Collection Development Policy

Collection Development Policy

(Revised May 2008)

Books and other media will be selected according to the following guidelines approved by the Library Board of Directors:

1. Authority: This refers to the qualifications of the author or procedures of the work. This can be determined from reviews in professional library journals and other professional resources.
2. Scope: The purpose and coverage of the material will be compared with others in the collection as to whether it is a fresh viewpoint, an amplification of the subject or a repeat of existing material.
3. Authenticity: Contents will be checked for validity, reliability, objectivity, and completeness.
4. Popularity: Best sellers and other popular books will be acquired as soon as feasible, depending on funding and demand.
5. Responsibility: Although anyone can suggest materials for inclusion in the collection, the library director is the ultimate authority because of the professional training, background and knowledge of the collection.
6. Philosophy: Materials will be selected with many diverse interests in mind. Every viewpoint will represented to some extent and will reflect all sides of an issue.
7. Children's Reading: The responsibility of what children read rests with the parents or legal guardians. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may inadvertently be obtained by children.
8. Disagreements: A patron who has a disagreement with any materials in the library has the right to bring that disagreement before the Library Board of Directors. The patron will need to complete a "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials" form. The library will follow its "Reconsideration of Library Materials Policy."