Management of the Collection.

Library Selection and Donation Policies - School District of Philadelphia
The Selection Policy provides validation and documented reasoning for the presence of each and every print and non-print material in the LMC. If anyone were to ask why a certain material is in the LMC, the LMS should be able to point to specific parts in the Selection Policy to stand up for that material and justify its presence. Therefore, the Selection Policy should be laid out in simple and clear terms so that anyone can else can plainly see how materials are chosen. This Selection Policy does just that, and I especially like how the criteria include choosing diverse materials that represent a variety of views because, in my view, students need to be exposed to unbiased materials that are indicative of diverse global cultures because they can easily access those cultures elsewhere. This particular policy also states that materials be physically attractive, which I also believe is necessary because students will not use materials they are not visually attracted to.

Selection Policy and Request Form - Tasmania, Australia
This selection policy is a bit different from the one used by the School District in Philadelphia because it seems more user friendly to me. The criteria for selecting materials is a mix of guiding questions and short phrases that describe which qualities selected materials should embody. There are more criteria in this one than the other policy, and the criteria covers more bases like "Value for Money" and "Ease of Use." This criteria seems better to use when selecting non-print, electronic, and online materials because it encompasses so many qualitative purchasing factors. I would definitely combine the two policies in both format and content so that my own selection policy would judge a material on all fronts, be clear and to the point, and look like a professional document.

Processing Procedure - District of Philadelphia
I like the idea of having a processing procedure that lists steps of the material assimilating process and will make something like this for my LMP so that I, and my aides (if I have any), can consult it whenever there are materials to process and add to the collection. I am a person who likes to be able to refer back to written directions or documentation to guide my performance, so this would be very useful to me, especially if I was repeatedly taken from my collection maintenance work to tend to classes, teachers, and students. I like the format of this particular document except for the fact that, most likely, the LMC I find myself in control of in the future will not have physical card catalogs. I would revamp this once I knew the capabilities of my LMC and process items for the first time so I can record the process as I go through it.

Collection Management - I would use the free Titlewise service from Follett to manage my collection. I have seen this program in action and have used it to help me weed materials in my student teaching placement. I really like it because it uses MARC records to tell you how old your collection is, where the weaknesses in your collection are, and pairs up with the Follett sales and information site so that you can see what you have and identify what you need all in one place. Because my instruction and professional connection time should take precedent over the amount of time I spend managing my collection, I need to be as efficient as I possibly can when I take time to manage the collection. Utilization of this tool will help ensure that I use my time as efficiently as possible.

Reconsideration Policy from the Oshkosh Area School District
Because libraries are public spaces for use by the entire community, reconsideration policies are necessary to ensure that no one person or group of people infringe on the intellectual freedom of any other persons or groups of people. Having a policy that is well documented is extremely important in maintaining the integrity and credibility of the LMP because patrons need to know that while their concerns are valid and they can make censorship decisions that impact their immediate family, they cannot make censorship decisions that impact the whole community unless an assembled group representative of the community agree. This particular document covers all the bases that I would be concerned about such as the importance of professional behavior regarding the matter, the process the committee would need to take, the number of days the process would take, and the appeal system. This particular reconsideration policy protects the complainant, the material, and the community all at the same time so that everybody's issues get addressed and recognized. Fairness and intellectual freedom are both really important to me, so I would not change this document at all.

Weeding Policy - School District of Philadelphia
Weeding policies are really important when managing the collection because I need to have exact reasons for removing materials just like I need to have exact reasons for adding materials. To be accountable for proper administration of the program and effective management of the collection, I need to have good, documented reasons for removing materials from the collection. I really like weeding and believe it is essential to keeping the collection up-to-date, unbiased, and looking attractive because a well maintained collection is the key to higher circulation of materials and a better image of me, my collection, and my program. I really like this particular weeding policy because it covers all the reasons why I would remove materials from the collection and the criteria I would use. This particular policy also outlines what to do with the materials once they are removed from the system by separating out material that should be discarded from those that should be given to other people or organizations.