[LM_NET] Target: Choosing library materials

[Theresa Hemingway <TATHEMS@MINDSPRING.COM>]

I am a parent at a small charter school that is starting it's third   
year this fall with 240 students in grades 6-8.  We are just starting  
a library and I have volunteered to lead the effort.  I have worked as  
a media center assistant, and even taught some classes, but have never  
been in charge of things like choosing books for a brand new
collection.  We have about 200 books right now, mostly donated  
paperbacks, a $1000 gift card to use at Barnes and Noble (from a PTO  
book fair) and may get a $5000 grant we have applied for.  We have  
talked to our local Follett representative, who kindly gave us the  
list of books they recommend for their starter collection, valued at  
about $50,000.  So obviously we will be picking and choosing very  
carefully from that.

Does anyone have recommendations for ways that I can educate myself  
about choosing a good selection of books?  Follett did give us some  
helpful suggestions on how to break down the collection between non- 
fiction and fiction and between different subject areas based on the  
Dewey Decimal system.  But we still have to select the actual books
from those categories.  I remember that my mother, a middle school  
media specialist for many years (who tragically passed away 10 years
ago) used to subscribe to magazines that recommended books--does  
anyone have a recommendation for something I could subscribe to?  Are  
there sites on the web that might be helpful?  Any books I could read  
on the subject?

Thanks!
Theresa Hemingway
Chair of the Library Committee, Charlotte Secondary School
Charlotte, NC
tathems@mindspring.com

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