Selection is undoubtedly a fun activity. You have the right to choose large quantities of books, DVDs and other resources. It's not your money that pays for these items either, it's the school's. But there is a downside. What to choose? The TL has to cater for the school it serves. This includes all patrons: staff, students, parents and the community. Students of all reading abilities need to be catered for. teaching resources also need to be considered and staff can help to guide selection here. But ultimately it is the TL who is the last word on selection.
The TL therefore needs a strong policy on selection to help guide their choices. They can also refer to reviews, existing bibliograpies and publisher/vendor websites and catalogues to aid selection.
TLs need to be mindful of the authority of the material, the physical quality and design, the appropriateness, currency and cost. This leads to the TL having to do a lot of decision-making, and being able to justify her selctions through policy alignment.Then there is the ever-present spectre of censorship.
Omission is in itself a form of censorship. Items could be omitted because they are from small independant publishers who don't have distribution rights that give them the exposure of the larger publishers. Items may also be omitted due to controversial content. Libraries support the democratic notion that information is for all, regardless of the bias/disturbing content/extreme views that may be presented.
It's all a lot to contend with; selection is more than just grabbing a few books off the vendor's shelf and signing a blank cheque. It is complex decision making, a task suited for a professional.
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