Collection Development Policy

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

The Cannon Free Library has adopted a collection development policy that guides the selection of titles to be purchased and/or added to the collection through donations. The policy attempts to cultivate a diverse and well-rounded collection that addresses the needs and interests of the patrons at the Cannon Free Library. Any patron who wishes to see the collection development policy in its entirety may request to view a copy by speaking with the library staff.

Material and Donations Policy: The Cannon Free Library accepts donations of recent books (within 10 years) and audiovisual materials which are clean and in good condition, when space is deemed available.

  1. The Cannon Free Library reserves the right to accept, decline, discard, or sell any donations. Realia will not be accepted. Gifts of books and other materials will be accepted with the stipulation that if materials are unable to be added to our collection they will be placed in a book sale
  2. Items will be added to the collection if they meet our selection policy and are in formats already purchased by the library for our collection.
  3. The Cannon Free Library cannot put memorial book plates in any gift book.
  4. The Cannon Free Library can provide a receipt for gift materials for tax purposes upon request, but no value or dollar amount will be established.

Weeding Policy: The collection will be periodically reviewed to determine relevance to the collection. Materials may be withdrawn from the collection, due to reasons listed below:

  1. Materials that no longer meet the needs of the community and no longer support the library collection.
  2. Items in poor condition due to general wear and tear or damaged.
  3. Items that contain outdated information.
  4. Duplicate copies of popular items that are no longer popular
  5. Fiction titles that are no longer popular and are not deemed a “classic”.
  6. Items with poor circulation over the duration of the past 4 years.

 

Reconsideration of Library Materials: The choice of library materials by patrons is an individual matter. While a person may reject materials for oneself, one may not exercise censorship to restrict access to the materials by others. The Cannon Free Library recognizes that a diversity of materials may result in some requests for reconsideration. Should a patron decide to request the reconsideration of a library material, the below procedure will be followed to assure that objections or complaints about library materials are handled in an attentive and consistent manner.

The person with the request for reconsideration should be referred immediately to the Library Director or to the person in charge in the absence of the Library Director. The person in charge should provide the patron access to the Collections Development Policy of the Board of Trustees of the Cannon Free Library. If the user is not satisfied with the explanation received, s/he may ask for reconsideration in the following manner:

  1. The person making the request for reconsideration must complete a Request for Reevaluation of Library Materials form. See Appendix A.
  2. The Request for Reevaluation will be referred to a committee consisting of the Library Director, the youth services librarian (if the material in question belongs in the children’s collection), and a member of the Board of Trustees.
  3. The committee will reconsider the item in question using the Collection Development Policy and reviews from recognized professional sources.
  4. The Library Director will then write to the patron regarding the committee’s recommended action. The reviewer’s comments will be kept confidential by all concerned. Brief quotes, however, may be used in the Library Director’s letter to the patron.
  5. If the patron desires further action, an appeal can be made in writing to the Cannon Free Library Board of Trustees and their decision is final.

Request for Materials

The Cannon Free Library welcomes the input of its patronage in its collection development efforts. Patrons are invited to formally recommend books, journals, and audio-visual materials for library purchase by completing the Request for Materials form that can be obtained by speaking with the library staff at the circulation desk. See Appendix B.

While the library welcomes patron suggestions, purchase decisions are ultimately dependent on the selection criteria outlined in the library’s collection development policy and the availability of funds.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees
August 17, 2018