Edna Maguire

Collection Policy

In accordance with the Mill Valley School District (MVSD) Mission Statement to “provide a balanced education...that fosters social-emotional development, equity, and creativity” (MVSD, n.d.) and the American Library Association (ALA) Access to Resources and Services in the School Library: An interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights, Mill Valley School Board/District affirms as a matter of collection development policy that:

• ●  Selection of books and other library materials is vested in the school librarian and, under their direction, staff who are qualified by reason of education or training.

• ●  Selection of books and other library materials centers the interests, information, and enlightenment of the entire school community: students, staff, and families. As such, the school librarian prioritizes library materials that are of high interest, address curricular needs and district goals, and strengthens the diversity, equity, or inclusion of the collection. No book or other library material shall be excluded because of the race, religion, culture, gender identity, sexual identity, and ability of the contributors; nor because of the political or social views of the contributors.

  • ○  School community members questioning the selection of a book or library material may utilize the MVSD Reconsideration Policy

  • ○  Donations and/or gifts of books or other library materials undergo the same above-mentioned selection criteria and process.

• ●  In accordance/alignment with Mill Valley School District Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Resolution, the school librarian utilizes professional review resources for selection, with emphasis on resources that promote diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) books and other library materials. The school librarian also deselects and discards books and other library materials with a DEI lens, discarding books with outdated and problematic representation, and actively promoting less-circulated books that provide greater representation before discarding them.

• ●  The freedom to read and right to use the library shall not be restricted based on any aspect of identity, including but not restricted to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, socio-economic status or nationality.

○ The District recognizes an individual and family's right to self-censor. The guidelines for a family to exercise this right are codified in MVSD Individual Censorship Policy.  This policy may be requested from the site librarian.