Policies - Policy Manual
CRESTON PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ORGANIZATION AND POLICY MANUAL
3.5 Materials Selection Policy
Preamble
Libraries have a clear and unalterable responsibility for the dissemination of knowledge and of making knowledge available to all individuals. The public library is a repository for the free expressions of free individuals, where others, equally free, may come to study and learn all sides of an issue; to evaluate them; and to seek the truth out of such study. The freedom to read is essential to our democracy.
Historically, the public library was developed as an agency for the free, public, informal education of the individual. Now as always in our history, books are among our greatest instruments of freedom and knowledge. They are the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice, from which come the original contributions to social growth. They are the source of mankind's history, knowledge, and ideas from the beginning of the recorded word. They are essential to the extended discussion which serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.
Libraries do not advocate the ideas found in their collections. The presence of a book, magazine, or other item in the library does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by the library.
Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and inoffensive. It is in the public interest for libraries to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those which are unorthodox or unpopular with the majority.
The Board of Trustees of the Creston Public Library believes that censorship is a purely individual matter and declares that, while everyone is free to reject for themselves materials of which they do not approve, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict freedom of others to read or inquire.
The Board of Trustees of the Creston Public Library adopts and declares that it will adhere to, and support the Canadian Library Association's Statement of Intellectual Freedom.
a. - Materials Selection Policy
The objective of the Materials Selection Policy is to set forth the general standards to be used in selecting circulating and reference materials for the Creston Public Library.
The words "library materials," as they occur in this policy, have the widest possible meaning.
"Selection" refers to the decision that must be made either to add a given title to the collection or withdraw one already in the collection.
Materials selected should conform to the interests and needs of the residents of the Creston Valley, without being restricted by them. Materials which may not be of general interest but may be used to increase knowledge and understanding, should also be considered for purchase.
Materials selected should meet standards of factual accuracy, significance, and responsibility of opinion. They should meet literary standards of the period in which they were written. Both works of literature and informational materials should be written in a language and style suitable to their content and the author's purpose.
The responsibility for selecting circulating and reference material resides with the Chief Librarian and under his/her direction such members of the staff who are qualified by reason of professional education and training.
The selection of all library materials should be as objective as possible, not affected by the selector's own beliefs and with all sides of controversial issues represented in the library's collection.
The inclusion of materials will be dependent on the expertise of the staff, of professional critical reviews, and of qualified book reviews in book selection journals.
c. - Selection Policy
All materials must meet the following specific criteria: it must have either current usefulness or permanent value, it must have either a relation to the present collection or fill a gap in the present collection, it must be well made. An attempt is made to limit purchases of specialized materials for which there might be demand from only a few members of the community.
Materials are to be selected in accordance with one or more of the following criteria:
- 1. - Popular demand.
- 2. - Contemporary significance or permanent value.
- 3. - Scope and authority of the subject matter.
- 4. - Reputation and/or authority of the author, editor or illustrator.
- 5. - Literary merit.
- 6. - Relationship to the existing collection and to other materials on the subject.
- 7. - Price and availability.
- 8. - Format and arrangement.
- 9. - Scarcity of information in the subject area.
- 10. - Availability of material in the area.
- 11. - Attention of critics, reviewers, and the media.
It is not the purpose of the collection to take the place of the school library, although many of its books and materials may be used by students to augment school library collections. It is the responsibility of the public school system to supply these curriculum needs.
Responsibility for the reading and viewing habits of children rests with the parents or legal guardians. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that material may come into the possession of children.
Materials will be judged as a whole rather than on isolated passages.
Much unsolicited material comes free from organizations or individuals whose objectives are propaganda or advertising. Those which distort facts, intrude commercial messages unduly, or contain misleading statements are not added.
The library is opposed to the removal from its shelves, at the request of any individual or group, books or materials which have been chosen according to the Library Selection Policy. Furthermore, the Library will oppose coercion on the part of an individual or group seeking to have books or materials added to the shelves contrary to the Book Selection Policy.
c. - Special Collections
Local History: The library acknowledges a particular interest in the local history of the area and in the works of local authors and artists. Everything reasonably obtainable will be acquired and preserved.
Legal and Medical: The Library purchases general legal and medical materials intended for the general reader.
Religion: The Library will attempt to acquire major works representing all doctrinal beliefs without prejudice. Minor works and works considered propaganda/promotional shall be purchased for the collection only if there is significant interest or demand.
Textbooks: The library will collect textbooks if they are the only source of information on a subject deemed of interest to library users. The library will not attempt to acquire texts to provide basic curriculum support for schools in the area.
Videos: Purchases of videos will be governed by the same principles and criteria applied to book purchases. Specifically, the Library collects videos which meet one of the following criteria:
* Are based on a previously written book, story, play or poem.
* Are considered a classic.
* Are Canadian productions not generally found in the local video stores?
* Are instructional/how to, or
* Provide factual information.
d. - Material Selection Policy - Gifts and Donations
The library welcomes gifts and donations of materials and money for improving the library's material collection with the understanding that donated material and money becomes the sole property of the library who makes the final decision on the disposition of the gift and donation.
The decision to include a gift in the library's collection shall be made by the Chief Librarian who will be guided by the same principles and criteria applied to the selection of an item for purchase.
Monetary donations and memorial contributions may be expended in an appropriate subject area if requested by the donor.
The library will not attempt to appraise or establish a value for the worth of donated material.
The library will provide charitable donation receipts for monetary gifts.
The library will accept a donation under the following conditions:
- 1. - No restriction is placed by the donor on the placement of the material in the library's collection.
- 2. - If the library cannot use the donation at it discretion, it will be handled in the following way:
- 3. - Put in the Library book sale, or
- 4. - Discarded.
e. - Reasons for not adding materials to the Library's collection include:
- 1. - Materials do not conform to the Materials Selection Policy.
- 2. - Materials are out-of-date and are not of historical value.
- 3. - Materials are an unnecessary duplication of items already in the collection.
- 4. - Materials are in poor physical condition.