EMPL Materials Selection Policy

EASTERN MONROE PUBLIC LIBRARY
MATERIAL SELECTION POLICY

OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Eastern Monroe Public Library shall provide, on equal terms, free service to all individuals and groups in the community. It accepts as its basic objective the provision and servicing of expertly selected materials that aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, or research, and in the creative use of leisure time.

The library, recognizing its responsibility to develop adult citizens for whom the use of books and other media of communication is a necessary and natural part of intelligent living, provides special service for young people. The library recognizes that parents know what is best for their children and that each parent is responsible for supervising their children’s access to library materials.

The materials selection policy of the Eastern Monroe Public Library shall be in full accordance with those principles set forth in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement adopted by the American Library Association Council.

The Board of Trustees believes that censorship is a purely individual matter and declares that, while anyone is free to reject books not personally approved of, no one person or group may exercise this right of personal censorship to restrict the freedom of others.

GENERAL SELECTION POLICIES

Ultimate responsibility for material selection shall rest with the Library Director, who is to use the best judgment possible as a professional librarian in purchasing books and other materials for the library. Any library materials so selected shall be held to be selected by the Board of Trustees.

Department Heads representing the departments listed below shall participate in the reviewing process. They shall be members of the Materials Selection Committee and shall participate in the materials selection in their respective departments.

Adult Services
Children’s Services
Technical Services
Outreach Services
Branch Managers

Materials added to the permanent collection of the library be chosen for values of interest, information and enlightenment of all the people of the county, and shall be selected for addition if they possess, generally, the following qualities:

Permanent or timely value
Accurate information
Authoritativeness
Clear presentation
Social, historical or literary significance

Materials will be selected after examination by the staff or following consultation of bibliographies or reviews in standard, authoritative review sources. No one source of reviews will be relied upon exclusively; furthermore, the critical opinions of reviewers will be checked against each other.

Materials will be chosen for the permanent collection on the basis of the content of the whole. Judgment will be based on the total effect of the work and not on the presence of words, phrases or situations that in themselves, or taken out of context, might be objectionable. No material will be excluded because of the race, nationality, political, or religious views of the author or producer. Material representing all points of view concerning the controversies, problems and issues of our times, international, national and local, may be selected, for the purpose of providing readers with facts from which they may form their own judgments.

Public suggestions on addition of materials to the library’s permanent collection will be accepted. Materials so suggested will be considered for purchase if they fulfill the general material selection standards. It should be understood that acceptance of a public suggestion is not a promise or commitment to purchase.

PERIODICALS

Choice of periodicals will be determined by the interest of the community or the reference value of the periodical and its inclusion in standard periodical indexes. Gift subscriptions may be accepted if the periodical is representative of the interests of the community and meets other selection criteria.

GIFTS

The library deeply appreciates and welcomes gifts from area residents and friends interested in the growth of the library and its services. Gifts of books and other library materials are accepted under the provision that their use or disposal is subject to the discretion of the Library Director. The same general selection standards shall be applied to gift materials as are applied to those for purchase.

Memorials and honor gifts will be acknowledged by special cards sent to the family to be remembered and to the donor, and at the donor’s request will be plated to note the source of the gift.

WEEDING AND DISCARDING

Materials that can no longer be circulated because of physical condition shall be removed.

Materials which are obsolete and of no historical value, or dated both as to subject matter or literary style shall be removed.

The method of disposition of weeded material shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees.

REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

Patrons who object to the inclusion of an item in the library’s collection will observe the following procedures:

Discuss the item with the librarian in charge of the department in which the item is normally kept.
If you desire further consideration, fill out the Request for Reconsideration form provided by the library staff and return it to the Library Director, who will review the request with the Materials Selection Committee. You will receive a written response.
If you desire further action, you may request a review of the decision by the Board of Trustees. You will receive a written response.

No formal consideration will be given to complaints unless the Request for Reconsideration form is completed.

THIS SELECTION POLICY SHALL BE SUBJECT TO CONTINUOUS REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

4/17/01

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