The NorthEast-Millerton Library supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View Statements.
The Director of the library shall be responsible for selection of books and other materials. The Director, at their discretion, may delegate the authority and responsibility for the selection of library materials to qualified staff members.
The library considers all types and formats of media to be in the realm of human expression and part of the human record. The library does not reject materials for acquisition solely on the basis of medium. Library materials shall be chosen on the basis of their value of interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community. No library material shall be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
The library considers all acquisitions for all age ranges, whether purchased or donated, in terms of one or more of the following:
Criteria for Materials Selection
- Level of funding
- Relevance
- Informational and recreational needs of users
- Local demand
- Current usefulness or interest
- Community needs surveys and assessments
- Authority and accuracy
- Importance as a record of the times
- Relevance to the existing collection’s strengths and weaknesses
- High standards of quality in content and format
- Price and availability
- Format, durability, and ease of use
- Suitability of format for subject and user’s needs
Materials for individuals of varying ages, educational levels and interest should be acquired.
The Director shall accept or reject the gift of library materials. Gifts shall be accepted only with the stipulation that the library will use them as it sees fit. The Director shall have sole responsibility to issue documentation of library materials gifts for tax purposes.
The collection shall be routinely critically evaluated by the director and designated staff to determine strengths, weaknesses, and gaps.
Weeding
Weeding requires the same care, thought, and knowledge of the subject area that selection does. Material that no longer meets the stated objectives of the library or fits the Criteria for Materials Selection of the individual subject area will be weeded.
General considerations that are used to identify materials to be weeded include the following:
- The material is old, out-of-date, or inaccurate.
- The collection is not easily accessible or there is no longer room for new additions
- The material is damaged, smelly, or structurally unfit for circulation.
- The no longer popular or hasn’t circulated in a predetermined amount of time.
The CREW guidelines may be used as a standard to help determine what is considered out of date or inappropriate lengths of time of non-circulation.
Staff favorites or commonly used titles do not exempt the item from being weeded. Relying only on titles that staff have used over the years may provide erroneous, incomplete information, or contemporary interpretation.
The library applies the Criteria for Material Selection in deciding whether to purchase replacement copies.
Items removed from the collection may be sold, given away, recycled, discarded, or otherwise disposed of at the discretion of the Library. The library serves a community of diverse interests, backgrounds, cultural heritages, social values, political views, and needs. All patrons have the right to reject for themselves materials that do not meet their approval. This right does not include the right to restrict the access of others to obtain the same materials. Censorship is a purely individual matter. Responsibility for the reading/viewing/listening material of children and adolescents’ rests with their parent or legal guardian. The library does not stand in loco parentis. No material shall be removed from the collection save under the procedures for Challenge of Library Materials adopted by this Board of Trustees
History
Approved by the Board of Trustees: 02-21-2007
Updated: 1/12/2022