Selection Policy

Rationale

The purpose of a Collection Development Policy is to guide the library staff in the development of the library's collection of materials and to inform the public about the principles upon which these decisions are made.

Responsibilities

Public librarians are charged to provide information and educational support to all age levels in an extremely wide range of subject areas and must represent all points of view. The staff, director, and the Board of Trustees all subscribe to and endorse the Library Bill of Rights as adopted by the American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Statement as adopted by the American Library Association and the Association of American Publishers.

In carrying out the spirit and the letter of this policy, materials that are considered controversial may be added to the library collection. Any resident or patron shall have the right to question the library's decision to include or not include the item in the collection or to fill out a copy of the "Request for Reconsideration of Material" form attached. In these cases, the library will not automatically remove from the shelves items purchased in accordance with the policy outlined herein, even though one or more patrons may take issue with the selection of an item. (Please also see Complaint Policy.)

Basic Collection Criteria

The following criteria will be given due consideration in making selections of new materials:

  1. Community needs and interests.
  2. Relation of the work to the existing collection.
  3. Accuracy or quality of the information or degree of literary excellence (possibly served by two
    reviews from major reviewing sources or a "Best Books" list).
  4. Personal examination of the material by a member of the staff.

The library will collect materials in any format which best suits the needs of the patrons.

While the library encourages requests from its patrons, the professional staff decides material purchases through the preceding criteria. Ultimately, however, the responsibility for implementing the Collection Development Policy rests with the library director.

Selection of materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children. It is the responsibility of parents or guardians to screen materials used by their minor children, if they so desire. Library staff will not restrict the use of materials by children.

All library staff directly involved in the selection of materials have an obligation to stay informed of library user habits and patterns, community needs and interests, and the current collection of materials.

Special Collections

  • Maine Collection: Primary emphasis will be on collecting non-fiction materials about the State of Maine, current and historical; secondary emphasis will be on non-fiction materials written by State of Maine authors.
  • The Gabriel A. Zimpritch Poetry and Writing Collection: Primary emphasis will be on collecting 20th century English and American poetry and creative writing resource materials.

Temporary additions:

  • Leased Books: Primary emphasis will be on multiple copies of popular books and adhering to general collection development criteria.
  • Interlibrary Loan Books: The library will lend to or request to borrow from other libraries materials requested by patrons that are not available here.
  • Large Print Collection: Current titles on loan from the Maine State Library and adhering to general collection development criteria.

Gifts

The Thomas Memorial Library welcomes all gifts that enhance the library’s collection or assists the library in meeting its stated goals and objectives.

  1. Gifts of materials: Gifts of books and other library materials will be accepted by the library provided that the donor realizes that the library will handle all gifts in a manner which best meets its stated purposes. The library staff will apply the same standards to gifts as are applied to potential library purchases when considering for inclusion in the collection. Any gift of library materials that does not meet the established criteria will be disposed of at the discretion of the library director. (Gifts not added to the collection will be offered to a more appropriate library, sold at the library's annual book sale, or otherwise discarded.) Once accepted for inclusion in the collection, all gifts will become the property of the library and are subject to the library's policies and procedures and shelved in a manner that will make the best use of each item. Donors must also be aware that when gift materials no longer meet the materials selection criteria as stated in the library's policy, the item will be removed from the collection.

    2. The establishment of the gift's value for tax purposes is a responsibility of the donor. The library is not able to make an appraisal because of its position as an interested party and also because of limited staff expertise in the bookselling field.

  2. Gifts of monetary value: Thomas Memorial Library also welcomes monetary gifts. Any unspecified gift of money will be placed in the library's Gift Account.
  • Donors may wish to give money to purchase particular materials or materials in a certain subject area. All such gifts, regardless of amount, are subject to the approval of the library director and/or the professional staff. Once these materials are purchased and added to the collection they are subject to the library's policies and procedures. In keeping with other parts of the library policy, the library may choose not to receive direct or unsolicited gifts.
  • All monetary gifts shall be appropriately acknowledged in writing by the library director and/or professional staff and records of these gifts shall be kept in the director's office.

Reevaluation of Materials

All materials in the library collection should be reviewed and reevaluated systematically to check on their physical condition and to make sure that the material still meets the general criteria for selection. When materials no longer meet these criteria, they should be discarded. A decision to discard an item should be based on the following considerations:

  1. Inclusion in the Public Library Catalog or other standard bibliographies.
  2. Datedness.
  3. Circulation pattern.
  4. Physical condition.

Materials will only be de-accessioned when they meet these criteria and not at the request of an individual. Any materials withdrawn will be available to the general public.

The library is not a reference collection and does not preserve materials for their intrinsic historic value. The library acknowledges its responsibility to maintain the quality of the collection, to rebind, mend or replace as necessary.

Cooperation With Other Libraries

No single library can meet all demands in its community. Libraries in different political subdivisions working together, sharing their services and resources, can meet more nearly the full needs of their patrons.
The library staff will be alert to opportunities of cooperation with other libraries, to strengthen the services and resources of the library.

Children's Collection

The materials in the Children's Library are selected to meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of children from birth to approximately twelve years of age. The library has an obligation to its young patrons to reflect the community and at the same time provide a window into the larger world and beyond. To this end, materials are selected that represent the diversity of lands, peoples, ideas, cultures, and fields of inquiry to be found within and beyond the confines of the community.

The Children's Library also has a responsibility to provide practical information for parents and caregivers on parenting and child development, as well as the nature of children's literature and recreational works on child development that are oriented more toward theory and research will be selected by the Adult Library staff and housed in the Adult Library.

Young Adult Collection

The materials in the Young Adult Collection are selected to meet the needs of adolescents and young adults from approximately thirteen to eighteen years of age. A broad range of books, videos, audio books, and magazines are selected by the Adult/Young Adult Librarian to meet the informational and recreational needs of this age group, and to supplement curricular needs. Due to limited resources, the Young Adult Collection is not focused on research needs, which are better served by the adult collection and school libraries.