Collection Management Policy

Collection Management Policy Purpose and Philosophy

The purpose of the collection management policy is to provide guidelines for collection management including materials acquisition, withdrawal of items, allocation of resources, and planning in conjunction with the WPL’s mission statement and physical space limitations. WPL subscribes to the principles in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Library Bill of Rights adopted by the American Library Association, and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association and the American Book Publisher's Council. (see appendices).

WPL staff provides equitable service to all patrons. Patrons of all ages are permitted to borrow all items in the collection (with only exceptions for designated Library of Things items). Parents (or legal guardians) are responsible for monitoring the library items that minor children borrow, read, view, or use.

Responsibility for Selection

This Collection Management policy is approved by a formal vote of the WPL Board of Trustees. Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Director who serves under the auspices of the WPL Board of Trustees. Librarians will work cooperatively to manage the adult, youth services, and young adult collections. Librarians may delegate ordering to other staff as necessary and appropriate.

Criteria for Selection

Materials will be selected to meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs and interests of library patrons with foremost consideration given to Weston residents. Librarians making selections will strive to order materials in multiple formats as well as those that represent a variety of viewpoints.

One or more of the following criteria serve as the basis for selection and/or removal:

A positive review in a professional journal, such as Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus, the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Horn Book, etc.
A request by a Weston resident
A recommendation by a librarian due to his/her subject area knowledge
A recommendation by a subject matter professional (as approved by the Library Director)
An identified need of the collection as determined by the selector
The number of hold requests by Weston patrons (and anticipated demand)
The determination by a selector that the information is no longer accurate or current
The determination by a selector that the material is not age appropriate
Budget constraints
Historical significance of the item
Merit of the item (literary and/or artistic)
Significance and/or popularity of the author
Availability of the item in the Minuteman Network
Space limitations

An item need not meet all or more than one of these criteria to be selected. Self-published materials will be evaluated based on the above selection criteria. All patron-suggested purchases will be considered, but may not be selected based on the selection criteria above. Materials published or released in new formats will be considered for the collection when there is evidence that a significant portion of the local population has the required equipment to make use of the format. Availability of items in the format, the cost per item, the WPL’s ability to obtain and circulate the items as well as space or technology limitations will also be factors in determining when a new format will be acquired.

Local History Collection

WPL collects, preserves, organizes, and makes available, as appropriate, suitable materials of historical, geographical, or cultural relevance to the town of Weston for the purpose of current and future research into the growth and development of the town. This includes items written and created by Weston residents.

Collection Maintenance and Weeding

A strong collection requires ongoing evaluation and maintenance. Materials will regularly be weeded based on one or more of the following criteria: content is outdated or superseded, circulation statistics for the item are low, and/or condition of the item is poor.

All Materials acquired by the WPL shall become the permanent property of the WPL until such time as the Library Director deems it no longer relevant to the collection, in which case the material may be deaccessioned or weeded. Deaccessioning of items from the Local History Collection will not take place without written permission of the Chair of the WPL Board of Trustees or a majority vote of the WPL Board of Trustees.

Replacements and updated editions are purchased when warranted. Discarded materials may be sold, donated, or recycled as determined by the Library Director. Standards for materials withdrawal are detailed in the CREW Manual (see appendices).

Gifts/Donations

WPL welcomes gifts of funds and materials to enrich the collection New or used donated materials are subject to the same criteria as purchased materials and must be in good condition. Items for the Local History Collection should be in good condition and of importance to the history of Weston. Equipment donations can only be accepted providing that the item is in excellent condition and is compatible with other current technology in use.

Gifts are accepted subject to the approval of the Library Director and WPL Board of Trustees. Gifts are accepted with the understanding that they may be utilized or disposed of at the Library Director's and/or Board’s discretion. The WPL reserves the right to determine the use and disposition of all gifts unconditionally and without requirement to notify the donor. Gifts offered with restrictions may be considered, but acceptance may not be possible.

Consideration of Material

Anyone who wishes the WPL to consider the acquisition or removal of an item must fill out a “Request for Consideration of Material” form (see appendices). These forms are available at all services desks. Within ten days, the request is reviewed by the appropriate Department Head Librarian who will then discuss the request with the Library Director and/or Library Assistant Director. The Library Director will issue a response. If the complainant is not satisfied, he or she may appeal to the WPL Board of Trustees and ask to speak at a future meeting of the WPL Board of Trustees within three months of the date of the appeal. The decision of the WPL Board of Trustees is final.