Statement of purpose
The purpose of this policy is to articulate the procedures followed and criteria applied in the selection of materials to be included in the Library collection.

Aims and objectives
An objective of the Library Media Centre is to implement, enrich and support the educational programs of the College. The Library provides a wide range of relevant resources to satisfy the varied curricular and recreational needs of its users.

The College has a central buying policy for all resources required across the campus. Therefore all orders for resources must be placed through the Library.

The responsibility of the Library is:

To provide materials that will enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the students served.
To provide materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards.
To provide a background of information which will enable students to make intelligent judgements in their daily life.
To provide materials which are selected according to the principles of intellectual freedom and provide students with access to information offering a variety of viewpoints on contemporary issues.
To provide materials representative of the many religious, ethnic and cultural groups and their contribution to Australian society.
To provide a range of different formats that address different learning styles.
To assist staff in their teaching roles by providing resources and materials for professional development.
Users
The Library aims to support the needs of 3 groups:

Teachers and all other College staff (in curriculum and professional development areas as well as recreational reading needs)
Students (in educational and recreational reading needs) including support for programs for gifted and talented and special needs students
Parent and community members (although the needs of staff and students will take priority)
General collection principles

All students have the right to access material from the library collection suited to their ability level
The collection should reflect the current demands of the college's curriculum
A range of different formats should be available to address different learning styles
Material should be current, accurate, attractive and well-presented
A selection of viewpoints should be presented on controversial issues
No one person shall have the right to exclude any items from the collection, making it harder for unmindful censorship to occur
Resources
Resources encompass a variety of media and information formats to suit varied learning purposes and styles, including

print resources - books, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, ephemera
graphic resources - charts, posters, pictures, maps, models, realia, kits
audio visual resources - video cassettes, audio cassettes, DVDs
electronic resources - computer software, multimedia, CD-ROM, videodiscs
online resources - internet sites, databases, indexes
Responsibility for selection
Although many members of the College community may contribute to the selection of library materials, the responsibility for coordinating selection and making recommendations for purchase rests with the Head of the Library or delegated members of the Library staff.

Criteria for selection
Materials for purchase are considered on the basis of:

Authority
qualified and/or experienced author
reputable sources of information
recognised publisher/producer

Physical format and technical quality
quality materials
sturdy construction
attractive presentation and clear reproduction

Arrangement of material
content is easily accessible
instructions and support materials are adequate, clear, comprehensive and effective

Appropriateness
content, language, symbols and concepts are at a suitable level for the intended audience

Cost
value for money
may be used across a number of curriculum areas and levels

Format
the most suitable medium to present the subject matter

Controversial material
consider any controversial content and/or issues

Selection aids will include:

Professional review journals such as Scan, Viewpoint, Australian Book Review, Magpies, Fiction Focus, Books for Keeps, Reading Time, Orana
Current guides to children's literature
Suggestions from staff, students, TL colleagues and the wider school community
Publishers catalogues and booksellers
Education and technology journals
Donations

Donations will be accepted on the condition that they are to be subject to the same selection criteria as new resources, and judged by the teacher librarian according to these.
Items of archival value will be duly noted with their source of origin.
Donated items will be acknowledged by a label placed inside the front cover.
Lost items
In order to maintain a viable and complete library collection lost items require replacement. To recoup losses, any student who loses an item will be expected to pay the following charges:

The replacement cost (book cost + processing cost) for an item less than 2 years old.
The book cost + 1/3 + processing if the item is more than 2 and less than 5 years old.
A negotiable cost if the item is more than 5 years old, dependent on its value to the collection.
Student accounts will be charged with the cost of the lost item/s.
Acquisition

All materials acquired should meet the aforementioned selection criteria, using a number of the suggested selection aids.
Where possible, resources will be examined and/or trialled prior to purchase. In the case of software, it is especially desirable that there is access to new material by the ultimate users to evaluate their potential contribution to curriculum support.
All acquisitions are dependent on the availability of adequate funds from the annual budget, either through the library or specific subject areas. Other funds may be available through the support of the Library Auxiliary or special bequests.
Expenditure will reflect areas of curriculum need and usage, and be in response to budget planning with subject heads, specialist teachers and other members of the College administration.
Acquisition will include a variety of formats. If choices are to be made, for example between electronic and print resources, materials will be selected on the basis of need, immediacy of supply, cost comparison and accessibility at the time of need.
All resources purchased by the College will be catalogued through the Library even if they are housed in Department Libraries.
Evaluation
Regular and ongoing evaluation of the library collection is essential for a number of reasons. These include:

To identify areas where change is needed in services and programs, and the resources to meet these changes
To determine priorities in provisions and budget considerations
To identify areas of strength and weakness within the collection
The constant assessment of needs and collection coverage will be ascertained via:

Evaluating specific areas as topics are covered by research assignments
Examining subject areas in comparison with recommended bibliographies
Constant review using original selection criteria
Analysis of usage patterns from Spydus data
Undertaking collection mapping in consultation with classroom teachers and with reference to curriculum topic outlines
Survey of users
Weeding
Items will be removed from the collection if they meet any of the following criteria:

Physical condition - torn, unattractive, defaced, damaged beyond repair
Content and form - inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, superseded edition contributes significantly more to the collection
Pattern of use - declining due to changing interests or curriculum needs, not used despite promotion
Items weeded from the collection due to their physical deterioration will be replaced if available, and if they still meet the selection criteria.

Staff will be expected to aid in the weeding process by reviewing sections of the library relevant to their subject needs on a regular basis.

A designated member of the Library staff will oversee the total weeding process and be responsible for the disposal of deselected materials.

Disputed materials

While all care will be taken in the selection of resources, it is recognised that material may on occasion be viewed by a member of the College community as controversial or undesirable.
In the case of challenged material, the complainant will be required to complete a form outlining the nature of the objection.
This information will be reviewed by the Principal, Head of the Library and others to determine the fate of the resource based on the educational merits or otherwise of the material. Reference will be made to the selection criteria aforementioned as well as the School Library Bill of Rights and the Statement on free access to information
Cooperation will be given to the complainant regarding his/her own child/ren and desired borrowing restrictions at this time, and if the resource is to be retained.
If the material is retained, after this evaluation, free access will remain for other students.
Access to other Information Resources
If information is not available from the Library collection endeavors will be made to procure it from other sources.

The Library belongs to the Inter Library Loan service provided through the National Library of Australia.
Subscriptions will be taken out to document delivery services such as NAPSS
Membership and cooperation with CENET network of schools will be maintained to provide an avenue for resource sharing of periodicals. Regular contact and updates with other member schools will be maintained to guarantee viability and awareness of available resources.
Where possible membership of consortia through associations such as AISV for online and other services are encouraged.