About the Library Learning Commons

1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The Pingree School Library Learning Commons is guided by the principles set forth in the Library Bill of Rights and its interpretative statements, including “Access to Resources and Services in the School Library Program” and The Students’ Right to Read statement of the National Council of Teachers of English. See Appendix (in this policy) for the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statement. The goals of the Library Learning Commons are: 

• To provide faculty and students with materials that enrich and support the curriculum and meet the needs of the students and faculty served

• To provide students with a wide range of educational materials on all levels of difficulty and in a variety of formats, with diversity of appeal, allowing for the presentation of many different points of view

• To select materials that present various sides of controversial issues, giving students an opportunity to develop analytical skills resulting in informed decisions

• To select materials in all formats, including up-to-date, high quality, varied literature to develop and strengthen a love of reading

2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION

The LLC Director contributes to the selection and acquisition of materials, which are based on a variety of professional journal articles and review sources as well as standard subject bibliographies (see Appendix A).  Recommendations and requests from students, faculty, and staff are considered for purchase provided corroboration is provided via a positive review from a professional or authoritative source, inclusion in a standard subject bibliography, or otherwise satisfying the stated acquisition criteria.

When selecting materials, students are placed at the center, considering the community values by which we are all guided. The LLC Director embraces the responsibility of developing student-oriented collections by:

• Interacting with students with understanding, respect, and responsiveness

• Understanding and responding to societal and technological changes

• Recognizing that materials of varying complexities and formats are necessary to satisfy the diverse needs of library users

• Balancing individual needs and broader community needs in determining the best allocation of collection budget for acquiring or providing access to materials and information

• Seeking continuous improvement through ongoing measurement

• Reviewing the collection on a regular basis to identify areas of community interest that may need to be strengthened

Only by fostering a strong connection with our community and with our curriculum can the LLC Director at Pingree create a philosophical approach to collection development that meets the needs of our students.

3. SELECTION CRITERIA

With the focus of a student-centered, diverse collection, individual materials and resources need to meet criteria, necessitating the LLC Director always working to increase knowledge on  educational pedagogy, specific content areas, popular culture, children’s/young adult/adult literature, global issues and conflicts, and issues surrounding equity, diversity and inclusion. Materials selected should:

• Support and enrich the curriculum and/or students’ personal interests and learning

• Be appropriate for the subject area and for the age, emotional development, ability level, learning styles, and social, emotional, and intellectual development of the students for whom the materials are selected

• Incorporate accurate and authentic factual content from authoritative sources

• Earn favorable reviews in standard reviewing sources and/or favorable recommendations based on preview and examination of materials by professional personnel

• Exhibit a high degree of potential user appeal and interest

• Represent differing viewpoints on controversial issues

• Provide a global perspective and promote anti-racism diversity by including materials by authors and illustrators of all identities

• Demonstrate physical format, appearance, and durability suitable to their intended use

The LLC Director believes in the vital contribution diverse and authentic sources offer our community and therefore follows blogs and websites which include the assessment of independently published material. 

4. ACQUISITION PROCEDURES

In selecting learning resources, professional personnel will evaluate available resources and curriculum needs and will consult reputable, professionally prepared aids to selection, and other appropriate sources (see Appendix). The actual resource will be examined whenever possible. Recommendations for purchase involve administrators, teachers, students, and community members, as appropriate, and will be judged according to our selection criteria. 

5. GIFTS AND GIFT MATERIALS

Monetary donations are always accepted gratefully and should be routed through the Pingree School Advancement Office for processing. 

Gift materials shall be judged by the selection criteria outlined in these guidelines and shall be accepted or rejected by those criteria. Gifts and donated material are accepted with the understanding that the decision for use and disposition of the materials and/or funds will be determined using the same selection criteria as purchased materials. All materials should support the curriculum and needs of students. Gifts and donations, like purchased resources, will be removed from the collection at the end of their useful life.

When an item won’t work for the library collection, a variety of other venues are grateful for donations. More Than Words in Waltham, MA is an organization with which Pingree is mission-aligned and to which we donate.

6. COLLECTION MAINTENANCE AND WEEDING

Selection is an ongoing process that should include removing materials that are no longer used or needed, adding materials, and replacing lost and worn materials that still have educational value. Fiction books lost by community members can be replaced by providing the library with a copy in excellent condition, or by the school charging the cost of replacement through the Business Office. 

The LLC Director will conduct an annual inventory of the collection and equipment. The inventory can be used to determine losses and remove damaged or worn materials which can then be considered for replacement. The inventory can also be used to deselect and remove materials that are no longer relevant to the curriculum or of interest to students. 

Additionally, the LLC Director utilizes a collection maintenance plan that includes systematic inspection of materials which results in weeding outdated, damaged, or irrelevant materials from the collection.

7. RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS

Libraries have diverse materials reflecting different points of view, and a library’s mission is to provide access to information to all users. All library users have a First Amendment right to read, view, and listen to library resources. The Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association can be used as guiding documents to understanding the philosophical foundations of libraries.

Despite the careful selection of library resources and the qualification of those involved in the selection process, objections to library resources that are deemed offensive or inappropriate may occur. Any community member of Pingree School may express an informal concern or formal request for reconsideration of a library resource. Any person has the right to express concerns about library resources and expect to have the objection taken seriously. 

When thinking about student use of materials, the guiding principle of the library is that parents or guardians have the right to guide the reading, viewing, and listening of their children but must give the same right to other parents/guardians.  If the complaint is not resolved informally, the librarian or Administrative Team member will explain the formal reconsideration process and provide the individual with a copy of the Pingree School library selection policy and a request for reconsideration of library resources form.

8. COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES REVIEW

These set of guidelines will be reviewed every five years, or as needed, and shared with key administrators as well as made available on all internal and external library websites.

APPENDIX

Library Bill of Rights

The Freedom to Read Statement, ALA

Professional journals and review sources include but are not restricted to the following:

Book Links

Booklist

Horn Book

ISTE

Kirkus Reviews

Library Journal

New York Times Book Review

NPR Books

School Library Journal

Tech and Learning

We Need Diverse Books

Standard subject bibliographies include but are not restricted to the following:

Best Books for Children

Best Books for High School Readers

Best Books for Middle School and Junior High Readers

Children’s Catalog

Middle School / Junior High Catalog

Senior High School Catalog

Prizes that acknowledge the literary and artistic value of works include, but are not restricted to the following:

For Young Adults:

Alex Award For Best Adult Books for Young Adults

American Indian Book Award

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award

Coretta Scott King/Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

Margaret A. Edwards Award

Michael L. Printz Award

Schneider Family Book Award

Stonewall Book Award

Sydney Taylor Book Award

William C. Morris Award

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

For Adults:

Agatha Award

American Library Association Black Caucus Selections

Anthony Award

Booker Prize

Bram Stoker Award

Edgar Award

Hugo Award

National Book Award

Nebula Award

Nobel Prize for Literature

PEN/Faulkner Award

Pulitzer Prize

Stonewall Award

Updated: October 2025