Selection Criteria

Materials should be selected by certified educational media specialist considering recommendations from school community stakeholders and reputable, professionally recognized reviewing periodicals. These materials should support the school’s curriculum and contribute to the learning goals of teachers and students.  Selections should include a wide variety of materials, both print and non-print. 

The material selection procedures for developing library media center collections  noted below must be posted on the website for each school within the district.

All library media centers share three basic goals:

• To meet the needs of reader interest

• To support the state academic standards and aligned curriculum

• To support the academic needs of students and faculty

Book selections must meet the criteria in s. 1006.40(3)(d):

• Free of pornography and material prohibited under s. 847.012

• Suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented

• Appropriate for the grade level and age group for which the materials are used or made available

Media considered for purchase are judged on the basis of the following criteria:

• Purpose – overall purpose and its direct relationship to instructional objectives and/or the curriculum

• Reliability – accurate, authentic

• Quality – writing and/or production of merit

• Treatment – clear, comprehensible, skillful, convincing, well-organized

• Technical production – aurally and visually appealing, well-crafted, up-to-date

• Construction – durable, manageable, functional, attractive, well-packaged, safe

• Special features – useful illustrations, photographs, maps, graphics, charts, graphs, documentation, sound, user-friendly

• Possible uses – individual, small and large group instruction, in-depth study

Special considerations may be made for the following:

• Religion – factual media which represent all major religions

• Ideologies – factual information or philosophy which exerts a strong force in society

• Sex education – factual information appropriate for the age group or related to the school curriculum

• Science – factual information about medical and scientific knowledge

• Profanity – use of profanity does not automatically disqualify a selection.  Effort is made to exclude media using profanity in a lewd or detrimental manner

• Sex – pornographic, sensational, or titillating material is not included, but the evidence of sexual incidents appearing in the media does not automatically disqualify its use.  (Reference Florida State Statute 233.165)