Collection Development Policy
Collection Development Policy with appendices PDF, 1.31 MB
Introduction
Description of the Library
The Arlington Public Library is a municipal library system funded by the City of Arlington, governed by the Arlington City Council and guided by the Library Advisory Board. The library system has two main support groups: The Friends of the Arlington Public Library and the Arlington Public Library Foundation. These organizations support various library projects through fund-raising efforts. Current data on the collections, circulation, registered borrowers, etc., can be found in Appendix A. The current version of the Library’s organizational chart is in Appendix B.
Community and Clientele
The City of Arlington is an urban community located midway between Dallas and Fort Worth, in Tarrant County, Texas. Its proximity to both Dallas and Fort Worth has made it a desirable place to live and work.
Arlington has seen very rapid growth in the past ten years. Population has grown from 261,721 in 1990 to 332,969 in 2000. There are approximately 130,628 housing units, primarily single-family homes with a median value in 2000 of $128,600, over 54% owner-occupied. Median household income is $48,617 and the median age is 30.7. Residents between the ages of 0-17 represent approximately 30.0 % of the population, while those over age 65 comprise approximately 6% of the population. Arlington is a culturally diverse community with residents from many national and ethnic backgrounds. The largest language groups within the city are English 76%, Spanish 12%, and Vietnamese 5%.
A high value is placed on education, both formal and continuing. Approximately 56% of residents have high school diplomas and 30% have college degrees. There are 50 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, and 7 high schools within the city. The University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County College—Southeast Campus, and a variety of private educational institutions are also located in Arlington. There are active continuing education programs available through the school district, local colleges and universities, and private organizations. There is also an active home-schooling community in the city.
The city has numerous civic organizations, service clubs and volunteer groups covering a variety of cultural and recreational interests. These groups play an important part in providing input to city policy decision.
Purpose of this Document
This document is intended to contribute to and support the Library’s mission to provide library services appropriate to the needs of the community. The policy will be used to provide a basis for selecting and acquiring materials, to set coherent boundaries for the collection, and to serve as a training tool for Library staff; collection management procedures contained in Part II will guide systematic management of the Library’s collections.
Role of the Library’s Collections
The role of the Library is to select, organize, preserve, and make available to all individuals in the community materials that reflect the Library’s vision, mission and values (see Appendix C).
The Library recognizes that, for many residents of Arlington, the public library serves as the primary resource for information access. The Library actively integrates information and referral services, interlibrary loan functions, and collection management to provide the most efficient and timely delivery of information services to our patrons.
The Library is responsible for providing a broad range of materials, information and assistance, presented in a variety of formats for patrons of all age groups.
Intellectual Freedom Statement
The Library subscribes to and supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights (see Appendix D) and its interpretations and the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read and Freedom to View Statements (see Appendix E).
The Library takes no sides on public issues and does not attempt to promote any beliefs or points of view through its collections. The Library does not endorse the opinions expressed in the materials held. The Library recognizes its responsibility to provide materials presenting various and diverse points of view.
Responsibility for the use of library materials by minors rests with their parents or legal guardians. Parents who wish to limit or restrict the use of the Library by their child should personally oversee their child’s selections. The Library offers to parents the option of restricting their child’s borrowing privileges to items in the juvenile collection.
Acquisition of material for the adult collection should not be restricted by the possibility that the item may come into the possession of minors. The Library believes that each individual has the right and responsibility to determine for himself or herself whether an item from the library’s collection is acceptable and suitable.
Collection Development Responsibilities
The responsibility for coordinating the selection process lies with the Library’s Bibliographic Services Administrator and the Children’s Services Coordinator. The selection of new print and audiovisual materials is performed through the use of accepted reviewing sources such as Library Journal, Book List, School Library Journal, VOYA, Publishers Weekly and other subject-specific publications. Requests from Library staff and patrons for new material are referred to the Bibliographic Services Administrator and the Children’s Services Coordinator.
The ultimate responsibility for selection of materials rests with the Library Director.
Funding Considerations
The Library’s primary source of funding for materials is from the City of Arlington. In addition, the Library receives various federal, state and private grants, as well as local funding through groups such as the Friends of the Arlington Public Library and the Arlington Public Library Foundation that target special projects or specific sections of the collection.
The Bibliographic Services Administrator, in consultation with the Library Director and the Assistant Director, allocates general-purpose funds for the purchase of library materials. The allocation of funds to the system’s Central library and the branches is based on circulation data, historical purchasing patterns, weeding and loss patterns, and public demand. These funds are then further subdivided by collection and type of material by each building manager in consultation with the Bibliographic Services Administrator.
Selection process in general
The Library strives to maintain a diverse collection of materials responsive to community needs. The professional staff at each location maintains a written profile that describes the particular interests and needs of the patrons within their service area. These profiles inform and guide the selection process. Selection of materials, whether purchased or donated, is based upon the service roles defined in the Library’s mission statement. Selection is limited by factors such as budget, space, and the content of existing collections. While the library tries to maintain copies of standard and important works, we do not automatically replace all materials that have been lost or damaged.
Each item must be considered in terms of its own excellence and the audience for whom it is intended. Materials are judged on total effect rather than specific illustrations, words, passages or scenes that in themselves may be considered by some to be offensive.
A policy, however detailed, cannot replace the judgment of individual librarians. Professional judgment and expertise is based on an understanding of user needs and knowledge of both authors and publishers. Reviews from professional, specialized and general periodicals, in addition to standard lists of basic works, are also consulted as part of the selection process.
The Library acquires materials in a variety of formats and will select materials in the media most appropriate to their efficient use. For example, electronic formats simplify ease of use of indices and bibliographies. Patrons prefer to read extensive treatises and novels in book form, rather than in microfilm or electronic format. In some circumstances the same work may be acquired in more than one format; for example, hardback, paperback and audio versions of popular titles are often purchased to meet patron demand.
Expanding areas of knowledge, changing social values, technological advances, and cultural differences require flexibility, open-mindedness, and responsiveness in the evaluation and re-evaluation of all library materials. Material will not be excluded because of the race, nationality, or the political or religious views of the writer. In order to build collections of merit, materials will be considered according to the general criteria listed below.
General Criteria for the Evaluation of Library Materials:
- Reputation and/or significance of the author, producer, performer
- Suitability of subject and style for intended audience
- Relation to existing collection and other material on the subject
- Suitability of physical format for library use
- Present and potential relevance to community needs
- Value of the resource in relation to its cost
- Appropriateness and effectiveness of medium to content
- Level of public interest
- Prizes, awards, or honors received
Gift Policy
The Library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that items added to the collection must meet the same selection criteria as purchased materials. All gifts become the property of the Library and will be used in the manner most beneficial to the Library. Factors such as the physical condition of the material, the number of copies already in the collection, or the currency of the information contained in the item may prevent the addition of an item to the collection. The Library retains the right to accept or reject gifts and to make all decisions as to their use, housing and final disposition. Gifts not added to the collection will be made available to the public, through the Friends of the Arlington Public Library’s semiannual book sale.
The Library will provide a receipt for gifts but will not give a monetary valuation for materials received. The Library accepts memorials and gift monies and will acknowledge contributions and provide a memorial/gift plate, when the donor requests it.
Patron Requests for Materials
The Library provides several mechanisms to facilitate community involvement in the selection process. These include active monitoring of holds placed by patrons for specific titles, patron suggestions, and a variety of questionnaires and surveys. A more detailed discussion of this topic may be found in Part II of this document.
Reconsideration
There may be occasions when a member of the community objects to the inclusion of an item in the Library’s collection. Patrons are invited to discuss such concerns with a professional staff member. The Library will not remove or reclassify an item without due process. If a library user wishes to request that the Library remove, relocate, or reclassify an item, he or she may do so by completing the form, Request for Reconsideration (PDF, 36 KB), available at all libraries. This form should be completed and returned to a professional staff member who will inform the patron of the steps involved in the reconsideration process.
Once the form is received, a review committee consisting of the Assistant Director, the Bibliographic Services Administrator, and other professional staff members will consider the patron’s concerns. The committee will evaluate professional reviews and recommendations, the item’s place in the collection, and comments from library staff. The committee will submit a written recommendation to the Director regarding the patron’s request. The Director, who has final authority in such matters, will inform the committee of his decision and a written response will be sent to the patron.
Approved 2001
