1. Purpose of Collection Management Policy
The collection management policy establishes the general public’s expectation for public library collections and resources. It explains and analyzes the principles upon which selection is made and clarifies criteria that selectors use in their choice of materials and formats.
In addition, it serves as a guide and reference for use by the Library Board and patrons in understanding the choices that are made in building the collection and in the way materials are handled.
2. Philosophy of Selection
The library’s patrons represent different reading levels and interests. Selection does take into account the fact that patrons have a variety of points of view, as well as reading and format preferences, and these need to be represented in the collection.
When selecting new materials, staff will consult reviewing sources to determine which authors, titles, and subjects might be most appropriate for the collection. Customer demand will also be an important factor in selecting materials. Patrons are encouraged to make recommendations to staff for additions to the collection and staff will consider these recommendations for purchase. In order to keep up with high demand of requests, the library will monitor the number of reserves on an item and this will frequently trigger the purchase of additional copies.
The selection process takes into account that library users represent different points of view, some of which may be controversial. The collection will try to represent these views by offering, whenever possible, a balanced perspective of issues.