Background

Collection development and assessment is an ongoing concern of public libraries. It arises from the formal and informal assessment of educational, informational, and recreational needs of the community. A collection development policy must meet the changing interests and concerns of the community.

Selection and Purchase

1. The Library Manager is responsible for the selection, acquisition, and purchase of library materials.
2. Materials are selected to meet the information and entertainment needs of the residents of the library’s service area, and to meet the goals of the library’s Plan of Service.
3. The Library Manager will use sources such as trade publications, reviews, requests by users, and other resources to develop the library collection.
4. Materials will be evaluated and selected according to the following criteria:

• • Currency of information
  • Popular demand
  • Relevance to community needs and interests, as based on community awareness and the library’s Plan of Service.
  • Popularity of format (e.g. DVD over VHS)
  • Authority of the writer, editor and/or publisher
  • Accuracy or artistic quality of the content
  • Price and availability
  • Space considerations
  • Relationship to existing collection
  • Canadian content, especially where such is critical, such as law, government or finance
  • Enduring value
  • Availability of resource or similar material elsewhere (e.g. other libraries, online licensed databases)
  • Quality of construction (e.g. durable binding and paper)

An item need not meet all of the above criteria to be acceptable. Multiple copies may be purchased to meet the need for high-demand titles.

5. Materials will be purchased directly from vendors (including local vendors) or in cooperation with the local library system.

Gifts and Donations

6. The Board encourages donations of books and other materials to the Mundare Municipal Public Library. Such gifts are greatly appreciated.
7. All material donations become the exclusive property of the Mundare Municipal Public Library Board and will not be returned.
8. The same principles of selection are applied to gifts as purchased materials.

9. Generally material donations should be less than three years old and in good condition, i.e. not musty, mouldy, damp, worn, smelly, cracked, etc.
10. Restrictions placed on library donations will only be followed at the mutual agreement of the donor and the library board.
11. Material donations may or may not become part of the Library’s collection.

12. Material donations are accepted with the understanding that if the library cannot use them, it may at any time dispose of them in any way it sees fit. Unwanted material donations are generally sold to patrons at the library’s regular book sale, donated to another library or organization (e.g. schools, seniors’ centres), or recycled.
13. Receipts will not be issued for donated materials.

Weeding

14. Materials that no longer fit the stated mission and service priorities of the library will be withdrawn from the collection.
15. The materials will be examined to determine suitability for the collection on the following criteria:
    • physical condition and appearance (e.g. markings in the book, broken spine, yellow pages, outdated cover art)
    • currency and accuracy of subject matter
    • usage (i.e. not checked out in 3 years)
    • relevance to the needs and interests of the community
    • availability elsewhere (e.g. other libraries, online licensed databases)

16. When necessary, local experts will be consulted to determine the continued relevance and reliability of materials.
17. Materials of local interest (i.e. local histories, local authors, and other materials specifically relating to Mundare and surrounding area will generally be kept in the collection as long as possible, so long as the materials are still in good physical condition and the information in them is still accurate.
18. Replacement copies will be considered when a title is withdrawn from the collection due to loss, damage, or wear, but is still considered relevant to the needs of the community.
19. Weeded materials will be disposed of at the discretion of the Library Manager, generally by donation to another library or organization (e.g. schools, seniors’ centres), sale to the public, or recycling.
20. Dangerously outdated materials (i.e. medical or legal materials more than five years old) will not be sold to the public or donated and will instead be recycled or destroyed. Following outdated medical or legal information in a used book could cause physical harm or legal problems for members of the public.

Intellectual Freedom and Challenged Materials

21. The Mundare Municipal Public Library Board Library Board subscribes to the Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations, as found attached to this policy.
22. The Mundare Municipal Public Library Board Library Board does not believe its role, or that of its staff, is to censor materials or act in any way as the supervisor of public morals.
23. If an individual strongly objects to an item, he/she may complete a "Request for Reconsideration of Library Material" form, and submit this form to the Library Manager for review by the Board. Only requests for reconsideration submitted on this form will be considered by the Board.
24. The Board will review the written request, usually at its next regular board meeting.

25. The procedure for receiving requests for reconsideration of library materials is as follows:

1. Discussion of complaint with patron by the Library Manager.
2. Review Selection, Acquisition, Purchase, and Disposition of Resources Policy.
3. Provision of "Request for Reconsideration of Library Material” (attached) form to complainant.
4. Informing Board chair.