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Books that are being banned is constantly changing. Some classics are challenged, new books, old books, popular books. It is important to keep an eye on the books that are becoming banned/controversial.

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-Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publ…

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Part of managing a library is getting rid of old books. Books can become out of date, especially informational books. It is important to make sure the date is within its bounds and to be prepared to replace old or damaged books.

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Fairfax County Public Library Collection-Questions and Answers
How many items are in the library's collection?
More than 2.3 million items are available for check out from library branches. Close to 34,000 digital items are available for download including eBooks, eAudiobooks and eVideos.
Why do you have to remove items from the collection?
Libraries always have to evaluate and refresh their collections. This is done by removing items in poor condition, items that contain outdated and inaccurate information, or items that are no longer used by our customers.
What are the criteria for removing books or material from the collection?
Materials are regularly withdrawn from the library's collection. They are withdrawn and discarded because:

They are out-of-date, that is, no longer timely or accurate.

They are badly worn or damaged.

It is cheaper to replace them.

They are once-popular materials no longer used.

Space considerations. (In this case, materials may be transferred from one library branch to another.)

What types of books and material are not given to Friends groups to sell and what happens to that material?

Reference subscription services withdrawn from the collection (Contractual agreements with publisher preclude this).

The above items are not useable and are recycled.
Why has the collection been reduced over the last few years?
The largest line item in the library's operating budget is for the acquisition of materials. The funding for the collection was reduced significantly in FY2010 during "The Great Recession" by $1 million to $3,053,488. In FY2015, the budget for materials is $3.029 million, essentially flat compared to FY2010. The materials allocation in 2015 is approximately 55% of the level in FY2000.

The Board of Supervisors has generously allocated additional one-time balances available during the carryover process to bolster the diminished purchasing power for three of the last four fiscal years. Also the library, as a result of continuous monitoring and reductions in contracts, has worked to redirect available balances within its own allocation to offset some of the reductions.
Why aren't extra books donated to non-governmental entities like homeless shelters?
The library must follow rules that are in place regarding the disposal of county property. The library is granted an exception in order to donate to nonprofit organizations that support library functions.
What is Floating?
Effective May 2013 the library's collection - with the exception of periodicals - is now a "Floating" (or shared) collection. Floating materials are not owned by a specific branch and become a part of the collection at the branch to which they are returned. These items spend less time in delivery, are available to customers sooner, and allow us to refresh collections at different branches. Should the experience of other jurisdictions who float prove true for Fairfax County, collections will circulate more and provide a greater return on investment of taxpayer funding in that purchases will reflect the customer demand.
How do you select books and material for the library collection?
The following criteria are used to select books and materials:

1. Availability and suitability of format.

2. Suitability of subject, style and level for the intended audience.

3. Critics' and staff's reviews.

4. Reputation of the publisher or producer; authority and significance of the author, composer, film maker, etc.

5. Timeliness or permanence of the material.

6. Quality of writing, design, illustrations or production.

7. Relevance to community needs.

8. Potential and/or known demand for the material.

9. Relative importance in comparison with existing materials in the collection on the same subject.

10. Availability and accessibility of the same material in the metropolitan area.

11. Price.

How do you decide how many copies you need of a title? What happens after a popular book recedes in popularity?
The number of copies we purchase initially for a title depends on the reputation and popularity of an author, need for (and historical circulation) of a subject, reviews (especially locally), price and how it fits into the overall budget, and our projection of potential future demand for the title.

We lease copies of best sellers whenever possible so that we can meet demand (6:1 holds ratio) for a title when it is most popular, and then extra copies of those titles can be returned to the leasing company when the demand dies down. We then would be able to lease additional copies of newer best sellers to meet demand for the new titles. When demand for non-leased materials goes down, those items are eventually withdrawn from the collection.
How can I suggest a title be added to the library's collection?
You can suggest a title to add to the collection using our online form. We welcome suggestions for books and other materials; however, our ability to purchase has been greatly reduced due to budget constraints.

If you have additional questions about the library's collection or specifically our policies about what we do with books that are no longer part of the collection, please email us at LIBcustomerservices@fairfaxcounty.gov.

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FCPL Curated Content: Strategic Planning: Understanding Library Discard Policies

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How many items are in the library's collection? More than 2.3 million items are available for check out from library branches. Close to 34,000 digital items are available for download including eBooks, eAudiobooks and eVideos. Why do you have to remove items from the collection? Libraries always have to evaluate and refresh their collections.

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Magazines are important for grabbing the interest of students. Reading a magazine is still reading. There are plenty of places like animal planet that students love to read. These can cover a variety of topics so it is important to research the topics that would best fit into your school.

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Animal Planet is jam-packed with fascinating content that will spark children's curiosity and help them discover the world around them. The magazine is filled with spectacular photography, facts, activities and stories that spark a feeling of joy and wonder on every page.

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Having children's books available for all grade levels is important. We studied "The Little Prince" in my college class. These illustrated books can convey important messages and connections for students.

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Having a variety of options like braille is important so that all students have an equal opportunity to learn and read.

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This is an eLibrary. These are picture books that you can read or even have read.

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TumbleBookLibrary

TumbleBookLibrary is a curated database of children's e-books, available by subscription to Elementary Schools and Public Libraries around the world.

TumbleBookLibrary Premium has over 1100 titles for grades K-6, and includes our unique animated, talking picture books, read-along chapter books, non fiction books and videos, curated playlists, as well as books in Spanish and French. Plus, the collection features Graphic Novels - a student favorite!

Subscriptions are affordable and EASY to use, and include tools to simplify your kids' access from home as well as from your building. There are no check-out times or wait lists: the books are always available, to everyone in your institution!

It's a great resource for tech-savvy kids, and teaches them the joy of reading in a format they'll love.

TeenBookCloud

TeenBookCloud is a curated database of e-books and other digital content for Middle Schools and High Schools, as well as Public Libraries.

The growing collection features over 1000 titles, including student-favorite Graphic Novels, enhanced e-books with full audio narration and highlighted text, classic literature, non fiction videos, and more!

The site supports a wide range of readers' interests and levels. We've partnered with Orca Books and Saddleback books to bring you hundreds of High-Interest/Low-Level content. In addition, our new AP English section makes hundreds of curriculum books available to readers at the click of a button!

Subscriptions are affordable and EASY to use, and include tools to simplify your students' access from home as well as from your building. There are no check-out times or wait lists: the books are always available, to everyone in your institution!

TumbleMath

Educators have long known that one of the most effective ways to teach math concepts, especially to reluctant learners, is by using stories and literature.

TumbleMath has the most comprehensive collection of math stories available anywhere- all in our world famous TumbleBook format which combines animation, narration, and sound to create a compelling and enticing story book for students of all ages.

The books are all accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans, educational games, plus quizzes in order to test and track progress.

TumbleMath is your one stop destination for engaging and entertaining math stories.

AudioBookCloud

AudioBookCloud is a curated database of streaming audio books and is available by subscription to Public Libraries around the world.

The growing collection features over 1200 titles, including dozens of genres and interest levels. The collection includes popular literature, classics, children's and teen books, mystery, sci-fi, history, biography, and more!

The audio books are always available to subscribing libraries and their patrons. There are no special programs to install, or files to download. The site's also completely mobile compatible, and the audio books can be streamed directly to whichever device you wish to use.

Subscriptions are affordable and EASY to use, and include tools to simplify your patrons' access from home as well as from your building. There are no check-out times or wait lists: the books are always available, to everyone in your library!

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Tumblebooks - Read, Watch, and Learn with the this collection of eBooks, read-along, music, memory and language games, graphic novels, and more.

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Books are offered for a multitude of reasons, for enjoyment, for imagination, to learn, to explore unique places, to step into somebody else's shoes. We need to have books that can fulfill all of these reasons and more.

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This is a website that was created to help find new expected books, and see reviews. It is another great resource to explore books.

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In a talk that ranged from her Mississippi roots to her personal influences, including a certain young reader who inspires her today, author Angie Thomas delivered a forceful keynote at School Library Journal's Day of Dialog.

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Have books from all "levels." Lexiles have proven ineffective for most students, so make sure to offer books above and below their intended range.

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Graphic novels are less intimidating for some students. Having a variety of books is important.

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These are usually lists created by the librarian to suggest books of similar topic, author, interest, etc.

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Some students need the option to access books online. This can allow for more accessibility and can allow for students to change the text/background color and text size.

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There has been a push for all online materials, but physical books work better for some students.

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This is a PDF that explains why offering books in multiple languages is important. It can connect to students who do not have english as their first language, and allow students to connect by enjoying the same books.

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A Library Without Books_ The Importance of Language Representatio

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This is an app that allows students to listen to a book. This can be beneficial for many students. It will allow for more students to be able to access books.

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Try Audible Premium Plus Free | Audible | Audible

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The Audible Plus Catalog of podcasts, audiobooks, guided wellness, and Audible Originals. Listen all you want, no credits needed.

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This is a website where librarians can see book reviews. Finding good books can mean seeing what the public has to say about a specific book.

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Book Reviews, Bestselling Books & Publishing Business News | Publishers Weekly

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Publishers Weekly is the international news website of book publishing and bookselling including business news, reviews, bestseller lists, commentaries and more.

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This is a list of awards and their purpose for being given. These can help librarians in finding new, excellent, and diverse books for their libraries.

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Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

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Welcome to the ALSC Awards hub! Please use the links below or on the left-hand navigation menu to learn more about our awards program. ALSC fosters values of respect and equality, and therefore accepts media award submissions from all. However, before you submit works for consideration for ALSC awar…

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A lot of librarians create their own websites. A blog or place to ask questions. They can create these through google sites, weebly, wordpress, etc. Students can use these sites to see books that are trending in the library, recommendations, and even ask questions for a librarian if they are unable to go to the library in person.

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Schools create websites to allow students to see/access their books at any time. You don't have to enter a library to see the books on any given topic, you can research this anywhere at anytime.

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Skip to Main Content

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Welcome to the Russell Library Research Guides Check out our Research Guides below! Each guide contains a collection of resources compiled by the GC Librarians to assist you in starting your research. Arranged by subject or by course each guide includes links to journals, websites, tutorials and much more.

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Through school libraries students can get access to Galileo. This is a great site for finding resources. This is one of the ways students can access material outside at any time.

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I am using the preparation standards. This is standard 4.