HomeMy WebLinkAbout18-002 Adopting a Collection Development and Management Policy for the City Public LibraryResolution 18-002
RESOLUTION NO. 18-002
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND,
WASHINGTON, ADOPTING A COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND
MANAGEMENT POLICY FOR THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND PUBLIC LIBRARY
WHEREAS, The City of Port Townsend Public Library's Material Selection Policy was
last updated in 2003; and,
WHEREAS, after consultation with the Library Advisory Board, staff recommends
updating the policy; and,
WHEREAS, the proposed update supports the mission, vision and core values of the
City of Port Townsend Public Library, will guide the staff in the development and management
of the collection, and will inform the public of the principles used to develop and maintain the
Library Collection;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port
Townsend as follows:
1. The City Council adopts the Collection Development and Management Policy for the
City of Port Townsend Public Library in substantially the same form as at Exhibit A.
2. The City Manager and the Library Director will review the Policy as needed.
ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a regular meeting
thereof, held this 16th day of January, 2018.
Deborah S. Stens.
Mayor
Attest:
Joanna Sanders, MMC
City Clerk
Approved as to form:
Steven L. Gross
City Attorney
Resolution 18-002 Exhibit A
Page 1 of S
EXHIBIT A
Collection Development and Management Policy
City of Port Townsend Public Library
Purpose
The Collection Development Policy supports the mission, vision and core values of the City of
Port Townsend Public Library (PTPL). It guides the staff in the development and management of
the collection and informs the public of the principles that we follow. This policy will be
reviewed on a periodic basis.
Principles of PTPL Collection Development
• It is the goal of the Library to provide a diverse collection of materials, in a variety of
formats and languages, for all ages, responsive to the needs and interests of the
community within our budgetary and space limitations.
• In order to support an informed public, the collections represent a variety of viewpoints
from diverse sources. Selection of materials by the Library does not indicate an
endorsement of the contents or views expressed in those materials.
• The Library provides open and equal access to library collections to all resident users.
In selecting materials and electronic media, library staff uses professional resources,
judgment, knowledge and experience
• Staff anticipates and actively reaches out to the community to ascertain the needs and
interests of the public and also considers customer requests for materials.
• We help preserve and share our community's history.
• When possible, the Library purchases some digital collections with consortiums. This
includes the Washington Anytime Library for eBooks and eAudiobooks and the
Cooperative Libraries Automated Network (C.L.A.N.) for databases. Consortium level
purchasing helps to expand the collection budget through economies of scale
procurement. The Library strives to add digital collections in conjunction with demand,
cost and availability.
• We believe that a high-quality library collection must be kept up-to-date by judicious
oversight, removing outdated and worn-out items, while preserving, and when necessary
and possible, replacing, classics and items of lasting value.
The Library considers reading, viewing and listening to be individual matters. While any
patron is free to select or reject materials for themselves or their own minor children, the
freedom of other Library patrons to read or inquire will not be restricted. The Library
would never presume to usurp the role of the parent. Only parents and guardians have the
right and responsibility to guide the reading, viewing and listening choices of their own
minor children. The Library does not stand in the place of parents (in loco parentis.)
The Port Townsend Public Library upholds the principles documented in the:
• American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights '
• Freedom to Read Statement "
• Freedom to View Statement
Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors'"
Code of Ethics of the American Library Association
Resolution 18-002 Exhibit A
Page 2 of 5
a Core Values of Librarianship Statement "
Iles ponsibility
This policy is periodically reviewed and revised by the library staff with the advice and
recommendations of the Library Advisory Board, and approved by the Poi t °Townsend City
Council. The Library Director and his/her designees is responsible for collection development
and management.
On a day-to-day basis, the policy is administered by the library Managers, and implemented by
the professional staff. The professional staff selects and rnaintains materials in areas assigned to
them by their supervisors.
Selection of Materials
The Library emphasizes breadth over depth, unabridged over abridged, and general treatments
over specialized, scholarly and professional treatments.
Because technologies for sound, image, and electronic delivery of information continue to
evolve, the Library will monitor and evaluate new formats, implementing them when appropriate
and discarding obsolete formats when necessary.
There is no single set of criteria that can be applied in all cases. Some resources may be judged
based on their artistic merit or scholarship while others are judged based on the recreational
interests of the community. The criteria for judging fiction, nonfiction, and electronic media will
vary. Materials are'judged as a whole rather than on particular passages.
Library's general collection criteria are as follows:
Representation of diverse points of view
0 Currency, timeliness and accuracy of the material
Present and potential relevance to the community
Public demand (historical, current, and anticipated)
Relation to the existing collection
Suitability of physical form for library use
Suitability of subject and style for the intended audience
Receipt or nomination for major awards or prizes
• Positive professional reviews
Value of the resource in relation to cost
Limitations of shelving space and budget to purchase
e Ease of availability in -print, available through regular vendors
Collection Maintenance
The Library's material selectors are responsible for decisions regarding weeding, repair, and
replacement in their area of the collection. Proper maintenance of the collection provides our
users with what they need and expect: useful, current materials in good physical condition.
Criteria used in evaluating whether an item should be removed from the collection include:
Accuracy
Resolution 18-002 Exhibit A
Page 3 of S
• Physical condition
• Obsolescence in format or content
• Current and potential use
• Completeness (sets)
• Unique reference value
• Availability of similar materials
• Historical value
Northwest Maritime Collection
The Port Townsend Public Library's Northwest Maritime Collection was established in 1993
through a grant from the Washington State Library. The collection is designed to serve the
diverse maritime interests of the Port Townsend community by supporting the practical and
recreational needs of the marine trades and the boating public. Material selection and collection
maintenance will follow the general practices of the library's collection development policies.
Local Authors
Local authors are defined as writers who currently reside or have spent a significant part of their
lives in Port Townsend or the adjacent towns. Pending evaluation, the Library may accept one
donated copy of a local author's work and place it in the Local Author section if it is an Adult
book or in the appropriate Youth or Teen collection, if it is a Youth or Teen book. All donated
works are subject to the same criteria for removal as other materials. Items requested by the
author to be purchased by the Library are subject to the same collection development criteria as
any other work. If an item is considered relevant to local history or local maritime, it may be
placed with either the Local History or Northwest Maritime Collection instead of the Local
Author Collection.
Unusual Items Collection
The Library collects and circulates physical materials other than books and media. This includes,
but is not limited to, craft kits, computers and technology, maps and outdoor recreation
equipment and musical instruments. The purpose of the Unusual Items Collection is to provide
patrons access to materials that are experiential in nature and or not commonly owned.
Collection space is limited so items are generally small and self-contained. Material selection
and collection maintenance will follow the general practices of the library's collection
development policies.
Request for Library Materials
Patrons may make requests, and the Library will consider either borrowing the item from another
library (Interlibrary Loan) or purchasing the item for the collection. Some items may not be
available. Requests that are purchased are subject to the same collection development criteria as
any other work.
"Gifts" Donated Items
The Library welcomes donations of books and other materials and accepts monetary
contributions toward the purchase of materials. The Library reserves the right to decide the
disposition of all gifts received. Gifts added to the Library's collection become the property of
the PTPL and will be placed where most appropriate. Material not added to the Library's
Resolution 18-002 Exhibit A
Page 4 of S
collection may be sold by the Friends of the Port Townsend Library. The proceeds from material
sales are used by the Friends to support our mission. Material selection and collection
maintenance will follow the general practices of the library's collection development policies.
Interlibrary Loan Guidelines
Through interlibrary loan, the library provides patrons with access to information and materials
that are not available in our library. Some guidelines for the use of ILL:
1. Items published in the last 6 months cannot be interlibrary loaned.
2. Patrons are limited to 3 active interlibrary loan requests at one time.
3. Patrons must have below $25 in fines to borrow an item.
4. Some items will be considered for purchase by our library rather than borrowed, such as
fiction, items available in paperback at a low cost, and non-fiction which might fill a
need in our collection.
5. The lending library determines the loan and renewal period for the item. Patrons should
contact the Port Townsend Public Library at least 3 business days before the item is due
so the lending library can be contacted for a loan extension.
6. Some libraries have items in reserve collections that cannot be borrowed.
7. Use of the ILL service is a privilege extended to PTL patrons. It is the patron's
responsibility to make sure that borrowed items are returned to the Port Townsend
Public Library on time and in good condition so that our library can remain in good
standing with other network libraries. If the ILL service is abused, patron's access to this
service may be denied.
Policy for Request for Withdrawal or Addition of Library Materials
The Library believes in information for all and does not practice censorship. Patrons may submit
a Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form for material that he/she considers
objectionable. A procedure is in place for handling such requests.
A patron who objects to the presence or absence of any book or other item in the Library's
collection may file a formal complaint or a request for either removal or addition. Forms for this
purpose are available at the Service Desk. The request is processed as follows:
1. A patron fills out the "Request for Withdrawal or Addition of Library Materials" form
and gives it to a Library staff member.
2. The form is routed to the Librarian responsible for that particular area of the collection.
The Librarian checks the reviews on which the purchase decision was made, consults
with either the Head of the Adult/Technical Services department or the Head of the
Youth Services department, and drafts a response to the patron. The Library Director
reviews the draft and sends a letter to the patron giving reasons for the purchase decision
and outlining what action will be taken. The Librarian will respond within reason within
thirty days.
3. If the Manager's response is not acceptable to the patron, the patron may appeal to the
Library Director. The Library Director will hold an informal meeting to review all
relevant correspondence, book reviews, etc., and hear both the complainant's side and the
Manager's side of the issue.
Resolution 18-002 Exhibit A
Page 5 of 5
4. The Library Director will make the final decision as to whether the material is to be
withdrawn or added and communicate said decision within a reasonable timeframe.
Cited American Library Association Documents
'"Library Bill of Rights", American Library Association, June 30, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill (Accessed December 5, 2017)
Document ID: 669fd6a3-8939-3e54-7577-996aOa3f8952
'' "The Freedom to Read Statement", American Library Association, July 26, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement (Accessed December 5, 2017)
Document ID: aaac95d4-2988-0024-6573-10a5ce6b21b2
"' "Freedom to View Statement", American Library Association, May 29, 2007.
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomviewstatement (Accessed December 5, 2017)
Document ID: 95444382-9c6c-e904-0962-be3aa96cdb5a
" "Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors", American Library Association, July
26, 2006.
http://www. ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations/access-library-resources-for-
minors (Accessed December 5, 2017)
Document ID: 65e2fb33-21cO-d724-fl66-6a6defOdcd4e
' "Professional Ethics", American Library Association, January 22, 2008.
http://www.ala.org/tools/ethics (Accessed December 5, 2017)
`'' "Core Values of Librarianship", American Library Association, July 26, 2006.
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/corevalues (Accessed December 5, 2017)
Document ID: 33390955-19bO-2164-9dOd-07dfe5ec504e