the general feeling that life
is sweet and rosy or ugly and meaningless?
Y/N When factual information is part of the material, is it presented accurately?
Y/N Are concepts presented appropriate to the ability and maturity of the potential reader?
Y/N Do characters speak in language true to the period and/or section of the country in which they live?
Y/N Is there preoccupation with sex, violence, cruelty, brutality and aberrant behavior that would make the material
inappropriate for the specified age group?
Y/N If there is use of offensive language, is it appropriate to the purpose of the text for the specified age group?
Y/N Is the material free from derogatory names and epithets that would offend minority groups? Take setting and time
period of story into account.
Y/N Is the material well written or produced?
Y/N Does the story give a broader understanding of human behavior without stressing differences of class, race, color,
sex, education, religion or philosophy in an adverse way?
Y/N Does the material make a significant contribution to the history of literature or ideas?
Y/N Are the illustrations appropriate and in good taste?
Y/N Are the illustrations realistic in relation to the story?

Reviews
Source of review ___________________________________________________________
Favorably reviewed Unfavorably reviewed

Y/N Does this title appear in one or more reputable selection aids? If yes, list titles of the selection aids.

Additional Comments:

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