Adult and Young Adult Collection Development Policy
The purpose of this policy on materials selection is to guide in the selection of materials and to inform the public about the principles upon which selections are made.
The library acquires, organizes, makes available and encourages the use of all media that:
- Contribute constructively to the individual’s awareness of self and community while providing insight into a wide range of human and social conditions and various cultural heritages.
- Meet the informational and recreational needs of the entire community.
- Stimulate thoughtful participation in the affairs of the community, the state, the nation, and the world.
- Give access to a variety of opinions on matters of current interest.
- Assist the individuals to grow intellectually and culturally.
- Reflect minority opinions as well as those of the majority.
The responsibility for the selection of books and other library materials is delegated to the Director and/or designee, as is the responsibility for Coordinating requests and recommendations within the framework of policies determined by the Board of Trustees.
Criteria for Selection
Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own excellence and the audience for whom it is intended. No single standard can be applied in all cases when making an acquisition decision. Some materials may be judged primarily in terms of artistic merit, scholarship, or value to humanity; others are selected to satisfy the informational, recreations, or educational interests of the community.
New types of materials are acquired and made accessible, as they are judged suitable, meaningful, and relevant to the community. Expanding areas of knowledge, changing social values, technological advances and cultural differences requires flexibility, open-mindedness, and responsiveness in the evaluation and re-evaluation of all library materials, both old and new.
Specific Factors Guiding Selection
- Suitability of physical form for library use
- Suitability of subject and style for intended audience
- Present and potential relevance to community needs
- Appropriateness and effectiveness to community needs
- Insight into human and social conditions
- Importance as a document of the time
- Relation to existing library collections and other material on the subject
- Professional and literacy significance of the author
- Attention to critics, reviewers, and the public.
- Authority
- Comprehensiveness and depth of treatment
- Objectivity
- Clarity, accuracy, and logic of presentation
- Representation of challenging, though extreme or minority, point of view
- Representation of important movement, genre, or trend of culture.
- Vitality and originality
- Artistic presentation and experimentation
- Sustained interest
- Availability of material in other libraries or in print
- Price
Not all of these specific factors apply to every book. Works of imagination are judged on different factors than are works of information and opinion. The aim of this policy is to facilitate the building of a diversified library collection or merit and significance that reflects the interests and needs of the total community within the fiscal constraints that are a part of all human endeavor.
Procedures for Selection
In selecting materials for purchase, the Director and/or designee evaluates the existing collection, it’s strengths and weaknesses, lists titles under consideration, and consults:
- Reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared selection aids and book reviews
- Specialists in the designated area of need or interest
Statement of Specific Policies in Selected Areas
Fiction
The fiction collection provided books for the wide range of interests of the general reading public. This will include classics in the field, titles representing periods of writing and those meeting the popular demand for light reading. Books which are obviously pornographic and/or which come within Kentucky’s definition of obscenity, as set forth in KRS 531 (“Obscene means to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, (a) the predominant appeal of the matter, taken as a whole, is to prurient interest in sexual conduct; (b) The matter depicts or describes the sexual conduct in a patently offensive way; and (c) The matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value”) should be excluded; but no book should be eliminated because of coarse language, violence or frank discussion of sexual episodes – any one of which may be objectionable to some people – if the author is justified in what he portrays, or when such episodes are pertinent to the plot or character delineation in a book.
Religion
The library attempts to maintain a well-balanced collection representing all the major religions and their sacred scriptures. Authoritative materials which introduce and explain the basic concepts and practices of the various religions and beliefs are included. The library does not add materials of a strictly proselytizing nature.
Sex
The library will purchase accurate, scientific, and current books on this subject for readers of all ages and various backgrounds. Some areas covered are sex education for parents, children and young adults, marriage manuals and family planning.
Pseudoscientific and Occult Materials
In the fields of pseudoscience and pseudo-psychology, spiritualism, witchcraft, Satanism, and the occult, representative books to provide information to the general reader are purchases. Care is taken to avoid the sensational, poorly written, and unsound materials. Serious works of parapsychology, psychic research and hypnotism, which meet general selection standards, are purchased.
Juvenile Collection
The objective in providing reading materials for children is to guide the child toward the enjoyment and appreciation of reading. The library tries to meet the diverse skills and interests of the reader at all ages and levels of ability. Juvenile materials are selected on subjects of interest and within the comprehension of children from pre-school through ninth grade. Abridged editions of the classics are purchases only when they retain the quality and flavor of the original.
Young Adult/Teen Materials
This policy applies to all teen and young adult materials. Materials fitting these credentials are shelved in the respective adult and young adult subject areas. In selecting items for purchase, specialized review sources are consulted as well as the standard journals.
Periodicals
The library endeavors to provide representative periodicals on a wide range of subjects and of both recreational interest and reference value. Particular emphasis is given to titles that are included in the general periodical indexes. Specialized titles are considered only in relation to subject needs.
Newspapers
Newspapers are a valuable updating material on the local, state, and national level, yet the number newspapers subscribed to is limited by space and funding.
Music Collection
Providing music selections for a wide range of patron interests, as well as the importance of composers, performing organizations, and reproduction quality are the foremost considerations given to music purchases. The collection includes both tape and compact disk formats. The collection encompasses selections of classical music, semi-classical, popular, jazz, gospel, and international.
Audio Collection
An audio collection of books on tape is provided for both children and adults. These selections are made based on the same criteria, for which fiction, and non-fiction books are selected, with the additional criterion of production quality and replacement capacity.
Videocassettes
Videocassettes will be purchased on a limited basis. The video collection is built and supplemented by the following criteria:
- Composition
- Recording quality
- Demand
- Price
- Range of use
Computer Software
As technology is becoming more prevalent and needful in our community, the library will select software that provides the most current, economical, programs that uphold the same standards by which printed materials are chosen. The library seeks to make online services available when economically feasible. When such services are provided, it must be kept in mind that the Mercer County Public Library is not responsible for the content in a network situation.
Vertical File
Materials selected for the vertical file will be oriented to our local area, meaning we will file printed items, which are not available in book form, only on subjects which refer to Mercer County History, genealogy, business, and special interests
Films
The Mercer County Public Library will make no purchases of 16mm films, since the Department for Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, Kentucky maintains a collection for loans to public libraries in the state. Films are too delicate and too expensive to warrant extensive purchase by the individual library.
The Department for Libraries and Archie has set forth the policy that films borrowed from their collection must be used by groups, clubs, and organizations only, and not for personal home or classroom use.
Microfilm
The library maintains a limited collection of materials which are unavailable in other forms, or which are too fragile or too bulky to retain in the original form.
Gift Materials
The library will make clear to the donor the stipulations involved in accepting gifts. To avoid misunderstanding of this policy and to avoid claims by donors of misuse of their gifts, by either separation or disbursement, the library will provide a standard donation form to be read and signed by the donor.
Selection of donated books for the library collection will also follow the previously outlined selection policy. Any books not selected for the library collection will be returned to the donor upon request. Otherwise the library is free to dispose of the remaining books as it sees fit.
The library will provide the donor a copy of the signed donation form, indicating that x number of books were accepted by the library. The appraisal of gifts to the library for tax purposes is to be the responsibility of the donor, since they are the one who benefits from the possible deduction for the donation, and therefore is not the responsibility of the library. The library is not equipped, nor are the librarians qualifies to appraise the value of gift books due to variance in age, condition, subject matter, and usefulness and due to the constant inflationary measures affecting market prices.
If the library accepts gifts that have been appraised, it should be made clear to the donor that this acceptance does not imply endorsement of the appraiser’s evaluation as accurate.
Donations of money in the memory/honor of a relative or friend will be limited to new purchases made specifically by the library in accordance with the needs of the collection, with the subject matter selected so that it compliments an interest or hobby of the person of whom it is in memory/honor.
Paperback Books
Paperbacks from an appealing collection for many people and cover many subjects not always found in hardback editions. The library will accept paperback donations with the same stipulations as for other gifts, and with the understanding that those not designated for cataloging and including into the regular shelf collection will be processed and included in the general paperback collection.
The paperbacks are not subject to replacement when lost or damaged, unless they are on a subject cataloged and relevant to the collection. However, purchase of paperbacks is deemed necessary to fill ephemeral demand for hardcover titles, to replace out-of-date materials, and to provide original works appearing only in paperback editions.
Censorship
The selection of library books and materials is predicated on the library patron’s right to read and similarly, the patron’s freedom from censorship by others. Many books are controversial and any given item may offend some persons. Selection by the library will not, however, be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the merits of the material in relation to the building of the collection and to serving the interests of the readers. The library holds censorship to be a purely individual matter and declares that, while anyone is free to reject for him/herself, books and other materials of which he/she does not approve, he/she cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others.
With respect to the use of library materials by children, the decision as to what a minor may read is solely the responsibility of the parent or guardian. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that books may come into the possession of minors.
The principles of the freedom to read and the professional responsibility of the staff in serving the objectives of the library must be defended, rather than the materials.
Labeling of Materials
The fact that materials are purchased, processed and added to the collection shall in no way reflect a value judgement on the materials. There will be no labeling of any item, or of its computer cataloging, to indicate its point of view or bias.
Access to Materials
All materials will be shelved in their proper order on open shelves, freely and easily accessible to the public except for irreplaceable or frequently stolen materials, which need to be protected from theft and/or damage.
Children are not limited to the juvenile collection, although juvenile collections may be kept together to facilitate use. Responsibility for a child’s reading must rest with the parent or guardian, not with the library. Request for circulation cannot be judged or denied since library employees cannot know the maturity of every child nor can they know every parent’s wishes in this area.
The statement was approved and adopted on 1/12/1998 by the Mercer County Public Library Board of Trustees which assumes fill responsibility for all legal actions which may result from the implementation of any policies states herein.
The Board of Trustees of this library further declares that it adopts the library bill of rights and supports the freedom to read and the freedom to view statements.
Both are included as appendices to this material selection policy, and interpreted to include all library materials regardless of format.
Children’s Collection Development Policy
The Mercer County Public Library serves the community by promoting public literacy, encouraging creativity, and fostering at atmosphere for learning and the dissemination of information to meet the recreational and professional needs of all Mercer County residents regardless of ages, abilities, and cultures.
This policy is meant to guide the collection development and material selection of physical and digital resources for circulation and use at the Mercer County Public Library and to inform staff and the public about the principles that shape the collectionl
This collection is shaped and maintained by the Mercer County Public Library’s Children’s Librarian under the supervision of MCPL’s Director. The Target Audience for this collection are adolescents ages 12 and younger. Despite this target audience, this does not preclude or prohibit other demographics from utilizing the collection and no one should be prohibited from checking out circulating items from the Children’s Collection.
Objectives of Collection Development Policy
MCPL should consist of diverse materials, services, and equipment to make information available to as many patrons in the most convenient way possible. As a result, the Children’s collection should consist of:
- Print resources such as hardcover books, paperbacks, and magazines.
- Audio-Visual materials including movies and audiobooks
- Digital Resources comprising online databases, exclusively digital books or movies, historical archives, and software programs
- Equipment such as e-readers and other computing devices and demonstration technology
- Kits containing materials that teach a concept or educational theme that enriches the user.
Criteria for Material Selection
In order to utilize library funds, shelf space, staff time, and other resources responsibly, careful consideration should be given to the criteria listed below before selecting materials for purchase.
- Is this item physically durable and suitable for extended use and circulation to minors, (ie. is it likely to have a long shelf life?)
- Are the subjects covered in this book relevant to the interests of a majority or sizeable minority of Mercer County residents, meeting the needs of the community as a whole?
- Is the item written / recorded in a manner that reflects clarity, accuracy, and logic of presentation?
- Is the item considered a classic in children’s literature?
- Does this item cover subjects for which the library does not already have relevant and current materials or view points?
- Is this item readily available for purchase?
Should an item be requested by a patron but not meet a majority of the criteria listed above, staff are encouraged to borrow the book from a participating library or repository. This solution will meet the need of an individual without consuming resources that can be applied to other materials which more closely fit the stated criteria.
The Children’s Library should consider requests for purchase put forward by patrons as well as items listed in professional journals that match the criteria in this section.
Collection Maintenance
As with all library collections, the shelves in the Children’s section must be read to ensure books are in the prescribed order. Periodically, inventories should be completed to ensure the accuracy of library records and to highlight any items that need to be replaced. Because space is limited and new items are being added to the collection at regular intervals, it will become necessary for materials that are damaged, outdated, or which have seen minimal circulation to be deaccessioned and disposed of by discarding / recycling or placing in the library book sale.
Gift Materials
As with all other parts of the collection, the MCPL Children’s department accepts donated items. These items are reviewed by the Children’s Librarian and, when necessary, the Library Director. Items accepted for donation may be catalogued and added to the collection if the Children’s Librarian feels they add to the quality of the collection. Items not retained, will be placed in the library book sale for members of the community to acquire and enjoy. When a donation is being made, the donor should be offered a completed donation form for their records. They should be informed prior to the completion of the donation process of the above possible outcomes.