Collection development policy
approved by the Library Board February 23, 2022
Purpose of Collection Development Policy
The Collection Development Policy is intended to provide guidance, within budgetary and space limitations, for the selection and evaluation of materials which anticipate and meet the needs and interests of the Petersburg community. It directly relates the collection to the library’s mission statement and defines the scope and standards of the various collections.
As the community changes, PPL reassesses and adapts its collections to reflect new and differing areas of interest and concern. The collection development policy is periodically evaluated and revised as necessary to provide guidance for implementing changes in the collection.
PPL MISSION: WE CONNECT YOU TO THE WORLD OF IDEAS
In support of its mission "to connect you to the world of ideas," the library fully endorses the principles documented in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association. The library upholds the right of the individual to secure information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, distasteful, or unacceptable to others. Materials available in the library present a diversity of viewpoints, enabling citizens to make the informed choices necessary in a democracy.
Scope of the Collection
The primary responsibility of Petersburg Public Library is to serve the citizens of the Petersburg Borough by providing a broad choice of materials to meet their informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs. Materials are selected to aid individuals, groups and organizations in the effort to attain practical solutions to daily problems, and to enrich the quality of life for all community members.
Budget and space limitations, as well as local needs, preclude the library from duplicating the specialized and comprehensive collections that exist elsewhere in Alaska. Access to these collections is provided through cooperative networking, interlibrary loan, and direct referral.
Responsibility for Selection
The authority and responsibility for the selection of library materials rests ultimately with the Library Director. Under the Director’s supervision, selection may also be delegated to library staff. All staff members and members of the public are encouraged to recommend materials for consideration.
All materials, whether purchased or donated, are considered in terms of the criteria listed below. An item need not meet all of these standards in order to be added to the collection.
Material Selection
For a well-rounded collection, staff select materials based on local and national demand, professional and popular media reviews, and recommendations from the public. Budget and space limitations require a focus on materials that appeal to a broad range of users, rather than the academic and highly technical works collected by universities and other research institutions.
Criteria
All materials, whether purchased or donated, are subject to the criteria listed below
Current and anticipated needs and interests of the public
Treatment of subject for intended audience
Physical durability
Creative, literary, or technical quality/merit
Quality of the production
Cost and availability
Evaluations in review media
Relation to existing collection and other materials on the subject
Space and budgetary limits
Suitability of the format for library use
Availability in other formats
Local content
An item need not meet all of these standards to be included in the library’s collection. The choice of library materials by users is an individual matter. Responsibility for the reading materials of children and adolescents rests with their parents or guardians.
Suggestions for Purchase
The library strongly encourages input from the local community concerning the collection. A suggestion for purchase procedure enables Petersburg citizens to request that a particular item or subject be purchased by the library. All suggestions for purchase are subject to the same selection criteria as other materials and are not automatically added to the collection. It is the library’s intent that suggestions for purchase be used to help staff in developing strong collections which serve the interests and needs of the community.
The library collects materials in a variety of formats including print, audiovisual, and digital. When choosing a format for a physical item, consideration is given to the condition and durability of the materials used in the item’s construction and how the item will hold up over time. Materials which are delicate or require special handling may not be suitable for our collection.
When selecting audiovisual and digital materials, the most commonly used format is chosen. Formats rendered obsolete due to the prevalence of a new format will not be added to the collection.
Formats
The library collects materials in a variety of formats including print, audiovisual, and digital. When choosing a format for a physical item, consideration is given to the condition and durability of the materials used in the item’s construction and how the item will hold up over time. Materials which are delicate or require special handling may not be suitable for our collection.
When selecting audiovisual and digital materials, the most commonly used format is chosen. Formats rendered obsolete due to the prevalence of a new format will not be added to the collection.
Collection Maintenance
Deselection of material from the collection is a vital part of successful collection maintenance. The same guidelines used for selection of library materials provide the underlying principles for deselection, for which the library uses industry standard MUSTIE (from the CREW Method Guidelines for Weeding).
Continuous evaluation is necessary to ensure that the library’s materials are useful and accessible. Items are regularly removed to keep the collection current, accurate, and appealing. Authority of the work and author, quality of the publisher, currency of the material, condition of the item, number of additional copies of the title, relevance to the needs of the community, circulation count and format are all considered when removing materials from the collection. “Last copy” status is not a consideration.
Gifts
The library accepts donations of library materials or money to purchase them, with the understanding that gifts to be added to the collection must meet established selection criteria. Gifts not retained for the collection may be given to other libraries, schools, or nonprofit groups, sold, or otherwise disposed of, the choice being the library’s entirely.
No condition or restriction on gifts can be honored unless agreed upon by the librarian and donor before delivery of the gift. The library cannot legally appraise gifts for tax purposes.
Intellectual Freedom Policy
The Petersburg Public Library endorses the principles of the Freedom to Read Statement, the Freedom to View Statement, and the Library Bill of Rights adopted by the American Library Association.
As proclaimed in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution, freedom of expression, specifically the right to publish diverse opinions, is essential to the democratic form of government. A public institution committed to the principles of democracy and intellectual freedom, Petersburg Public Library recognizes its obligation to provide as wide a spectrum of materials as possible.
Diverse points of view, including controversial and unorthodox subjects, are available in this collection. Inclusion in the collection does not imply library approval of or agreement with the contents.
Library materials are not marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, nor are materials sequestered except for the purpose of protecting them from damage or theft.
No restrictions are placed on what anyone may read, view, or listen to. Selection of materials to include in the collection will not be made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the merits of the material in relation to building the collection and to serving the needs and the interests of all users.
Individuals or groups may occasionally question the inclusion of an item in the collection because of fear or doubt about the effects of the material on impressionable persons. Although the library understands this concern, it is the library’s position that the risk to society is far greater if public access to ideas and information is restricted. While anyone is free to select or reject materials for themselves or their own minor children or wards, the values of one will not be imposed on the many. Parents and legal guardians have the responsibility for their child’s or ward’s use of Library materials.
The library is opposed to the removal from its shelves, at the request of any individual or group, materials which have been chosen according to the materials selection policy.
Reconsideration of Library Materials
Community members wishing to recommend the removal or reclassification of a particular item in the collection may submit a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form (available upon request). Once a written Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form is received by the Library Director, the process is as follows
The Library Director will review the item within the context of the library’s Collection Development Policy and, as appropriate, the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read, the Freedom to View Statements, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) guidelines on intellectual freedom.
Once this process is completed, the Library Director may issue a written response or, at their discretion, request that the Library Board consider the request at the next scheduled Board meeting.
Once the review process is complete a written response will be mailed to the requester, stating the outcome of the review. If still unsatisfied, the requestor may present concerns to the Library Board, which is the final arbiter in matters of this nature.
The final authority regarding removal or retention of library materials ultimately resides with the Library Board.
