Knowledge Base: Library Policies

1. 1. INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

POLICY

The Morinville Public Library shall support free access to ideas, promote free expression, provide public information, and foster enlightenment. These goals shall be accomplished through a collection that includes the widest diversity of views and expressions including those which are unorthodox and orthodox, popular and unpopular, from whatever viewpoint. A rigorous adherence to the principle of Intellectual Freedom shall protect these important rights, as stated in the Statement of Intellectual Freedom adopted by the Canadian Library Association. http://cla.ca/wp-content/uploads/CLA_Intellectual_Freedom_Position_Stmt_27sept2015_ltrhd.pdf

PROCEDURE

1. Freedom to access all materials in the Morinville Public Library shall be provided to all users. While any individual has the right to reject for themselves books of which they do not approve, they do not have the right to restrict the reading of others.

2. Minors’ choices shall be at the discretion of their parents or guardians and are not the responsibility of the library, Library Staff or the Library Board.

3. If a patron objects to any material in the library, they shall be asked to complete the Request for Reconsideration Form 3.1 (see Appendix 3A). The request shall then be brought forward to the next library board meeting for discussion and evaluation. Final responsibility for resolution of complaints concerning library materials rests with the Board.

1. 2. MATERIAL SELECTION

PURPOSE

The library must employ a policy of selectivity in acquisition which recognizes the informational, cultural, educational, and recreational needs of the Town of Morinville and the library patrons. The library recognizes that the community encompasses a wide range of ages, interests, educational levels, format preferences, and interpretive skills and seeks to maintain a basic circulating collection chosen to answer general interest requests from the community.

In most cases, the selection of highly technical or specialized materials is beyond the scope of the collection.

POLICY

While the library welcomes suggestions for purchase:

1. 1. 1. all suggestions shall be considered in light of the general criteria for selection, and the final decision rests with the library. A suggestion does not automatically translate into an actual purchase;
      2. all materials, whether donated or purchased, shall be examined and evaluated in terms of the standards which follow. Items need not meet all the criteria to be acceptable, but each shall be considered:
         1. popular appeal and readability
         2. price
         3. importance of the subject matter to the existing collection
         4. scarcity of material on the subject
         5. suitability of physical format for library use
         6. quality of writing
         7. reputation and significance of the author
         8. timelines or pertinence of the book
         1. reputation and standards of the publisher
         10. demand for the material by the patrons
         11. favorable attention from reviewers and critics
         50. budgetary and space priorities
         1000. Canadian or local content/significance

1. 1. 3. the library collection shall include fiction and non-fiction books, paperbacks, periodicals, and reference material as well as audio visual material;
         1. Hardcover books shall generally be selected when the item is expected to occupy a relatively permanent position in the collection, or when the item is available only in this format.
         2. Paperback books shall generally be selected to meet heavy but temporary demand for a given title, to provide materials in a less expensive format, or when the item is only available in this format.
         3. Periodicals shall be selected to supplement the book collection with up-to-date information on a variety of topics, to supply information not available in books and to provide recreational reading in a popular format.
      4. materials in languages other than English shall be added to the collection to reflect the needs of the community;
      5. materials withdrawn because of loss, damage or wear shall not be replaced automatically;

The need for replacement in each case shall be considered in relation to several factors:

1. 1. 1. 1. duplicate copies already in the library
         2. sufficient coverage of the field already in the collection
         3. availability of the book
         4. more recent, better material on the same subject
         5. demand for that title or subject etc.
         6. part of a series

1. 1. 6. ultimate responsibility for book selection shall rest with the Acquisition Team. The Acquisition Team shall select in accordance with the stated library objectives, general criteria for book selection, and a general overview of the entire book collection and library service role;
      7. reference material purchases shall be based on the current needs of the community.

PROCEDURE

1. The Acquisition Team shall review recommended titles from staff, patrons, and recognized library journals and catalogues before selecting library material.

2. The Acquisition Team shall review requests for inter-library loans to consider possible acquisitions to improve the library collection.

1. 3. PURCHASE OF MATERIAL

POLICY

Required library materials shall be purchased in a consistent and economic manner.

PROCEDURE

1. The Purchasing Staff shall use the most economic source for the purchasing of the library materials.

2. The Purchasing Staff shall purchase library materials within Alberta whenever possible and more economical.

3. The Library Director shall ensure that purchases for the year are within the book allotment limits.

1. 4. MATERIAL GIFTS AND DONATIONS

PURPOSE

This policy represents Board standards and requirements for accepting gifts and donations.

POLICY

1. All materials offered as gifts, including formats other than books (e.g. magazine subscriptions), shall be evaluated according to the selection guidelines.

2. The library reserves the right to use and dispose of gifts as it sees fit.

3. No conditions relating to any gift may be imposed upon its acceptance by the library.

PROCEDURE

1. The Processing Clerk shall physically examine donated materials for suitability for addition to the library collection.

2. The Library Director shall present special requests attached to the donation/gift to the Board along with their recommendations at their discretion.

1. 5. WEEDING

PURPOSE

The collection shall be evaluated on an ongoing basis. The purpose of maintenance, which includes evaluation and weeding, is to:

1. 1. 1. utilize library space in the most effective manner;
      2. maintain a reliable collection (i.e. ensure the information is accurate);
      3. improve access to the collection by removing unused materials;
      4. present an inviting appearance to patrons;
      5. locate items in need of repair or replacement;
      6. avoid the illusion of a well-stocked library (i.e. keeping old books in order that the shelves do not appear depleted). The goal is to have a quality, useful collection, not just a large one.

POLICY

A collection development plan shall be developed and revised on an ongoing basis to ensure that each area of the library receives regular consideration. This plan shall be for the weeding and updating of specific subject or Dewey areas.

PROCEDURE

1. Materials which are no longer useful in the light of stated objectives of the library, or which become unsuitable in terms of selection criteria, shall be systematically weeded from the collection.

2. Materials which are considered for discard shall be evaluated by two staff members, one of whom shall be knowledgeable about the specific collection being weeded.

3. The following criteria shall be considered when weeding an item:
   1. physical appearance or condition – is it damaged, old looking, etc;
   2. multiple copies of a title may be discarded when the demand has subsided;
   3. content – is the information dated, misleading, or incorrect? Is it an old edition which has been superseded by a new edition;
   4. age;
   5. past circulation and probable future circulation;
   6. is there a better or newer title/edition available? If not, the title may be retained;
   7. language – if it is not English, is there a demand for that language in the community;
   8. local interests – has the demand for this author/subject waned;
   9. Canadian or local significance – if the title has some historical value it should be retained;
   10. are there any unique features of this title which warrant special consideration.