Collection Development Policy

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to inform the public and guide professional staff regarding the criteria for the library’s collection, including the selecting, retaining and withdrawing of resources (print, non-print and electronic). This policy assists the staff in building collections that are responsive, relevant, and inspiring for the community, in accordance with the mission of the Dover Public Library.

Mission Statement

The Collection Development Policy of the Dover Public Library was created in accordance with the Mission of the Library.

Mission

The Dover Public Library is committed to being the center of community life in Dover, Ohio. It is our mission to support life-long learning by providing information and opportunities for personal enrichment and enjoyment to people of all ages and from all backgrounds in Dover and throughout the Tuscarawas Valley.

Introduction

The Library strives to provide materials representing diverse viewpoints, in order to be the best source for accurate information within our community. We recognize some materials may be considered controversial and may offend some users. The presence of questionable language or attitudes is not in itself a reason to add or remove materials from the collection. Materials which represent only one point of view may be selected to provide necessary balance to other materials. The existence of a particular viewpoint in the collection is not an endorsement of that particular point of view, but an expression of the Library’s adherence to the principles of intellectual freedom.

The Board of Trustees of the Library adopts and declares that the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Statements will guide the development of the Library’s collections. Specifically the Library will adhere to and support the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, Freedom to View, and Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.

The Board of Trustees delegates the development of the collection to the Director, who oversees the process conducted by Library managers and other appropriate staff.

Scope of Collection

The scope of the collection refers to the range and types of materials selected. Our collection focuses on the general patron; we want to be the community’s first source of practical information and fuel lifelong passion for reading and learning. It also takes into consideration the needs of groups within our community–for example non-English speakers and emergent readers.

Selection Guidelines

The “Selection Guidelines” relate to the Library’s goals and objectives. Staff should keep the following in mind when selecting titles; an item need not meet all considerations to be acceptable.

Consider the identified, expressed or anticipated needs and interests of individuals in the general community.
Consider the quality of content, such as timeliness, accuracy, literary merit, illustrations, indexes and bibliographies.
Include different viewpoints, values, philosophies, cultures and religions whenever possible. Selections will not be made on the basis of any assumed approval or disapproval.
Focus on in-demand, current interest titles (purchasing multiple copies as needed) while also cultivating materials in a broad range of subjects.
Assess the significance in relation to resources already available.
Utilize standard selection sources recognized by Library professionals to identify materials to be purchased.
Utilize specialized knowledge of Library staff.
Consider the reputation and/or significance of author, publisher and/or producer.
Select a variety of reading and comprehension levels based on community needs.
Provide a wide variety of formats to meet differing patron needs.
Maximize the effectiveness of the available materials budget.
Consider other community resources, Interlibrary Loan, etc. to maximize the Library’s resources. Out-of-print, used items, or items that require Library staff to go beyond the scope of normal purchasing procedures are usually not purchased.
Strive to develop a collection that complements the curriculum of area educational institutions but does not duplicate curriculum materials in use by educational institutions or home schooled students.
Consider patron requests within the overarching principles of selection.
Assess the quality of binding and physical suitability for library use.
Self-published materials may be purchased when they include unique local content, fit the scope of the collection, and meet selection criteria.

Standard Selection Sources

Standard selection sources used to identify items for purchase include reviews from professional journals, catalogs, and social media sites.

Formats

The Library acquires materials in a variety of formats, to provide for the evolving needs and expectations of the community. Major types of formats are print (regular and large print), non-print (DVDs, CDs, etc.), and digital (e-books, e-audio, etc.). Selection within a format follows all general selection principles. The Library monitors the development of new formats and uses the principles of selection to decide if and when to add them to the collection. The Library monitors the use and continued availability of a particular format to determine how long to retain a particular format. When a format is discontinued, the existing collection will continue to circulate until no longer useful.

Annual Materials Allocation

The annual material budget for the Library is divided among departments. Format types may include books, magazines, audio/visual, digital content, and databases. The materials budget is recommended by the Director and approved by the Library Board of Trustees in accordance with Ohio public library standards. Factors used to determine the specific allocation for each area may include:

Average cost of items.
Number of items lost or withdrawn.
Average circulation of items.
Level of development for the category as determined by community use.
User requests.
Costs of starting or replacing collections, based on their age, currency, and relevancy.

General Collection Statements

Fiction

Fiction collections for adults and young adults (age fourteen and up) consist of retrospective and current titles including novels, short stories, genre fiction, graphic novels, paperbacks, and some small press publications.

Fiction collections for children (ages birth to twelve) include picture books, emergent readers, chapter fiction and novel length works. Juvenile fiction collections offer a wide range of reading related to current interests, social issues, research, and curricular requirements that impact patron interests and needs.

Nonfiction

The nonfiction collection serves the research and informational needs of patrons ages fourteen through adult. We seek to maintain a well-rounded and balanced collection of nonfiction materials for the lay reader and to support patrons in their everyday life. Highly specialized or materials for college courses will not be purchased. The collection is designed to cover broad areas of knowledge and interest, including both basic works of permanent value and timely materials on current issues.

Nonfiction materials collected for children contain introductory and developmentally appropriate works in all subject areas including selections that cover the issues that contemporary boys and girls face. This collection meets students’ educational and recreational needs.

Periodicals and Newspapers

Emphasis for the periodical and newspaper collection is placed on popular titles and a representative sampling of other topics. The collection is also used by the staff for selection and professional development. Gift subscriptions may be accepted for magazines if they meet general selection guidelines. The Library subscribes to a number of local, Ohio, regional and national newspapers. The subscription lists are reviewed annually by staff.

Reference

The Library maintains a collection of print and electronic reference sources, covering a wide variety of topics intended to meet the informational needs of the general public. Standard resources make up the core of this collection, consisting of books updated on a continuing basis and electronic products such as databases to provide convenient, relevant access to information.

Databases

Databases are searchable collections of information that are available online. We subscribe to databases that are relevant to the community’s information needs. The Library also furnishes access to a statewide set of databases through OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network).

Special Collections

The Library maintains several special collections to serve the needs of the community. These collections follow the same guidelines for selection and deselection outlined in this policy. Examples of these are as follows:

The Roots Cellar

This collection was established to contribute to the community’s knowledge of Tuscarawas and Ohio history and genealogy. The Roots Cellar supports the community by providing up-to-date sources and access to quality information about the County and State. In-house guides are also created and maintained to facilitate easy access to topical information. This includes a microfilm collection of the local newspaper, The Times-Reporter. The Roots Cellar genealogy collection emphasizes Tuscarawas County and Ohio. Some of the material is archival. Included are county histories, genealogical material, and local and state publications.

Foreign Language

The Library maintains collections of foreign language materials to meet the needs of a diverse population, with an emphasis on Spanish titles. These collections serve native speakers as well as students. Foreign language collections for youth are developed for English Language Learners and to support language learning at home.

Professional Collection

A collection of professional materials is provided for staff use. These titles generally serve a specific purpose related to such topics as programming, customer service and administrative tasks.

Audiobooks

The audiobook collection includes unabridged, in-demand fiction and nonfiction. The juvenile audiobook collection emphasizes popular fiction, but includes recommended nonfiction titles. Youth titles collected include award winning books, series titles, classics, and stories performed by noteworthy storytellers.

Music

The music collection consists of original works in all genres and is developed according to community demand. Edited versions of albums will be purchased if available, however, “parental advisory” titles are acceptable if they follow standard selection guidelines. The juvenile music collection emphasizes materials for early childhood and elementary grades, new holiday titles, classical titles, interactive titles for child play, and titles that featured in television and movies.

Downloadable Materials

As a leader in providing the community with digital access, we offer patrons electronic magazines, video, music, audio, and books (e-books). This collection provides digital copies of current interest titles, accessible via most devices with an internet connection.

Videos

The film collection contains a broad selection of entertainment and educational videos, including current releases, classic movies, independent films, television series, foreign films, educational and documentary titles. Development of these areas within the collection is based on community use.

Video Games

Video games are collected to serve the recreational needs of the community. Selectors reach consensus to determine which formats will be collected by the library system based on availability, usage, community interests, and item cost. Games that include peripherals, additional pieces, or other accessories will not be collected.

Related Practices

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

The Library participates in a national material sharing program, commonly known as Interlibrary Loan. The Library requests materials from and loans materials to other participating libraries across the country. ILL is a service that supports the mission of the Library by providing enhanced access to information. The purpose of ILL is to obtain materials which would not ordinarily be purchased by the Library and to provide material from the collection to other libraries. Staff may consider purchasing an item, in lieu of requesting it through ILL, if the material is requested frequently and deemed appropriate for selection within the guidelines described in this collection development policy

Donations

We accept donations of new and gently used materials including works that are self-published or by local authors. Staff select materials for the collection according to the Library’s selection guidelines. Items that are not added to the collection are sent to the Friends of the Library book sale and are not returned to the donor.

No conditions may be imposed relating to any gift, donation, or memorial either before or after its acceptance by the Library. Upon request the Library will provide a receipt as to the number and format of items donated. We cannot determine the value of donations. Donation of monetary gifts, memorials, and commemorations to the Library are a thoughtful way to remember a special person or occasion and to help build the Library’s collection. Donors may suggest subjects or titles to be acquired with their donation, but we reserve the right to make the final decision. Upon request a special gift plate identifying the donor and/or the person being memorialized and/or honored is placed in the material purchased and the individual is notified by the library.

De-selection of Materials

The professional and paraprofessional staff reviews the collection continually to keep it responsive to patrons’ needs, assess it for deficiencies (gaps), ensure its usefulness to the community and make room for new materials. Titles may be weeded (withdrawn), retained, updated, rebound, reclassified or duplicated as justified by need. Efforts will be made to preserve materials with simple repairs. In general, weeding follows guidelines set out in the CREW* (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) Manual which includes:

Physical condition
Frequency of circulation
Currency of information and the availability of updated material
Permanent value to the collection, such as a classic book or an item of historical value
Unnecessary copies or the presence of similar materials in the collection.
Space to house the item
Discontinuation of format

Withdrawn materials are given to the Friends of the Library for their book sale. Reference materials retaining informational value may be transferred to the circulating collection or offered to other libraries or nonprofit organizations within the community.

Reconsideration of Materials

The selection and de-selection of materials for the library is an ongoing process, involving staff and many interactions with the community using the materials. Members of the community may have questions about the process or about selection of specific items. These questions are addressed as follows:

Questions concerning the process or a specific item in the collection can be answered by a librarian. The professional staff can clarify scope and depth of the collection, the role of individual and parental responsibility, and the use of selection guides. Many inquires can be answered without pursuing the reconsideration process. The principles governing selection can be found in this Collection Policy Statement.
Patrons may wish to suggest alternative materials and may need to know about the process of making suggestions for purchase.
Patrons may choose to ask for a formal review of specific materials. To do so, the patron must fill out a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form.

Procedures for Requests for Reconsideration:

When the form is returned to the library, a copy should be made for the Department Manager in the department where the material is held. The original form will be forwarded to the Library Director.
The Library Director, or designee, will notify the patron that the Request has been received and that a Reconsideration Committee will review the material and make a recommendation for action.
The Reconsideration Committee will consist of relevant staff members including selectors and manager of the department that received the request.
All members of the Reconsideration Committee will read, view, or listen to the material within 30 days of receiving the request form. Original reviews and other pertinent information will be researched.
The committee will meet to discuss and evaluate the material, and a response will be prepared. The committee’s response and a recommendation for action will be sent to the Library Director within 45 days after receiving the request.
The Library Director, or designee, will respond to the individual who submitted the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form and copy the members of the Reconsideration Committee and the Library Board of Trustees.
The individual who submitted the Request for Reconsideration may appeal the Director’s response in writing to the Library Board within 10 days.
The Library Board will have the final decision on any request for the removal of materials from the Library.

Approved by the Dover Public Library Board of Trustees

May 12, 2016