COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY
The Annenberg Center for Learning and Research created this collection management policy to explain the responsibility for and running of the library collection as it is made available to the Chapin School community. It is intended as a guiding document for the librarians in the maintenance, management, and curation of currently-held and actively-acquired materials going forward. This policy is dynamic and is reviewed routinely for relevancy and accuracy.
ABOUT THE LIBRARY
The Annenberg Center for Learning and Research is the library for the Chapin School, a K-12 independent day school for girls located in New York City. The collection, curriculum, and librarians serve the students and professional community within all three divisions: Lower School (grades K-3), Middle School (grades 4-7), Upper School (grades 8-12).
LIBRARY MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES
Mission
The Annenberg Center for Learning and Research empowers the Chapin community to grow, learn, and turn ideas into action.
Vision
We will create a welcoming, responsive, and magical environment for the entire Chapin community by:
Values
Ours is a library without walls, without silos, and (on most days) without shushers. We believe the library is central to the intellectual and creative lives of the community we serve, and are therefore committed to:
COLLECTION SCOPE
The collection of the Annenberg Center supports both the diverse scholarly endeavors and personal interests of our community. It is designed to encourage independent inquiry both in and outside of the classroom, inspire a love of reading, and cultivate a habit of intellectual engagement with people, literature, and ideas from around the world.
Curriculum: The library purchases and provides access to resources that align with K-12 curriculum of the Chapin School, which covers all major subject areas. Librarians work closely with faculty in their respective divisions to ensure the resources in the library collection support the information, media, and research skills students learn throughout their time at Chapin. Faculty members are encouraged to take an active part in the development of the library collection to ensure that it supports the curriculum as it exists and/or evolves.
Joyful Reading: The collection supports the literary interests and pleasure reading habits of the Chapin community, and reflects the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of our school. While widespread interest and usage are a powerful influence on the library’s collection, the library provides materials to support each individual’s journey. Materials for children and teenagers are intended to broaden their vision, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, and expand upon their educational interests.
Professional Development: Chapin is a learning community, and the library supports the pedagogical and development needs of the institution and the professional community.
With those collection areas and priorities in mind, the Annenberg Center collects the following types of material:
SELECTION PROCESS
The librarians are responsible for building a relevant, high-interest collection across formats, platforms, and levels, and therefore exercise their professional judgment and expertise when selecting materials and online resources to serve the Chapin community.
Among the criteria considered when making acquisition decisions are:
The Annenberg Center endeavors to honor all requests from the professional community and students within reason.
CHAPIN AUTHORS
The Chapin Authors Collection is composed of published monographs that were authored, co-authored, edited, translated, or illustrated by a Chapin student, alum, or member of the Professional Community. Items are acquired and shelved with the general collection when they meet the criteria normally associated with the library’s circulating materials: alignment with the curriculum, interest, authority and longevity, etc. They are noted as part of the Chapin Authors Collection with a sticker of the Wheel on both the spine and the cover of the book. We encourage and welcome the sharing of new works, as we are not always aware when new materials are published.
Dissertations, articles, magazines, scholarly papers, chapters, classroom assignments or projects, and similar publications are not included in the Chapin Authors Collection.
DONATIONS
The library welcomes book and and other resource donations from community members. All donated materials will be reviewed by a librarian, but only those materials that meet the selection criteria will be added to the collection. All accepted materials will have a bookplate with the donor's name.
Like other materials purchased for the collection of the Annenberg Center, there is no guarantee that donated materials will remain in the collection indefinitely. Donated materials that are de-accessioned will not be returned to the original donor.
DUPLICATES
The Annenberg Center purchases duplicates of certain books based on interest, usage, and age range. For instance, there may be titles within the Lower School library collection that are also present in the Middle School library collection.
CLASSROOM COLLECTIONS
Faculty in the Lower School and Middle School often maintain "classroom collections," or a large selection of books for use by students within the classroom itself. These books are not associated with the library in any way, and the librarians are not responsible for the selection, maintenance, or de-accessioning of these materials.
DE-ACCESSION AND WEEDING
The library endeavors to provide a relevant, well-rounded collection that supports the scholarly and personal interests of the Chapin community, and reflects the racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of our school. To effectively and responsibly manage the library collection, de-accessioning materials is an ongoing and necessary activity.
Among the criteria considered when making de-accessioning decisions are:
Every effort is made to ensure that de-accessioned materials are donated or responsibly disposed of and recycled.
CHALLENGES
The library supports the Freedom to Read Statement from the American Library Association, and also references it in our circulation policies. The Library upholds the right of the individual to access information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox or unacceptable to others. However, the reading and viewing activity of children is ultimately the responsibility of parents, who guide and oversee their own children's development.
In the event that there are questions regarding the purchase or holding of a particular title or resource, please contact in writing the Director of the Annenberg Center, Liza Oldham. The Director will make the final decision on whether to keep or de-accession the material.
