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Home My WebLink AboutPTPL Collection Development Policy DRAFTCollection Development and Management Policy City of Port Townsend Public Library Draft 10‐6‐17 by mse 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. 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 and may include materials that some members of the public consider to be controversial in nature.  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 the needs and interests of the community and also considers customer requests for materials.  We preserve and share our community's maritime history through the Maritime Collection shared with the Northwest Maritime Center.  We believe that a high‐quality library collection must be kept up‐to‐date by judicious oversight, removing outdated and worn‐out items, while preserving, and when necessary and possible, replacing, classics and items of lasting value.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 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  Core Values of Librarianship Statement Responsibility 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 Port 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 maintains 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. 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  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  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  Physical condition  Obsolescence  Current and potential use  Completeness (sets)  Unique reference value  Availability of similar materials  Historical value Special Collections: Northwest Maritime Collection, Local Authors, Local History, Jung To be added… Censorship and Reconsideration of 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. The Library Director will refer unresolved requests to the Library Advisory Board. Request for Library Materials When you make a request, we will consider borrowing the item from another library (Interlibrary Loan) or purchasing the item. If the item is available for you, we will contact you via the contact info on your library account. Some items may not be available. 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. Gift Books 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 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. Policy for Request for Withdrawal or Addition of Library Materials 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. 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. 4. The Library Director will make the final decision as to whether the material is to be withdrawn or added. REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL OR ADDITION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS FORM  Withdrawal Request  Addition Request  Book  Other Title ___________________________________________________________________________ Author __________________Publisher ___________________ Year _____ ISBN# ___________ Request initiated by ___________________________________ Telephone ( ____ ) ____ ‐ _____ Address _____________________________________ City/State/Zip ______________________ Do you represent:  yourself?  an organization? (name) ___________________  your child? (age of child) _____  other group? (name) _____________________ WITHDRAWAL REQUEST What is your objection to this material? (Please be specific ‐ cite pages, section or scene) _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Why do you object to this material? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Did you read, see or hear the entire work? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ What do you believe is the theme of the work? Can you suggest materials that provide other viewpoints? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ ADDITION REQUEST Where did you read or hear about this material? (Please provide complete information about the material) ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think it should be made part of the Library’s collection? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________