Collection Development Policy: Children's and Young Adult Literature

The Children’s and Young Adult Literature Collection supports the educational needs of the students and faculty in the College of Education as well as other departments and programs within Michigan State University. It also supports the curricular needs of K12 teachers throughout the state of Michigan.

Objectives

• To provide a targeted collection of children’s and young adult literature that supports the academic curriculum and research needs of students and faculty
• To facilitate the exploration and analysis of children’s and young adult literature as a field of study
• To foster critical thinking, cultural awareness, and an understanding of diverse perspectives through literature for children and young adults
• To support interdisciplinary research and teaching by collecting materials that connect children’s and young adult literature with other academic disciplines
• To promote collaboration and partnerships with faculty, researchers, and academic departments to enhance the collection’s relevance and scope

Selection Criteria

• Diversity and Inclusivity - The collection reflects diverse experiences, cultures, abilities, identities, and perspectives to ensure inclusivity and promote understanding.
• Academic Relevance - Books align with the curricular and research interests of the academic community, particularly the Department of Teacher Education.
• Accuracy and Currency - The books should be accurate, factually reliable, and up-to-date.
• Age Range - broadly, ages 5-18/kindergarten to twelfth grade in the US context
• Genres & Categories - fiction, nonfiction, picture books, beginning readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, graphic novels, poetry/verse, biographies
• Format and Accessibility - While there is a small e-book collection due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the usual format of the books is print.
• Language - While the primary language of the collection is English, bilingual books are collected and dual copies of books are sometimes collected if there are versions in both English and another language. 

Selection Sources: In addition to the expertise of the librarian, the following are considered:

• Award-Winning Books - The following awards are typically collected: 
  • American Indian Youth Literature Award
  • Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
  • Batchelder Award - for books published in a foreign language and translated into English 
  • Caldecott Medal - for American picture books
  • Coretta Scott King Book Awards - for books by African American authors and illustrators that reflect the African American experience
  • Newbery Medal - for American literature for children
  • Printz Award - for young adult literature
  • Pura Belpré Award - for Latino/Latina writers and illustrators 
  • Schneider Family Book Award - for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences
  • Sibert Informational Book Medal - for the most distinguished informational book
  • Stonewall Book Awards - for books that have exceptional merit relating to the LGBTQIA+ experience
  • Sydney Taylor Book Award - for books that authentically portray the Jewish experience
  • Geisel Award - for beginning reader books 
  • The Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children’s Literature - for diverse authors whose works feature diverse main characters and address diversity in a meaningful way.
  • YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
• Faculty and Student Recommendations - Input from faculty and students is taken into account. Suggestions may be made using this form.
• Reviews - Professional reviews from reputable sources such as The Horn Book, School Library Journal, and Kirkus are considered.

Ongoing Evaluation - The collection is regularly evaluated to ensure its relevance, academic value, and alignment with the changing needs of the academic community.

Weeding - Weeding will be conducted to remove outdated, damaged, or superseded books.

Gift Materials - This collection does not accept gifts.