Astoria
Public Library Collection Development Policy
Purpose
This policy statement has been developed to promote public
understanding of the purpose and nature of the Astoria Public Library
collection development practices and to give guidance and direction to library
staff.
Collection
Development Goals
The Astoria Public Library will obtain, organize, and make
conveniently available to members of the community educational, recreational,
and informational materials in print, non-print and electronic form. Materials will be selected based on reviews
in professional journals or actual examination and evaluation of materials.
Items of popular demand, such as bestsellers, school bibliographies, requests
from patrons for specific titles or subjects, and local interests, will also be
considered.
On May 21, 2007, the Astoria City Council approved the
Astoria Public Library Strategic Plan 2007-2011. This strategic plan is a living and flexible
blueprint that speaks to broad community needs and gives the Library focus and
direction. Goals and objectives of the plan will be considered in the
development of the Library collection and will determine priorities in the
allocation of resources and funds.
Responsibility
for collection
Responsibility for the selection and purchase of library
materials rests with the Library Director who may delegate some
responsibilities to other staff members. Staff will adhere to accepted
professional practices when making selection decisions.
General Principles of Materials Selection
Each type of material must be considered in terms of its
own merit and intended audience. All
selected materials must meet some of the following criteria:
• Appeal to
the general and overall interests and needs of individuals in the community
• Be of
widespread popularity of an author or series.
• Be of
contemporary significance
• Be of
artistic excellence
• Be of
entertaining presentation
• Be
accurate and objective
• Be
appropriate to the interests and skills of the intended audience
• Reflect
skill, competence, and purpose of the author
• Be considered in relation to other
materials and existing areas of coverage in order to maintain a diverse collection
• Be of
technical quality and durability of physical form for library use
• Be
considered in relation to price, budget and shelf space constraints
• Be
considered in relation to the availability of cataloging records
Donations
The Library welcomes donations of books and other materials
and accepts monetary contributions toward the purchase of materials. All
donated materials are subject to the selection criteria stated in this
policy. Gifts accepted for addition to
the Library's collection become the property of the Astoria Public Library and
will be placed where most appropriate.
Material not added to the Library's collection may be given
to a local nonprofit organization or transferred to the Astor Library Friends
Association, a non-profit organization, for use in book sales. The proceeds
from such sales are donated to the Library to support the Library mission,
programs, and collection development. Astoria Public Library employees will not
appraise donations for tax purposes.
Online
Resources
Selected online resources accessed from the Library's web
pages are subject to the same selection criteria as other materials.
Internet access expands the Library’s ability to offer a
wealth of informational, educational, and recreational resources and the
Library is pleased to make this resource available to the public. Patrons
should note, however, that the Internet is an open, unregulated forum and that
the Library cannot control, select, or monitor the constantly changing material
accessible through it. Some information
on the Internet may be inaccurate, incomplete, dated, or offensive to some
individuals. Patrons should also note that Internet transmissions might not be
secure or confidential. Library users access the Internet at their own
discretion. Individuals are responsible
for determining what is appropriate for themselves and their families. The Library assumes that parents and legal
guardians of minor children will monitor and set guidelines for Internet use.
Collection
Maintenance and Evaluation
The Library keeps its collection vital and useful by
retaining or replacing essential material, and removing on a systematic and
continuous basis those materials which are worn, outdated, of little historical
significance, or no longer in demand.
Access
The Astoria Public Library is responsible for providing
materials to patrons of all ages, backgrounds, and opinions. Any Library patron
is free to select or reject materials for themselves or their own minor
children. The Library would never presume to usurp the role of the parent. Only
parents and guardians have the right and responsibility to guide the reading,
viewing and listening choices of their own minor children. The Library does not
stand in the place of parents (in loco parentis.)
The Library collection taken as a whole is an unbiased and
diverse source of materials, representing as many viewpoints as possible.
Processing and shelving materials shall in no way reflect a value judgment of
the material content. All materials will be shelved in order on open shelves,
freely and easily accessible to the public. Those items in fragile condition
and/or of irreplaceable value may be shelved in restricted areas to protect
them from theft or damage.
The library subscribes to the principle that the freedom to
read is essential to our democracy, and that free communication is essential to
the preservation of a free society. To insure free communication and the rights
of the community to a broad range of ideas and concepts, the Library endorses
the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom To Read
Statement and the Freedom to View Statement.
Request
for Reconsideration
The Astoria Public Library recognizes the right of
individuals to question the inclusion of materials in the library collection
and considers each patron's opinion. A staff member will discuss such concerns
and provide the patron with a copy of this policy. Patrons questioning the
inclusion of library materials may also state their opinion in writing on a
Request for Reconsideration form provided by the Library. The form will be sent
to the Library Director who will refer it to the Astoria Public Library Advisory
Board. The Library Advisory Board will
review if the material was appropriately selected and made accessible under
this policy. The board will make a decision about how the material is to be
treated. The Library Advisory Board Chair will communicate this decision to the
patron in writing. Materials that are the subject of a Request for
Reconsideration shall not be removed pending the final Library Advisory Board
decision. If the patron wishes to appeal the board’s decision, they will do so
to the City Council.
The library reports all challenges to materials to the
Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse, a project of the Center for the Book
at the Oregon State Library. The Clearinghouse collects reports about
challenges against all types of library materials in all types of Oregon
libraries in an attempt to document the level of censorship attempts in Oregon.
An Annual Report of the Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse is produced
and released during September of each year. While the Oregon Intellectual Freedom
Clearinghouse cooperates with other persons and groups concerned with
intellectual freedom or related issues, it is intended that the Clearinghouse
be an unbiased information resource.
**Library
Board Endorsement:
Approved
by City Council: May 21, 2007
Biannual
review: October 2023 (Review completed October 5, 2021)
**Unknown
