The mission of the District 105 library program is to ensure that students become effective users and producers of ideas and information as well as to promote a lifelong love of reading and learning.
The school library media program is an integral part of the school. As part of the instructional process, the collection is developed based upon the belief that all students, faculty, administrators, and support faculty should have open access to all forms of information relevant to learning and teaching the curriculum. To ensure access to quality library media collections, a systematic process for the evaluation and development of library media materials is essential.
The development of the collection is the ongoing process of identifying the strengths and weaknesses of library media collections in terms of student and faculty needs. Collection development demonstrates that funds are being spent wisely, and that library media collections meet the informational needs of the curriculum as well as the independent reading and viewing needs of students. The three components involved in the collection development process are:
Analysis of the School Community
In order to be responsive to the unique needs of each school, a collection development process must be based upon an analysis of student needs at that particular school. There will be some similarities among library media collections across the district, but the profile provided by this analysis will ensure that the specific needs of each school are addressed.
Assessment of the Library Media Collection
Collection assessment is needed to determine the quality of the existing library media collection. It is an organized method for collecting statistics on the age of the collection, the number of titles in the collection, and the ability of the collection to meet curricular needs.
Objective and Scope of the Media Center Collection
Through a cooperative effort by the classroom faculty, the library media specialists, and library learning center assistants, the library learning center (LLC) provides learning experiences that are an extension of the regular classroom curriculum. Activities are specifically designed to reinforce basic skills, remediate specific needs, and provide enrichment, in a flexible and individualized learning environment. The LLC seeks to provide materials for student interest and enjoyment and promote the appreciation of reading and literature.