Criteria for Selection of Library Materials
Answer
2.0 CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS
2.1 The primary aim of selection is to establish a balanced collection which adequately represents various points of view on a subject, and which contains both popular and seminal works of literature, appropriate to the interests of the community and resources of the library. The Town of Viking Library Board recognizes that some materials are controversial and may offend some individuals. Selection will not be made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the evaluation by staff on the item’s merit, authenticity and use to the community.
2.2 General Criteria: All materials, whether donated or purchased, will be examined and/or evaluated in terms of the standards which follow. Items need not meet all the criteria to be acceptable. With the exception of extremely popular items, one copy only in a particular format will be purchased
a) currency of information
b) author/publisher reputation
c) inclusion in standard library bibliographies
d) relevance to community needs and interests
e) suitability of physical format for library use
f) popular demand
g) authority of the writer, editor and/or publisher
h) accuracy and artistic quality of the content
i) price and availability
j) relation to existing collection
k) Canadian content, especially where such is critical, such as law, government or
finance
l) enduring value
m) availability of similar material elsewhere in other libraries
2.3 The same criteria apply to purchased and donated materials.