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Collection Development Policy

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT MISSION:

The Brazil Public Library is committed to providing a diverse collection of physical and digital Library resources that reflect the community’s multitude of viewpoints and interests for people of all ages.  The Library’s collection is developed to meet the cultural, informational, educational, and recreational needs of citizens as the Library budget allows.

The Brazil Public Library objects to censorship and adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom adopted by the American Library Association.

  1. Library Bill of Rights
  2. Freedom to Read
  3. Freedom to View
  4. Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights

 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION:

The Brazil Public Library Board of Trustees delegates the development of the collection of all print, non-print and electronic materials to the Executive Director. The overall collection development process involves trained Library staff who aim to consistently follow Library policy and established procedures when building Library collections.. 

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Materials in a wide variety of formats from print to audio-visual to electronic are selected for inclusion in the Brazil Public Library’s collection for all ages. The collection is developed to honor the ethnic, religious, racial, and socio-economic diversity not only locally, but globally. While being good stewards of taxpayer funding, the collection is intentionally balanced to represent diverse viewpoints on current issues. 

The Brazil Public Library is focusing on adding materials to the collection rather than excluding them by using the following criteria to determine acquisition.

  1. Anticipated or existing demand, interest or need in the community
  2. Availability of physical space
  3. Cost
  4. Local interest based on author’s origin or subject matter
  5. Prominence, authority and/or credibility of author, creator or publisher based on published reviews 
  6. Accuracy and timeliness of content
  7. Relation to the existing collection and to other materials on the subject
  8. Attention by critics and reviewers
  9. Accessibility and ease of use
  10. Availability of titles from other sources
  11. Suitability of physical form for Library use
  12. Requests by Library patrons
  13. Suitability of subject and style for intended audience

The Brazil Public Library is a member of the Indiana State Library’s Indiana Digital Library consortium. This consortium provides our community with access to over 200 Indiana libraries’ digital collections through Overdrive and its mobile app Libby. Due to the nature of a digital consortium, Library users have access to materials selected by librarians across the state for a wide range of people from a variety of communities and is governed by its own Collection Development Policy. 

 

REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION:

Following the guidelines set forth by the American Library Association (ALA), individuals who are concerned about the appropriateness of Library resources may make informal complaints in public and to Library staff members. Brazil Public Library card holders may formally request the reconsideration of an item in the collection using the Request for Reconsideration form. Verbal requests are accepted, but they do not follow the same procedure as formal complaints.

The following steps provided by the ALA will be used when an individual feels that further action is necessary to address concerns about a Library resource. For the duration of this process, the material in question will remain in circulation in the Library collection.

  1. A concerned patron who is dissatisfied with earlier informal discussions will be offered a packet of materials that includes the Library’s mission statement, selection policy, reconsideration form, and the Library Bill of Rights.
  2. Patrons are required to complete and submit a reconsideration form to the Library director.
  3. The director, with appropriate professional staff, will review the reconsideration form and the material in question, to consider whether its selection follows the criteria stated in the collection policy.
  4. Within 15 business days, the director will make a decision and send a letter to the concerned person who requested the reconsideration, stating the reasons for the decision.
  5. If the individual is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal may be submitted within 10 business days to the Board of Trustees.
  6. If the board plans to address the appeal at their board meeting, the individual will be notified of when and where the meeting will be held.
  7. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of public comments.
  8. The decision of the board is final.

 

WEEDING POLICY:

Materials in poor condition, with outdated or inaccurate content, and with poor circulation statistics can weaken a Library’s overall collection and should be removed routinely. To maintain a vital, current collection that meets the needs of the community, continuous review is necessary. Low-circulating and/or out-of-date items are reviewed on a regular basis and withdrawn on an on-going basis by Library staff. The Brazil Public Library does not serve as an archive of historical materials, but as a Library for the public at large, so the collection must reflect this role. Some discretion will be made for materials in the genealogy and historical section of the Brazil Public Library’s collection.

Items will be removed from the collection if they:

  1. Provide out of date or inaccurate information
  2. Are in poor condition beyond what can be minimally mended
  3. Have low circulation statistics

Withdrawn items are frequently transferred to the Clay County Friends of the Library, a 501(c)3 organization, to sell or dispose of as they deem appropriate. Items may also be recycled or otherwise discarded. 

 

GIFT POLICY:

The Brazil Public Library will accept gifts in the form of donated materials. Items donated will be added to the collection using the same selection criteria as for purchased materials, however additional consideration will be given to those items that hold significance to the Brazil or Clay County community, such as historical materials or books with local importance that would have a place in the genealogy section of the Brazil Public Library . Donations will be accepted with the explicit understanding that they may or may not be added to the collection. Items not suitable or needed for the collection will be given to the Clay County Friends of the Library for disposal or sale. 

Monetary donations will also be accepted by the Brazil Public Library. When the Library receives a cash gift with the intent to purchase a memorial or tribute, the materials purchased will be based upon the interests of the deceased or the wishes of the donor with the approval of the Library Director.

The Brazil Public Library will not accept donations for display or inclusion in the collection that promote discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex, or creed. The Brazil Public Library maintains the right to refuse donations at any time.  

 

REQUEST POLICY:

The Brazil Public Library is open to accepting requests for materials to be added to the collection. All residents have the opportunity to make suggestions; however, these items will be considered using the same selection criteria as other materials and are not automatically added to the collection.  

Updated Collection Development Policy in full August 2024