Materials Selection Policy

MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY

The Materials Selection Policy is critical toward the realization of the library’s goals and objectives. This policy is the responsibility of the Trustees, who have delegated to the Library Director the task of implementing it.  In practice, library materials are selected by the Director and the staff after consulting standard collection tools and professional journals or resources as well as well as needs, interests and demands of the community. This policy has been developed to ensure

– selection, organization, preservation, and availability of materials in a variety of formats  for the residents of Belmont to assist them as they pursue their informational, intellectual, cultural, educational, and recreational needs

– service to the entire community, present and future, with consideration of the diverse groups of patrons, from children to young adult to all residents including  those in the active work force and senior citizens

– continuous and periodic examination of the community and its changing interests and needs to give vitality and relevancy to the selection of materials

– guidance by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read  Statement, the Freedom to View Statement, the Library Bill of Rights   and the  Free Access to Libraries for Minors statement

– systematic review of the collection to maintain its vitality, usability and purpose. Withdrawn materials no longer suitable are de-accessioned to the Friends of the Library’s sale to benefit the library, given to other Minuteman Library libraries, to the Boston Public Library if significant, or discarded.

Materials are selected on the basis of numerous criteria some of which include

– current importance or permanent value

– authority and competence of author and publisher

– value as an historical record

– relevance to existing collections

– availability through the Minuteman Library Network, other local Networks, or ILL

– popularity and user demand

– patron request whenever it is reasonable and financially possible

– presentation of all views of controversial issues

– high standard of quality in format, content, binding and ease of use

– cost of individual title in relation to the overall collection.

Materials are selected on a wide variety of subjects, media formats and digital resources, languages, with differing points of view, for all ages, and at several reading levels.

Gifts of books, periodicals, and other materials may be accepted subject to library regulations and the understanding such items maybe added to the library collection, given to the Friends of the Library, offered to another library, or discarded.

Requests for acquisition or removal of specific library material may be made in writing to the Director who will then initiate the review process.

Approved October 30, 2012